The Best Travel Books I’ve Ever Read

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

A heartbreaking fictional story set in the real-life political turmoil in Afghanistan. Hosseini paints a fascinating picture of modern Afghanistan, with the main characters struggling with familial and cultural obligations. This book transcends travel and is generally a phenomenal book every person should read.

The White Tiger: A Novel by Aravind Adiga

A favorite read for me; Adiga’s novel paints a picture of two very different Indias—the crushingly poor and the rising global middle class. The story sheds light on India’s cultural dynamics, globalization, and politics, and the mess these elements are causing in modern India. It’s also a very quick, easy read.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

This book offers not just a journey through India, but a deep dive into the complexities of its society. Highly recommended for travelers heading to India, it shares an intricate portrayal of a family’s life in Kerala, blending political and social commentary with a poignant narrative.

Roy’s rich prose and keen observations bring to life the lush landscapes and intricate social structures of Southern India, making it a compelling and insightful read for anyone seeking to understand the nuances of this diverse and fascinating region.

A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East by Tiziano Terzani

A captivating overland memoir that beautifully intertwines the author’s personal experiences with the diverse cultures of the Far East. Terzani, guided by a prophecy from a fortune-teller, embarks on a journey avoiding air travel, which leads to a series of enlightening and often humorous encounters across Asia.

This book is a treasure trove of cultural insights and human stories, highlighting the author’s deep engagements with local traditions, spiritual practices, and the everyday lives of the people he meets.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Set in rural Florida, my home state, Hurston’s novel is controversial because of her choice to use local black dialects from the time (much like Tony Morrison’s novels).

The novel delves into black African American culture in a way unlike other writers—not from the racial black-white perspective, but instead through the eyes of her characters, who happen to be black and southern. It’s a must read for Americans and non-Americans alike traveling in the south of the U.S.

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Álvarez

A historical novel blending history and the true story of the Mirabel sisters, “Las Mariposas” and their fight against the Trujillo dictatorship.

These four sisters worked in the underground to overthrow Trujillo and three of the four were murdered shortly before the dictatorship ended.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Sometimes a book just hits you in all of the feels. I’ve lost two brothers to drug addiction over the years, and Strayed’s unvarnished honesty about her drug use when she started trekking the Pacific Crest Trail hooked me.

The book unfolds with that same unflinching prose. Strayed’s journey was hard. She processed a lot during her months of walking, and she ultimately used her travels as a way to unpack a tough time in her life. I could acutely understand using travel for this purpose and I know many others will too.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

Boo is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who moved to India with her husband. While living in Mumbai, she followed the lives of several families within the Annawadi slum. This story weaves together the lives of these people in a way that reads as a novel.

The film Slum Dog Millionaire was many people’s only look at life in a slum—that was Hollywood’s version. Great literature challenges you to look at your preconceptions of the world and widen your thinking. Boo’s book does just that.

She takes a topic that is glossed over in mainstream travel narrative and adds a very real element to the struggles the world’s poorest people face. It’s a must read before visiting India, and for any armchair travel-lover curious about the world.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Many middle and high school students read this book, but if you missed this in your school curriculum, pick it up. Although I traveled the world for all of the shiny reasons we all do—food, culture, fun—I was also running from a difficult family situation that I could only come to terms with once I had some distance.

For this reason, Chris’ lonely journey pulls at me deeply. He was young and adventurous, but ultimately unprepared and unlucky. His final thoughts as his journey comes to an end still resonate with me decades after I first read the book.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

This classic novel follows the travels of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty as they crisscross the United States in search of adventure, kicks, and spiritual fulfillment.

Kerouac’s spontaneous prose captures the essence of Beat generation counterculture, and the book remains a must-read for anyone interested in the American road trip.

The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux

Train-travel enthusiasts most appreciate this fascinating account of the author’s journey across the world, but it’s an essential read for anyone planning or dreaming of world travel.

Through vivid descriptions and encounters with locals, Theroux provides a unique insight into the cultures and landscapes of the places he visited, and the book is a beautiful documentation of his four-month journey by train from London to Japan and back, passing through Europe, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia.

The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

Weiner’s book focuses on how cultures and nations create and experience happiness. One of the core conclusions of The Geography of Bliss, one that he builds a case behind throughout, is that happiness does not correspond to those things you would assume.

In fact, neither cultural diversity nor social equality could predict or create higher levels of happiness. Each of the happy countries profiled had their own quirks. The happiness was subjective; what made one culture happy was often the exact reverse in the next happy country studied.

This book offers a fascinating tour of the world. I haven’t visit many of the places he visits—Iceland, Bhutan, Moldova—and I found the book a wonderful trip through these cultures.

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

This book is an epic tale that you’ll love for at least the first half, and still find riveting in the second half, when the tone changes a bit.

I began reading it on the plane to Mumbai, which proved to be the perfect companion as I backpacked across India. The novel, based on true events, follows the life of an Australian fugitive named Lin, who finds a new life in the underworld of Mumbai.

The story is rich with vivid descriptions of the city’s chaotic streets, its diverse inhabitants, and Lin’s tumultuous adventures. From living in slums to engaging with the local mafia, Roberts’ narrative is immersive, offering a raw and intense portrayal of life in one of India’s most dynamic cities.

Papillon (P.S.) by Henri Charriere

This gripping memoir tells the story of the author’s wrongful imprisonment and subsequent escapes from the penal colonies of French Guiana and Venezuela.

Set against the brutal yet captivating backdrop of the notorious penal colonies, including Devil’s Island, the narrative vividly portrays the contrasting beauty and danger of the South American wilderness. The book’s intense detailing of Charrière’s experiences, from his 1945 imprisonment for a crime he professed innocence to, to his daring escape attempts, captivated me completely.

The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston

This high-adventure travel book resonated deeply with my passion for the genre, a love first ignited by River of Doubt. In this compelling narrative, Preston recounts the true story of the discovery of an ancient city in the Honduran rainforest, often referred to as the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God.

The expedition, fraught with danger and challenges, including dense jungles and deadly snakes, offers a vivid portrayal of both the natural wonders and the perilous undertakings in uncharted territories. This book not only provides a fascinating insight into a 500 year archeological mystery, but also captivates with its depiction of raw adventure, making it an essential read for anyone who cherishes high-adventure travel books.

Marching Powder: A True Story of Friendship, Cocaine, and South America’s Strangest Jail by Rusty Young  & Thomas McFadden

An endlessly readable first-hand account of the McFadden’s time in a La Paz prison for cocaine trafficking. Young, a backpacker intrigued by McFadden’s story petitions for his release. Put this high on your list for insight into all of South America’s drug culture and more importantly a dizzying look at Bolivia’s internal dynamics.

The Bird Man and the Lap Dancer: Close Encounters with Strangers by Eric Hansen

While this book may not hold up like others on this list, it is good fun. This collection of essays explores the bizarre, the unusual, and the deeply human side of travel. Hansen shares his unique experiences, from meeting a bird man in New Caledonia to a heartwarming encounter with a lap dancer in Piccadilly.

Each story delves into the unexpected connections and poignant moments that can happen when traveling—moments every traveler will understand, even if they make more … conservative … travel choices.

No Mercy: A Journey Into the Heart of the Congo by Redmond O’Hanlon

Sometimes you just want a unique travel book that reminds you that “No, you don’t have to do that, too.” O’Hanlon’s book is precisely that. This book takes you deep into one of the most challenging and mysterious regions on Earth: the Congo. O’Hanlon’s journey is filled with danger, humor, and the raw beauty of a land largely untouched by modern civilization.

His travel writing is unlike anything else you’ve read, and he vividly captures the lush rainforests, the diverse wildlife, and the complex cultural dynamics of the region, all while facing immense physical and psychological challenges.

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert

A personal memoir (and a Hollywood film with Julia Roberts), this book is a light and easy read—some people hate the narrator, while this book inspired thousands of to take a year off and explore the world solo. It actually inspired my roommate at the time—we were both living in Los Angeles—to go live in an Ashram in Kerala for three months.

I found it an enjoyable beach read and far better than the movie. It’d be silly to leave it off this list since it so deeply resonates with many.