Maybe you are trip planning, or dreaming; maybe you don't think you can afford it; maybe you think you don't deserve it or that you "just could never"; maybe it is a global pandemic; maybe you are scared; there are countless reasons people do not travel. But just because you never (or at least aren't right now) get on a plane doesn't mean you can't travel to amazing places, experience new cultures, sights, smells and tastes; learn new languages, new ideologies; it doesn't mean you can't be a traveler.
Collins online dictionary defines Armchair Travel as "...someone who finds out what a place or location is like by watching travel programs on television, looking at internet websites about travel or reading books about travel"
Sometimes armchair traveling can be just as good as the actual thing. Armchair travel also offers you the luxury of being on the road, when being on the road is just not possible. For us, as is likely the case for you, armchair travel causes our bucketlist to grow! The DB Adventures monthly newsletter shares new travel videos and podcasts each issue (sign up at the bottom of this post to get on our mailing list!), so I will not be focusing on that media in this post. Here we are talking about some of our favourite travel books to stoke your travel dreams.
Eat Pray Love
I am not unique in this opinion, but Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love sparked a travel curioustiy that I do not think will ever go out. This is the only book I have read multiple times and still cling to every word. Elizabeth lives the dream, eating her way through Italy after a divorce, learning to calm her mind in India and finding love, for herself, in Bali. This book will heighten your appetite for Italy, show you a side of India you knew existed but never really considered and introduce you to beautiful Bali. It will also make you look at your life to see how you can make this journey, or your own journey, a reality.
Rick Steve's for the Love of Europe
We are big Rick Steve's fans in this house. We have seen every episode of his TV show (free on YouTube, btw) and use his guide books when traveling to Europe. Rick Steve's for the Love of Europe shares Rick's stories from his 30+ years traveling through Europe. If you are an avid Rick fan and reader, you will notice some repeat stories. But they are still worth it. Rick's expertise on Europe, and his ability to make it obtainable and real is unmatched. This book has stories from all corners of Europe, so if you want to know more about a specific region you can skip to that part to see what Rick really thinks of it. He only highlights his favourite stories in this book. It reads more like his journal than a guidebook.
Into Thin Air
If you are into adventure travel here is a book for you. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer shares his experience hiking to the summit of Everest in 1997. This adventure, and this book is not for the faint of heart. Test your limits with this read.
Can you Hear me in the Back?
Mak is a local travel guide and now author. In his book he shares his stories from the road. The good, bad, ugly but mostly beautiful. Which is what travel is all about.
Wild
If you are looking for a book to make you believe you can do anything check out Cheryl Strayed's Wild. This book sparked my interest in hiking and made me realize regular people can do it. Also the power of nature and solitude...a healing art.
There you have it. 5 of our favourite books to stoke your travel dreams, or make you feel like you are somewhere else while you are comfortably at home.
We are always looking for new books to add to our library. What are your favourite travel reads? Share them in the comments.
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