6 Travel adventure books that’ll give you serious wanderlust

If you joined us last week, you’re probably all caught up on the 8 fiction books that’ll take you on a journey without having to leave your armchair. That was part one of two, and you can catch it here if you’ve not already read it. Today we’re focusing on 6 travel adventure books that’ll give you serious wanderlust, y’know, for when the pandemic is over and we’re free to see the world again.

What we’ve discovered whilst popping this blog post together is that there really is something for everyone, so whether you’re looking for a big book of photographs to dive headfirst into, or stories told by solo travelers as they traverse the globe one step at a time, we may just have the book for you.

For globe-trotting female solo travelers

📕 – Dame Traveler: Live the Spirit of Adventure

✒ – Natasha Yakoub

You may have heard of Dame Traveler thanks to her popular Instagram account by the same name: @dametraveler, and now Natasha Yakoub has put together an inspiring and enthralling read consisting of 200 women on their adventures around the world. This is the perfect pick-up for any ladies out there who want to see the world on their own time, and you’re sure to pick up a few tricks and tips along the way thanks to Dame Traveler.

This is a book full of jealousy inducing photographs, historical tit-bits about every destination featured, safety tips for female solo travelers, and insider tips and recommendations to make sure you have a trip of a lifetime the next time you walk out the door, so pop this at the top of your wish list and get ready for the inspiration to start flowing.

For rediscovering the beauty of American nature

📕 – A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

✒ – Bill Bryson

The Appalachian Trail is a picturesque and stunningly unique stretch of land that runs between Maine and Georgia, and Bill Bryson’s 1998 narrative tells of his adventurous hikes along the trail. Whether you’re reading for the comedy factor (Bill’s humor is spot on), or just want to transport yourself onto the Appalachian Trail to visualize the serene lakes, breathtaking mountains, and all-consuming forests, this is the perfect book to pick up. It’s a breath of fresh air, and a classic tale of one man vs nature, and a few strange folk along the way.

For stunning views of planet earth from afar

📕 – Overview: A New Perspective of Earth

✒ – Benjamin Grant

If you like to see the bigger picture, or just want to spend a little bit of time gazing at our majestic planet as if from afar, Benjamin Grant’s Overview: A New Perspective of Earth is a coffee table book that’s well worth getting lost in.

Discover a new way to view the planet we call home with this stunning book full of photographs that’ll stun you to silence. See the vastness of Earth and all its oceans, cities, and stunning landscapes. This book is the perfect way to see the world in a new perspective, and you’ll certainly be left in awe. Can’t get on a plane right now? That’s no problem. The views from this book are far better anyway.

For explorers in search of the road less traveled (by other travelers)

📕 – Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road

✒ – Kate Harris

This is a memoir by Kate Harris who spent a year on the road, cycling from destination to destination in search for unclaimed territory and spots that weren’t overrun by tourists. If you’ve got a yearning to see every corner of the world, and to take the road less traveled, we think you’ll find plenty of inspiration between the pages of this book.

This is a travelogue that’ll take you to the most remote spots, and then drag you along by the ankles so you can experience it in its entirety too. It’s a sometimes uncomfortable read, which steps away from the highlight reel we often see plastered all over social media. Instead, this book explores the less comfortable side of traveling, which will either fuel your fire to explore, or ward you off. Either way, you’ll learn plenty with this book on your shelf.

For those with an insatiable thirst to travel full time

📕 – Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel

✒ – Rolf Potts

For some of us, that ache to travel fills our every waking moment. A week long vacation is hardly a scratch on the surface. Two weeks abroad? Hardly enough time to sink yourself fully into a new culture and discover everything one spot has to offer.

If you want to learn how to get into the mindset of traveling full time, how to say goodbye to your worldly possessions, and how to properly handle your money whilst you take this trip of a (literal) lifetime, Rolf Potts’ book is the one that’ll push you out of your comfort zone whilst teaching you everything you need to know about a life lived out on the road. It’ll even teach you everything you need to know about how to make it back home and get back into the rhythm of normalcy once your journey’s over (if you ever decide to come back, that is).

For those looking to rediscover themselves

📕 – Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

✒ – Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl Strayed’s 1995 hike that took her over 1,100 miles through the Pacific Crest Trail changed her life. It was a journey of rediscovery after the death of her mother and the break up of her marriage. At just 22 years old, Cheryl hiked this trail, starting in the Mojave Dessert and ending up 1,100 miles further, in Washington State, alone.

This memoir is a suspenseful and warmly written piece that show both the magnificent ups and terrifying downs that come with both the journey of rediscovery and of course, hiking that far with nothing but your own company. This is an eye-opening read for anyone who feels trapped, or stuck in a rut. It’ll not only show you that you can do far more than you imagine, but you’re bound to feel less alone with someone like Cheryl by your side.

Enjoy National Book Month with one of these incredible non-ficiton reads this fall, and discover the world through a fresh pair of eyes. Sometimes it can be all we need to push us into our next adventure. We hope you’ll find a bit of peace and excitement in our picks this year. Happy reading y’all!