Jul

Books to take travelling

Mark Pawlak Category

Adventure Travel, India, motor biking, thailand, united states

So, you’re packed and ready to go. All that’s left is to decide which books to take. It’s down to taste, no doubt, but there are some books that just beg to be stuffed into your rucksack, to appear thousands of miles later dog-eared and experienced.

So here’s our top three adventure travel books; if you’ve suggestions, just let us know, we’ll include the most popular in Pt2.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig

Set around a motorcycle journey of rediscovery, this is an absolute literary classic. Pirsig switches from narrative to metaphysics in an instant, as the central character rides, with his son as pillion, across the US. Dense but rewarding, it demands revisiting many times.

The Beach, Alex Garland

Yes, it’s a very predictable choice. That said, it’s a fantastic read. If you’ve seen the film, then you will only be impressed with the book as it’s a great deal better. In search of their own paradise, a group of backpackers transit through the unsavoury side of Thailand, to create their own utopian beach community. Romance and jealousy, freedom and piracy, they discover it all.

Siddhartha, Herman Hesse

Again a journey of discovery. Siddhartha, unable to see eye-to-eye with religion or spiritualism, rejects it all and looks for his inner self. A beautiful, intelligent young man, born into India’s elite, he throws off the teachings of Buddha to wander alone, preferring nature to scripture. Seduced by a rich landowner, he’s introduced to love and its delights. Written without any pretence; seductive and simple.

About the author

Mark Pawlak wrote 170 articles on this blog.

Editor at Adventure Sports Holidays, Mark's love affair with travel and the challenges of adventure sports continues... "You could save all year for a two-week, all-inclusive, doss by the pool, booze and buffet binge. Or, with a little planning and some good equipment, get off your arse and plan an adventure!"

Tim B July 26, 2010 at 3:53 pm
I remember reading The Beach before heading off on my RTW trip 12 years ago. I was working in some shitty bar about 10 hours day trying to save cash for the trip. The book was my saviour. In between serving the resident alchi’s their tenth ‘after work’ beer I would pick the book up and instantly be whisked off to the coral fringed, dense jungle of The Island. A truly magical book and not a bad film (except why wasn’t Jed in the film?)

In the end, about 1 year after reading the book, I found my Island and my beach and it lived up to everything I had read in the book! Unfortunately I cannot tell any of you where it was.
Lucy July 27, 2010 at 10:31 am
I did the same before my RTW trip 10 years ago and have re-read The Beach a couple of times since. It takes me right back there every time and gives me the travel-bug even when sitting on my sofa in rainy England. An easy read and, although a bit of a cliché, is a must-read for anyone who’s ever been, plans to or dreams of heading off around the world for a few months.
Lianne July 27, 2010 at 12:44 pm
I have to admit that I’ve never read The Beach book…. I might actually get one to take on my RTW trip soon.

I’ve always enjoyed Bill Bryson’s books, I took one when I went to Europe and read the specific chapters to the country I was in at the time. He’s a funny guy.

The Crossing book – Ben Fogle & James Cracknell rowing across the Atlantic, that is a brilliant book!
Ian K July 27, 2010 at 3:14 pm
I’ve never read The Beach either, only ever watched the film…but now I’m thinking I will have to give it a go!

Personally, I’m a big fan of an Australian author called Matthew Reilly – who writes books with crazy Indiana Jones style adventures across the globe, often with mad stunts you would expect to see many of Adventure Sports Holidays customers performing!!
Luke July 28, 2010 at 5:15 pm
The Beach is great but my favourite travelling book is the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

I read it while on a 70 hour bus journey in Indonesia that should have taken about 30 hours. I kept scaring the locals and chickens that shared the my various forms of transport with uncontrollable fits of laughter.

I am sure they thought I was crazy but on such a long torturous journey which went wrong every stage of the way HHGG was the only thing that kept me sane. By far the funniest book I have ever read and makes you appreciate that 2 buses breaking down and 1 crashing in a single journey is not as bad as the adventures Arthur Dent gets thrust into.
Mark July 28, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Next up has to be Tom Robbins, his are not travel books, but the plots meander
like a Vietnamese river delta.

My personal fave – ‘Still Life with Woodpecker’: Outlaws, Eco terrorists, princesses and the riddle of the pyramids all explored in a single breathless stream of conscious and unconscious blurb – bit like this sentence really!

Fantastic, dog-eared, adventure travel companion.
Tim B March 14, 2011 at 1:27 pm
Well I just read ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ and thought it was fantastic. I would advise anyone to read it. I had never seen the movie and have now subsquently watched it and felt it was pretty average. The book is more of a factual account / diary told in a very matter of fact fashion, not dwelling on the character and history of the author as the film tends to do. A truly amazing story.

Books to take travelling

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