Recommendation for the Best Travel Books

Here are my favorite travel books to cure wanderlust. Book recommendations for travel reading to unwind, daydream, and plan travels.

And I promise you: There are suitable books for everyone: novels, travel reports, adventure books, inspirational travel books for planning, the best travel books of all time, cookbooks, and books with practical tips and lists (the best hikes, road trips ...).

Enjoy my book list with 52 tips for truly great travel books (plus bestsellers and classics you simply must read).

Which travel book or novel can you recommend that still needs to be added to the list?

More tips and ideas for gifts for travelers can be found here

You can find all mentioned books in my list on Amazon

Beautiful, funny travel novels and adventure books. Do you enjoy reading novels or stories about travel? Then check out these books! From funny to tragic, with insights into cultures that are foreign to us. Books based on true events:

As a ranger in Africa

Gesa was no longer happy in Berlin, despite having a great job. So she moved to the bush for almost a year to train as a safari ranger in Africa.

She shares breathtaking encounters with elephants and lions, barefoot walks through the savannah, and long nights under the starry sky. Gesa now runs a travel agency for trips to Southern Africa alongside 'Safari Frank.'

After reading this book, you're guaranteed to feel wanderlust for Africa! My tip: Do it like Gesa and take a trial course with EcoTraining as a ranger.

View the book at the publisher

My life with gentle giants and what they taught me

A truly wonderful book about a true story. Lawrence Anthony describes how he takes over the Thula Thula reserve in South Africa and engages with the animals. Alongside the elephants, poachers constantly give him a hard time.

If you are not yet a fan of the African continent: By the time you finish reading this sometimes sad but also funny book, you surely will be.

View at the publisher

Continuation by his wife (he has sadly passed away):

The book promises just as much South Africa and love of animals. Unfortunately, I already have the book at home but haven't had the time to read it yet.

However, it has been highly recommended to me by everyone as a 'wonderful' continuation of The Elephant Whisperer. Different, but just as exciting and gripping. I look forward to reading it!

View the book at the publisher

A bike, 26 countries, and plenty of coffee

The author takes a year off from work to drink a coffee to go in Togo. He doesn't just fly to West Africa, but sets off on a bike. To 'warm up,' he rides first to Southeastern Europe, then through Greece, Italy, and Spain before reaching Morocco and the African continent.

The lively and sometimes funny yet exciting storytelling gives you the feeling of traveling along. A book that I found hard to put down.

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I was alerted to this Spiegel bestseller by readers of the blog. For me, one of the best books of the year.

Moth and Raynor are broke, having lost their fortune and home. They own nothing but a backpack, a tent, and hiking equipment. And that's how they set out to walk England's famous coastal path 'South West Coast Path.'

A great book about fears, happiness, encounters, and opening the door to a new future.

View the book at the publisher

Stephan Orth travels as a couchsurfer through Saudi Arabia. As with his other books, I couldn't stop reading. A country unknown to me until then, which I had only heard about brought to life by Stephan. A look behind the scenes of a country where women seemingly have much fewer rights.

A great book about a culture that is very foreign to me.

Buy the book from the publisher

More great books that I've read with just as much curiosity:

Couchsurfing in Russia

Couchsurfing in China

Couchsurfing in Iran

Priska Seisenbacher travels where few tourists go: to the Pamir. This harsh high mountain range is truly worth a visit. I have been to the Pamir (Kyrgyzstan - Tajikistan) and lost my heart there. After that, I quit my job because I could no longer deal with my clients' problems.

Priska stays in yurts in quite remote areas and reports on the great hospitality of the people. A great book with many maps, photos, and a large dose of wanderlust!

Buy the book from the publisher

Jennifer and Peter travel with an Unimog from Munich to Vladivostok and back (with several detours). A beautiful story through 34 countries, over 30 months, and 55,000 km.

I think there should be many more books like this. Okay, I love road trips and traveling in my own camper van, but still!

(Who thinks the book is expensive at €35: it comes in A4 size and has 272 pages. Plus a lot of beautiful maps, tips for campsites, and is overall just beautifully made.)

Buy the book from the publisher | Buy it at Thalia

Which of my recommended travel books do others love? Here are the bestsellers for travel books. Some are current travel bestsellers released in 2021, while others are perennial favorites on the Top 20 lists.

I was very excited about my blogger colleague Kathrin's (with h) book, whom I truly admire.

In her first book - which immediately soared into the bestseller list - she recounts her hikes through Great Britain, South Africa, and Germany.

She takes you on her journey and her transformation from career woman to nature lover.

She shares her experiences, her inner growth, and what she learned from traveling. I like the book and read it very quickly.

Buy now at Thalia

These well-known books should really be read by every world traveler. Some even have films that are quite good.

I admit: it took me three tries to really get into the book. I don't remember why, but once I was hooked, I devoured it! It's an amazing book that truly captivates you (once you are in it).

The story: Australian Lindsay, after two prison terms, is searching for himself. He ends up in India and experiences pretty much all social classes there. This makes him the 'Shantaram' (man of peace).

'Luck is what happens to you when fate gets tired of waiting.'

View the book at the publisher

The classic for all 'dropouts.' If you don't want to read the book: There's also a film ('Into the Wild'), which isn't too bad.

The book is about dropout Chris McCandless, who sought nature and solitude in Alaska. His body was discovered in 1992. Chris' diary served as a basis for Jon Krakauer's book.

View the book at the publisher

The book is the story of a true event. The book feels almost like an adventure novel as the author Harrer is interned in a British prisoner camp in India during World War II.

He manages to escape and takes the route through Tibet. This escape is grippingly described. Even more thrilling is the depiction at the court of the Dalai Lama. The book is truly captivating. The film with Brad Pitt is probably more well-known.

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I read this book in English. There is no longer a German version.

I love this book and practically devoured it. The English is easy to understand.

Plot: The two young researchers begin their studies on Kalahari lions and brown hyenas in the Kalahari.

Reports on life in the bush, political arbitrariness, and the problems the two face. You are close to the action. If you go to the Kalahari Desert: You can still see the former campsite today (I took a photo of it somewhere).

View the book at the publisher

The two Germans flee from the war with a car and a dog to the desert of Namibia and learn how to survive in the desert. A lack of water, hunting animals, or preserving meat? Things the two had no clue about at first!

Always with them: A radio to catch the latest news from the war. Great reading, not just before a trip to Namibia.

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I really love travel picture books with travel reports or lists of the most beautiful experiences and adventures. I happily browse through these picture books to get inspiration for future travels.

These two wonderful picture books with diary-like additions remind me again and again how beautiful and fascinating Africa is!

The photos are great, and the stories are very entertaining. Read about the missteps he took or the challenges Farin Urlaub faced on his journey through Africa. Interesting, and maybe you, like me, will recognize one or the other place.

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The highlights, dream roads, and national parks in Scandinavia at a glance and in one book. I tell you, after that I was really overwhelmed trying to create a route!

I want to see everything! Beautiful book with great photos!

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This book is not a traditional travel guide but rather intended as inspiration for city trips. Cities that often come second or third for a city trip. Tips for tours and recommendations on site.

A book recommendation for you if you want to travel off the beaten path. Also ideal as a gift.

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Mountain biking through the far north is the title by Tobias Woggon. Tobi loves his mountain bike, traveling, and of course good food. He travels through Kamchatka (I was there live), the Faroe Islands, Greenland in winter (Philip wrote about it), Scotland, and the German Erzgebirge.

Great shots were taken. The favorite recipes are printed in the book for you to cook yourself.

Order directly from Tobi's shop|

The best recipes from David Chang's cult restaurant in New York. Creative Asian noodle cuisine. All recipes you can order in Chang's New York restaurants Nolde Bar, Ssäm Bar, and Ko.

The Momofuku ramen bowl recipe is fantastic!

Order at Thalia

Dropping out of your job in Germany, leaving everything behind, and just traveling through Latin America for a year? Johannes and Thomas made this dream come true. In the book, you find the best surf spots and the best street food recipes they brought back from their journey across Latin America.

Order at Thalia

The second book by Jo and Thomas takes them to Mexico. Of course, I had to buy this one too. Recipes for fiery salsas, ceviche, tacos, tortillas, and Mexican classics like enchiladas. Added to it are travel stories of adventurous encounters with desert coyotes and whale sharks. I love the book!

Buy at Thalia

The Jerusalem Cookbook is one of the most beautiful cookbooks I know. That's why it comes at the end of the book list with the motto 'The Best for Last.'

Both visually and culinarily at the highest level. Ottolenghi is a firm institution. I adore Israeli and Palestinian cuisine. Until now, I have truly enjoyed every dish I have cooked from it.

Buy at Thalia

I have read numerous other books about countries before visiting them. I really enjoy learning more about the country's history this way.

Here follows a list of good travel reads, which you can find in my Amazon list here.

I hope you enjoyed this article and found new travel reads. If you have any ideas or questions, we look forward to your comment here on the travel blog.

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