There are so many amazing travel and adventure stories out there. I have researched a top ten list and hope you find some inspiration for your next travel adventure.
You can purchase any of these books online by clicking on the title.
Tracks By Robyn Davidson
Robyn Davidson’s perilous journey across 1,700 miles of hostile Australian desert to the sea with only four camels and a dog for company. Enduring sweltering heat, fending off poisonous snakes and lecherous men, chasing her camels when they get skittish and nursing them when they are injured. Davidson emerges as an extraordinarily courageous heroine driven by a love of Australia’s landscape, an empathy for its indigenous people, and a willingness to cast away the trappings of her former identity. Tracks is the compelling, candid story of her odyssey of discovery and transformation.
Solo Travel Tips for the Fearless Female Over Forty
This practical, first-hand experience guide to solo world travel is an easy read that gives you insight into the world of budget travel as a more mature woman. You can travel anytime, at any age, on any budget. Although written for a woman over forty, most of the tips work for every age. So experience life, grab it and tuck those fears away. You can travel too!
A Walking Guide to New Zealand’s Long Trail: Te Araroa
The official guide to New Zealand’s greatest walk. Te Araroa, a continuous trail running from Cape Reinga to the Bluff, which officially opened in late 2011. The book maps the 3000-kilometer trail with maps. Author Geoff Chapple is a modern-day visionary who took the concept of a continuous trail running the length of New Zealand and turned it into a reality. This book is an accessible guide both for those who only want to walk parts of the trail and dedicated trampers who intend to walk its entire length.
The Solo Travel Handbook (Lonely Planet)
Don’t let the idea of travelling alone stop you from living out your dreams. Packed with tips and advice for before and during your travels. The Solo Travel Handbook gives you the confidence and know-how to explore the world on your own, whether you’re planning a once-in-a-lifetime adventure or short city break. Developed with Lonely Planet’s expert travel writers, it explains how and why individual travel is such a valuable and rewarding experience.
The Four Corners of New Zealand: Treading in A.H. Reed’s Footsteps
Although it is 50 years since this compilation was first published, the details in each of the four major walks undertaken by A.H. Reed are as fresh and interesting today as they were when he took the first step of his journey in 1946. Each journey is packed with tales of the particular challenges of the route, of chance encounters with locals, and arrangements, often makeshift for eating and sleeping. Interwoven throughout are interesting, seemingly spontaneous digressions on local history and Maori mythology.
Plunge: Midlife with Snorkel
Both forty-something, Mari Anderson and Fritz Damler said no to a safe and scripted midlife. They said yes to saltwater, sand and the longest consecutive string of bad hair days ever recorded. They rescued an old boat, loaded it with building supplies and pointed the bow toward a remote Bahamian island. What could easily have been a blueprint for disaster is instead a story of discovery, resilience, and renewal. Plunge is told from both points of view and sparkles with humor even as unexpected, sometimes unwelcome, events occur. It’s a testament to what’s possible when Why? gets tossed overboard and Why not? steers the course.
Global Wanderings & Inane Wonderings: A Midlife Gap Year
In the midst of two successful and promising careers, Lynne Atkins and Liz Clark took the final step in bringing their travel dreams to fruition. After a surge in the Real Estate market, they bravely sold their home, quit their jobs, sold their cars and household belongings. Then they purchased two “Round the World” tickets! Global Wanderings & Inane Wonderings” recounts the inspiring journey of two adventuresome travelers; creating worldwide appeal due to the varied locations, unique destinations, and diverse cultural interactions. This is not a leisurely walk but a roller coaster ride of excitement.
The Alchemist
Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations. Paulo Coelho’s masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different–and far more satisfying–than he ever imagined. Santiago’s journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.
Chicken Soup for the Traveler’s Soul
Whether your idea of travel at its finest is trekking through Europe with a backpack; road-tripping across America in a fully loaded RV, or cruising the Caribbean aboard a luxury liner. Chicken Soup for the Traveler’s Soul celebrates the people you’ll meet, the lands you’ll discover and the lessons you’ll learn.
High Adventure By Sir Edmund Hillary
Everest: forbidding, exhilarating, unconquerable. The southern approach through Nepal had never before been climbed, due to its impossibly steep ice-covered slopes and the country’s policies. But in 1951 Edmund Hillary joined an expedition to find a new route up Everest from the south, which led to a new chapter in mountaineering history. The climbers’ determination, endurance, and battle against the elements culminated with their famous climb in 1953 as they finally reached the summit of this formidable mountain. This is Hillary’s own account of the treacherous and breathtaking journeys. It is a classic adventurer’s memoir, originally published in 1955, and is illustrated with drawings, maps, and photographs which capture this awesome experience.
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