I also like Travels by Crichton. additionally I like How Star Trek Conquered Planet Earth by travel author Jeff Greenwald, Journey to the Center of the Earth Jack Londons stuff (especially White Fang and To Build a Fire) and Long Way Round.

For a great travelogue on the Philippines, Luis Francia's "Eye of the Fish" is an excellent read. Even if you're not going there, it's an interesting book. He meets people from all walks of life in the Philippines, from the New People Army guerrillas to Filipina feminists.

"Francia's odyssey takes him the length of the nation, from Batanes in the north to the Muslim Jolo and Marawi regions of the south, and from the rugged mountain hideaways of revolutionary freedom fighters to the well-appointed salons of the political and cultural elite. priests, island shamans and small-town politicians, cultists, feminists, and infamous first ladies all make an appearance in this imaginative and idiosyncratic exploration of "home.""



http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-1885030312-0

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1885030312/qid=1138833...ks&v=glance&n=283155

Black Lamb and Grey Falcon is good.

So is almost anything by William Least Heat-Moon

Just to add a wildcard to this list, I suggest two books by Nicolas Bouvier, a Francophone Swiss author. He's not so well known in the English speaking world, but what little I've read is great. I've only seen two of his books translated in English:

- The Way of the World ("L'usage du monde") -- a tale of his trip from Yugoslavia to India, overland, over 50 years ago.

- The Japanese Chronicles

Thanks for all these posts! I read The Hotel on the Top of the World and loved it! I'm going to go to the library, get as many of these as they have, and start in. Thanks again!

I've read nothing but travel books for most of the past year. Partly because I somehow found myself writing for the UK's Daily Telegraph Travel section and partly because I'm blogging a journey from London to Shanghai, by land, in the coming months.

I'm reading "River at the Center of the World" by Simon Winchester at the moment, about a journey along the Yangtze, upstream, and enjoying it.

I enjoy an approachable blend of travelogue and history.

If you're going to Ireland McCarthy's Bar is a must. Andalus, about Moorish Spain is insightful, although the writing is mediocre. On India, anything by V.S. Naipaul. And, and, and...

They're all rated on Old World Wandering.

my favourite travel inspired books are:

1) Emily Barr - Backpack
2) Peter Moore - Wrong Way Home
3) Michael Palin - Around the world in 80 days
4) Ewan McGregor & Charley Boorman - Long Way Round

These made me want to pick up my passport and go tomorrow!
Michelle

Favorite travel book.... The Bone Man of Benares: A lunatic trip through love and the world by Terry Tarnoff!!!!!!! Never met anyone who has read it other than myself, very low profile book (not sure why) released in 2004 & simply hillarious and great. Cheack it out, it's about a guy from the states who leaves life (or rather, finds his own) and heads to Sweeden. This all takes place during the 70's (true story) and from there he and his rucksack travel the world overland from sweeden to Greece into africa to pakistan, india and south east asia. You will love it if you liked anything about sex lives of cannibals.

The Dove
Any books by Tristan Jones
PT109
Men for the Mountains
This House of Sky
A Walk in the Hindu Kush
Four on Everest
The book (cannot recall title) about an 18 y/o girl who was offered pearls (very valuable) or being staked to a round the world solo sailing voyage by her poppa. She took the voyage and it made all the difference!
The Film (sorry!) If It's Tuesday, this must be Belgium.

Travels by Crichton was a good book, but I was a bit put off with his less-than-truthful comment that he summitted Kili by getting to Gilman's Point, which is nowhere near Uhuru, the real summit ... and the way he expressed that this was the point most people stopped at is a misleading account to the uninformed reader ...

Sort of like saying you went to the top of Everest when you really stopped at the final base camp ...

AaA

River Town by Peter Hessler is by far the best I've ever read.

I really like Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman. Maybe not the best travel story ever, but I like it because she was a complete non-traveller and she finally started at a older age. It's really inspirational for the all the people who think they can't go or are afraid too.

Honeymoon with my brother by franz wisner

I just finished Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, it is extremely uneven, as is Tales of a Female Nomad, mentioned 2 posts up. Both women went to Bali and forged close relationships with local families.

My favorite travel books are probably all of them by Redmond O'Hanlon, including No Mercy and Into the Heart of Borneo. I rounded up my favorite literary travel books here.

Bryson's been mentioned of course, but I have mention "A Walk in the Woods" by name. In my opinion, not only one of the great travel books, but one of the great works of American nonfiction.