Six Summer Travel Books to Spark Wonder and Wanderlust
Just as travel can alter our understanding of the world, great travel writing can transport, educate, and inspire us. These six summer travel books offer bold and uplifting journeys. From motorcycle rides across continents to treks through New Zealand’s rugged trails, each story inspires adventure. Like a good passport stamp, each story leaves a lasting impression on the soul.
Summer Travel Book: Free Ride by Noraly Schoenmaker — A Journey of Reinvention
In Free Ride, Noraly Schoenmaker recounts her 20,000-mile solo motorcycle journey from India to the Netherlands. Sparked by heartbreak, her solo expedition becomes a powerful narrative of personal transformation.
In Tajikistan’s Pamir Mountains, she captures solo travel’s paradox: “I was freezing, I was scared… Yet I had never felt more alive.”
Schoenmaker’s unfiltered, heartfelt writing immerses the reader in treacherous roads, broken motorcycles, and the warmth of strangers. Her optimism, resilience, and openness stand out—qualities that inspire the world to embrace her in return.
Summer Travel Book: Northbound by Naomi Arnold — For Determined Seekers of Solitude
Northbound follows Naomi Arnold on her nine-month, 3,000km solo hike along New Zealand’s Te Araroa trail. Arnold begins at the southern tip and treks to Cape Reinga, crossing some of New Zealand’s wildest landscapes.
Her story blends vivid nature imagery with self-discovery, like during her climb of Mt Crawford: “Spiderwebs caught between trees were glistening with diamonds of moisture.” This low light changed everything.”
Through blisters, fatigue, and moments of transcendent beauty, Arnold’s journey evolves into a meditation on endurance, vulnerability, and the gifts of solitude. It’s a moving testament to the inner landscapes uncovered when we dare to walk alone.
On the Hippie Trail by Rick Steves: For Romantic Road Warriors
Before he became a household name, Rick Steves journeyed along the famous hippie trail from Istanbul to Kathmandu in 1978. On the Hippie Trail is a raw and sincere account of that early adventure, culled from his personal journals.
His young voice captures the thrill and confusion of encountering unfamiliar worlds: “I lost myself in Durbar Square…children, oblivious to it all, playing tag among the frozen Buddhas.”
Filled with cultural curiosity and reflections on the absurdities and wonders of travel, Steves’ account reminds readers that awe is always just around the next bend.
Fiesta by Daniel Stables: For Ritual Seekers and Cultural Explorers
In Fiesta, Daniel Stables explores the world’s most vibrant festivals and the human longing for ritual and connection. Drawing from a decade of immersive fieldwork, he profiles 11 festival types—each with its own symbolism and sense of belonging.
Stables blends anthropology and raw experience — from dancing with dervishes in Turkey to plunging into the sea with Romani pilgrims. His vivid prose captures the moment: “Riding a white horse across the sand, necking plum brandy, and running barefoot into the sea… these are things which make life voluptuous.”
Go West by Steve Silk: For Local Adventurers and Slow Travelers
With Go West, Steve Silk proves that world-expanding journeys can happen close to home. Over eight days, he pedals from London to Wales, embracing a philosophy of “undertourism”—seeking meaning in overlooked places.
Along the way, he uncovers unexpected gems: an ancient yew tree, a mossy Welsh valley, and a museum offering “Coffee, Pies and Assemblies since 1721.”
Silk’s narrative champions the joys of slow travel, the power of curiosity, and the richness found in the everyday when we choose to explore deliberately. It’s a reminder that adventure is not about distance—it’s about presence.
Small Earthquakes by Shafik Meghji: For History Lovers and Global Thinkers
Small Earthquakes by Shafik Meghji explores South America, uncovering the deep and lasting ties between Britain and nations like Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay.
Meghji blends rich travel stories with history, highlighting whaling stations, Victorian missionaries, Patagonian cowboys, and Southern Cone cultures.
At Orongo on Rapa Nui, Meghji writes, “With cliffs in front and a volcanic crater behind… it felt like the edge of the world.” His reflection on a statue taken to the British Museum reveals both personal and cultural reckoning.
Small Earthquakes connects past and present, revealing how colonial legacies shape modern identity and echo in personal discovery.
Let These Pages Be Your Journey
These six summer travel books offer more than entertainment—they offer transformation. Whether you’re biking locally, crossing Tajikistan’s wild terrain, or exploring history through personal stories, these books reveal how travel leads to self-discovery.
