The book is the ultimate traveller’s companion. Long bus trips, endless hours in airports, and lazy days on the beach are best filled by a great read. Whether you’re holidaying or on an extended backpacking trip, make room in your bag for a few good books.
If you’re wondering which books should weight your luggage down, then here are a few suggestions.
- Series – Book series are the perfect holiday reading choice. With more time on your hands than usual, you can get absorbed into the world of the characters. You’ll also have a good chunk of time to plough through them – no alarms or deadlines! If Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings has been on your reading list for years, then an extended holiday or beach time is the perfect opportunity to get through these series. Stieg Larsson’s The Millennium Trilogy following the unlikely heroine Lisbeth Salander is also a captavating read. You won’t want to put it down!
- Classics – If you’re planning your holiday reading, why not include some of those classics that you’ve been meaning to read? If you want to stick to the travelling theme, try tackling Jules Verne’s epic Around the World in Eighty Days.
- Guide Books – When you’re travelling – particularly if you’re backpacking – your guidebook can be your best friend. Lonely Planet is the quintessential travellers’ companion, with restaurant, transport and accommodation reviews and suggestions. You’ll get lost in the pages planning your trip! There’s nothing more valuable than other traveller’s suggestions, which guide books provide.
- Destination Related – Reading books by travel writers can be a fun way to get a feel and understanding of a place through the eyes of others. Travel writers use their personal travel stories and experiences to create their narrative, interspersed with discussions about a destination’s history, people and culture. Travel books are often humorous and light hearted. If you’re looking for a fun read, try travel books by Bill Bryson. If you’re travelling in Australia, try Down Under, if you’re in Britain, Notes from a Small Country. A Walk in the Woods and The Lost Continent recount his ‘off-the-beaten-track’ American travels.
Reading a good book can be one of the most pleasureable things about travelling. And, a great feature of many hostels, hotels or popular holiday towns are book exchanges or second hand book shops. That way, you can swap the book you’ve read for another one, without having to lug more than one around at the same time!
Whether you’re preparing for your international flights or looking forward to relaxing on the beach, which book will you be reading?
Jason's Travels 
Leave a Reply