‘The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page’, said a very wise man. Most of us love to travel, but sometimes life just gets in the way. At such times, I become an armchair traveler and turn to travel authors who can take me on a journey through their words. Travel authors have the amazing ability to paint a picture that can make you feel that you are right there traveling with them. From the remote Andes through the wilds of Africa and Arizona to the heart of Europe, there is no place that travel authors cannot take you to! Paul Theroux, Wilfred Thesiger, Bill Bryson, and Dervla Murphy are some remarkable travel authors that can take armchair travelers like you and me to a place far, far away! Check out our compilation of the top 5 travel authors for armchair travelers.
Travel Authors – Paul Theroux
One of America’s greatest and best names in the world of legendary travel authors, Paul Theroux, is a name all armchair travelers are familiar with. Paul Theroux’s best-selling book from 1975, ‘The Great Railway Bazaar’, details his innumerable experiences on his four-month train journey from Europe to Japan and back. He has since then authored travel books like ‘The Old Patagonian Express’, ‘The Happy Isles of Oceania’, ‘Dark Star Safari’, and many more! One of the most popular travel authors for armchair travelers, Paul Theroux’s books will take you on unforgettable journeys through Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Travel Authors – Dervla Murphy
Born and raised in a small town of Ireland, Dervla Murphy rose to fame in 1965 with her epic biking trip across two continents that was documented in her book ‘Full Tilt: Ireland to India With a Bicycle’. Dervla Murphy books can take an armchair traveler to Afghanistan, Nepal, Transylvania, Rwanda, Laos, Ethiopia, Peru, Cuba, and beyond! She mostly travels by herself, sometimes camping and sometimes staying with friends. Her books are simply written, yet her sharp observations give you an insight into the culture of a society, making her one of the best travel authors for armchair travelers. She was one of the first few female travelers to venture deep into the hearts of countries typically considered ‘unsafe for women’, and would almost always travel on a shoestring budget!
Travel Authors – Matthew Kepnes
Walking among the giants of travel writing is the relatively new, but in no way inexperienced, travel veteran and author, Matthew Kepnes. More commonly known as ‘Nomadic Matt’ for his eponymous travel blog, Kepnes is an American travel expert who quit his job, packed up his life and set out to travel the world for 10 years! And he has documented this journey in his latest book ‘Ten Years a Nomad: A Traveler’s Journey Home.’ He started his career as a travel blogger, visiting 70 countries and is well-known across the travel community for his budget travel tips. In fact, his first book ‘How to Travel the World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter’ was a New York Times bestseller!
Wilfred Thesiger
An iconic travel author, explorer and British military officer, Wilfred Thesiger, is famous for his travels through Arabia in a time before the region was completely transformed by the discovery of oil. He was one of the first Europeans to cross the fearsome sands of the Empty Quarter, riding, eating and living with a band of nomadic Arab tribesmen. Armchair travelers can read about this exceptional journey in his 1959 book ‘Arabian Sands’. Another noteworthy book by Thesiger is ‘Marsh Arabs’, which documents his travels through a now-almost-extinct marshland that existed between Iraq and Iran. He was much loved by the Arabs of that time, and even honored with an Arabic title meaning ‘The blessed one of London’.
Bill Bryson
‘A book is a magical thing that lets you travel to far-away places without ever leaving your chair’, and that is exactly how you will feel when you read one of Bill Bryson’s books! A seasoned travel author, Brill Bryson, rose to fame with his 1995 book ‘Notes from a Small Island’ about his travels through Britain. This American-British author has written several books about his travels. His books include ‘A Walk in the Woods’, ‘Down Under’, ‘Neither Here Nor There’, ‘African Diary’, etc. His writings are honest and humorous, and will leave you smiling from ear-to-ear.
