Travel Reads

Last Updated on Thursday, 25 February 2010 12:05

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Want to travel but need some ideas? The following is a list of travel books read by the Urge team, and highly recommended as inspiring reads on the tales of the traveler!

‘The Handsomest Man in Cuba’ by Lynette Chiang

This book details the trip of an Ozzie girl who decides to bike around the island of Cuba in the Caribbean. This is a really good book to read if you’re planning a trip to Cuba as it details some of the problems and challenges you might face yourself when traveling in this time warp country. Even if you aren’t planning a trip this book makes a great read. Since this trip she has gone on to travel and write a number of other books, so if you are interested, check out her website www.galfromdownunder.com, where you can find out more about her and watch clips of her adventures.

‘Three Men in a Raft: An Improbable Journey Down the Amazon’ by Ben Kozel

This story follows the experiences of three travelers on an epic journey that sends them across South America- from the Pacific to the Atlantic via the Amazon River.
The author had so much fun writing this book that he thought he would do it again, but somewhere a little colder…

‘Five months in a Leaky Boat: Rowing through Mongolia and Siberia to the Arctic Ocean’ by Ben Kozel

A tale of three adventurers who decide to take on the fifth longest river on the planet- and experience boundless frustrations, set backs, and experiences in the process. An interesting read for those of us who will probably never see that part of the world ourselves!

‘The Full Montezuma- Around Central America with the Girl Next Door’ by Peter Moore

The title of this book says it all really. This book is about an Australian guy who decides to travel Central America with his new girlfriend. Not only do you get to experience this part of the world through his eyes, but you get to experience the difficulties of a new relationship- made more difficult by the pressures of travel in a foreign country.

‘City of Joy’ by Doinique Lapierre

A true story about a Polish priest living in Calcutta, India, devoting his life to helping those living in abject poverty. There has also been a movie made of the same title, which is based on this book.

‘Eat, Pray, Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert

This story is about a woman who has recently separated from her partner and decides to travel to Rome to learn the art of pleasure, then India to learn the art of devotion and then Bali to learn the art of balance. It’s a great read!

If you have any books you would like us to add to this list, email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it