I have read an awful lot of travel books and it took me quite a while to choose ten; some authors are on my list more than once. I have been to several countries in Europe and to S Africa but this is as close as I’m going to get to the South Sea Islands or north Africa. I could have included books on travels in China, Australia or S America but these are really my favourites:
- The Happy Isles of Oceania – a journey round the South Sea Islands by Paul Theroux
- The Pillars of Hercules – a tour of the entire Mediterranean by Paul Theroux
- Dark Star Safari – from Cairo to Capetown by Paul Theroux
- Sea and Sardinia – an exploration of the island by D H Lawrence (which I liked better than his novels)
- The Sign of the Cross – travels to places of pilgrimage in Europe by Colm Tóibín
- Homage to Barcelona – recollections of his time there as a teacher (and a nod to Orwell) by Colm Tóibín
- Homage to Catalonia – memories of the civil war by George Orwell
- A Place Apart – cycling across the border from the republic into the north of Ireland by Dervla Murphy
- South of the Limpopo – on the bicycle as always, touring S Africa by Dervla Murphy
If anyone can suggest more titles for me that would be good. I’m particularly interested in Japan and Korea at the moment.
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