10 brilliant books to fuel your wanderlust

Holidays are one of the only times we can truly slow down and lose ourselves in a good novel. Even when you're at home on a rainy day, a great story allows you to reminisce on past holidays and dream about new adventures for the future. Why not dust down your sun lounger or find a comfy chair in the sunniest spot in the garden, pour yourself a glass of wine and get stuck in to one of these brilliant books about wanderlust - some might even inspire your next adventure...

1. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

At its heart this is a love story: Lata, a young woman looking for love, her mother trying to find a ‘suitable boy’ for her daughter to marry, and three young suitors- Kabir, Haresh, and Amit. Set in India, it’s also the story of a nation, newly independent and facing its first general election in 1951. Totally absorbing, it deserves its label as a modern classic.

2. The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony & Graham Spence

Written by South African conservationist, Lawrence Anthony, this heartwarming read tells the story of a herd of ‘rogue’ elephants that he agrees to take onto his reserve in Thula Thula. He battles to create a bond with them as he tries to protect them from execution, and finds that they have a lot to teach him about love, loyalty and freedom.

This book is very highly rated by readers, even those who wouldn’t normally pick up a book like this. It’s a fascinating insight to life on an African reserve and is a must for animal lovers or anyone considering a safari trip.

3. Australia by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson writes some of the best wanderlust books going - the kind you can read again and again and again. Bryson's warm, dry sense of humour makes his stories laugh-out-loud funny - a joy to read.

Read this before a trip Down Under and you'll undoubtedly feel little jumps of joy as you turn the pages, knowing you'll soon be exploring the driest, flattest, hottest, most desiccated, infertile and climatically aggressive of all the inhabited continents, and falling in love with the cheerful, quick-witted people as you explore their clean cities and drink their cold beer.

4. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

You can’t go far on a Cuban Discovery without hearing of Ernest Hemingway. Havana entices you into bars where he drank daiquiris, or on excursions to his feline-filled home just outside the capital.

But where to start when choosing one of his publications? How about the best? He won the Nobel Prize for Literature for 'his mastery of the art of narrative, most recently demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea, and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style'. The short story of an old man, a young boy and a giant fish set just off the coast of Havana, is a simple, thought-provoking tale of memories and loneliness.

5. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux

A must for railway enthusiasts, this 1973 travelogue of a railway journey starts at London Victoria and takes you across Asia, all the way to Tokyo Central and back. Paul Theroux journeys on the famous Orient Express, the Mandalay Express and the Trans-Siberian Express, among others. 

It describes not only the places and culture of the stops on his four-month journey, but also the interesting fellow passengers that he's drawn into conversation with.

6. Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Made into a popular film, this tells the story of a young single mother and her daughter who move to the fictitious French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes at the beginning of Lent to open a chocolaterie.

The village priest is not impressed and makes it his personal crusade to stop her, as one by one the villagers surrender to the delicious treats inside. It’s a heartwarming book and beautifully written. Not only one of our favourite books for wanderlust, but also for those with a sweet tooth!

7. Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story by Tony and Maureen Wheeler

This book is an intriguing insight into the birth of publishing company Lonely Planet, founded by Tony and Maureen Wheeler after the publication of their first book, Across Asia on the Cheap, followed by South-East Asia on a Shoestring. These became a bible for backpackers to Asia.

This book is a mix of their autobiography, a history of the business and a travel book, all in one. Their anecdotes over their long travel career are entertaining and at times unbelievable, and might inspire you to choose a more unusual destination for your next trip.

8. Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières

Set on the beautiful Greek island of Kefalonia during World War Two, it tells the story of a doctor and his daughter Pelagia, engaged to a local fisherman, Mandras, who leaves to join the resistance fighters. When Italy invades Greece, Pelagia ends up falling in love with the commander of the Italian unit occupying the island - Captain Corelli.

It's a story of both love and war and was an international bestseller. The book caused a boom in tourism to the island, and may have you dreaming of a Greek island retreat, too.

9. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Another modern classic, this fable tells the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, who after experiencing a recurring dream, sets off from his homeland Spain in search of treasure buried near the Pyramids in the Egyptian desert.

He meets many different characters along the way, learning something from them all, and discovers the importance of following your dreams. It’s been read by over 62 million readers, so if you haven’t read it yet, see for yourself what all the fuss is about!

10. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

This book takes place near Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera. Set in both 1962 and the present day, it’s a social satire critiquing Hollywood culture. It begins when a young Italian innkeeper looks out over the sea and sees a beautiful American actress approaching on a boat. Next, readers find themselves in Hollywood where an elderly Italian man has come to find the woman he met 50 years before.

The book is both very funny and surprising and has been called the ‘perfect summer read’.

Do you have a favourite wanderlust book that gets you dreaming off far-off lands and travel adventures? Let us know on our Facebook page. For more holiday inspiration, browse our holiday types and destinations.

Originally published in 2020; updated for 2025