I thought it would be interesting to try out some different traveling books and share my thoughts on them. Each one I read was unique and I learned a lot. Each of these books I discovered were borrowed from my local library.
1. "How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip" by Hitha Palepu
In this book the author shares her many tips on packing for trips. She tells you what to pack, how much, ways to organize your suitcase, the different types of suitcases to buy, and even includes multiple checklists for carry-on and regular luggage. I have taken many things from this book and found it very useful.
2. "Traveling Around the World: Our Tales of Delights and Disasters" by Shelley Row
I loved reading this book, because it is a compilation of stories and experiences that Row and her husband had while traveling around the world for a year. During her time in Cairo, Egypt there were attacks and people were trying to overthrow the government. She speaks of how kind and helpful everyone was during this time of panic. The people that worked for the traveling agency she used stayed with them the entire time, while driving them through safety check points past burning cars and tanks, and at the airport where they had to sleep their first night. She said everyone in Cairo was like this and they wanted their experience in their country to be the best. I wish every experience I have in different places could be this way. Row was also in an earthquake in New Zealand and almost a tsunami in Hawaii. The way she described her experiences and sights in Istanbul, Turkey were amazing. The things she said about Bangkok scared me, mainly how dangerous it is to be a pedestrian. How she described Singapore makes me want to go there; there is a lot of diversity, it's very safe to walk, and everything is so clean because there's a large fine for littering. Her stories inspire me to want to travel the world.
3. "How to Travel the World for Free" by Michael Wigg
Wigg tells about his journey traveling to eleven countries in only 150 days, starting with no money at all. While he tells his story he also gives tips on ways you can save money during trips. Some things he did to earn money and survive were dumpster diving, offer work for money, hitchhike, and many other bold, crazy methods to make his way around the world with no money. His adventures were very interesting to read about.
4. "Off Track Planet's Travel Guide for the Young, Sexy, & Broke" by Freddie Pikovsky and Anna Starostinetskaya
This was my favorite out of all the books because it had such a fun, comedic mood and actually made me laugh. It was a collection of travel tips, interesting things, traditions, and events in different places, along with work study and volunteer opportunities available abroad. The things in this book can really open peoples' minds about other countries and it encouraged me to want to travel more. I learned a lot of new things but in an entertaining way.
5. "The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World" by Lonely Planet
I wish I could keep this book; it's so cool! It literally has pages for each country and gives a brief description of them, things you can do there, and what to see. If a place is dangerous they straight up tell you the truth, but don't discourage you from going there which I respect. Each page also includes beautiful pictures. This book would be nice to give as a gift, have laying out for people to read in your house, and just to keep to look at before traveling to a certain country. This book is very big though and heavy; I think it was the biggest book in the library lol. When the librarian brought it to me I was shocked. I definitely would recommend this to people that want to travel but don't know where to go!
