Published on The Independent on 3rd June 2021
With the world at a virtual standstill, many of us have turned to armchair exploration to temporarily satiate that hunger for travel and to see the world.
Like all those documentaries of far-flung places and virtual tours of destinations we can’t yet visit, travel books – and especially travelogues – have that transportative power. Even more so, because its slower pace forces us to be more reflective. And in turn, they stimulate our senses and reinvigorate our passion and curiosity.
There’s plenty of choice too, not just in the number of different destinations covered but also in the approaches to storytelling. Some reflect on a monumental event or achievement, others take on the task of self-inspection, a personal journey if you will, and then there are the ones that simply take us on a light-hearted spin.