Preparing for a trip is already a big part of the journey. Inspiration is one of the biggest parts of it and there is nothing better than losing yourself in a book full of travel stories. That's why we have made a list of books that we recommend!
Het Aarden Beest (The earthly beast) – The Dutch couple Benno and Thecla travelled together on a 350 Royal Enfield with a trailer through Africa. The route begins in South Africa and winds north, through beautiful Africa. Their basic way of travelling as well as the fact that they took their time to make coffee alongside the road, was a great inspiration. Highly recommended and declared Best Travelogue 2010 for a reason (unfortunately it was not translated into English as far as we know).
Lois on the Loose and Red Tape & White Knuckles – The hilarious stories that Lois Pryce wrote are an absolute must read! The first book is about the journey that she made (on her own!) from Anchorage (Alaska, USA) to Ushuaia (Argentina) on a Yamaha XT225 Serow. The second book she wrote is about her trip to Africa, which she did (on her own again!) on a Yamaha TTR250.
Jupiter ‘s Travels and Dreaming of Jupiter – Ted Simon rode around the world twice and wrote two books about doing that. He travelled through Africa, the Americas, Australia, Asia and the Middle-East. The first time he traveled from 1973-1977 on a Triumph Tiger 500cc. When he was 69, he departed again in 2001. If we have enough time and budget , we would like the same route.
theresa-wallach-florence-blenkiron-rugged-roadThe Rugged Road – In 1934, Theresa Wallach and Florence Blenkiron departed from London on a Panther 100 with sidecar and trailer to South Africa. They crossed the Western Sahara and rode through tropical Africa to the east coast to continue to South Africa. A great story of two exceptionally adventurous ladies! The short movie that was made about this book says it all
Into Africa – Sam Manicom wrote several books, including this book about his trip to Africa on a BMW R100GS. He has a funny way of writing about his extraordinary adventures, which include a freak accident and a day in a Kenyan prison.
100,000 Miles of Solitude – Dutchman Maarten wrote this English book about the journey he made on his Africa Twin. For three years he wandered all over the world. According to his website, he describes “100,000 miles of culture, adventure and most of all butt pain”. Fun to read.
Into Africa : The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone – In this book Martin Dugard describes Livingstones expedition to the source of the Nile, his “disappearance” and the quest of Stanley for Livingstone that followed. The backgrounds of the search and the meeting between the two gentlemen (“Doctor Livingstone, I presume?”), at a time when Africa was still undiscovered. A personal favorite of Peter, who had wanted to be an explorer himself.
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, Morocco Overland and Desert Travels – Chris Scott is the author of THE handbook for motorcycle adventurers. The Adventure Motorcycling Handbook is full of tips on travel motorbikes, travel documents, itineraries, off-road driving, equipment and much more. We had bought the previous edition some time ago, but also purchased the newer copy at the end of 2013. The book about Morocco proved very valuable during our trip to Morocco in 2012. Funny detail is that Chris Scott bought a Honda CRF250L to travel with in the beginning of 2013. Good choice!
Meisjes, Moslims and Motoren (Girls, Muslims & Motorcycles)- A beautiful travelogue of Belgian Trui and Gaea, who drove through the Middle East on their motorbikes. They traveled in the footsteps of two ladies who drove to Afghanistan in 1939 in a Ford from Switzerland. The book is full of great pictures! A must read for Dutch readers. (Unfortunately not translated into English as far as we know)
