Travel Writing & Commentary

For Parrotheads, armchair adventurers, and anyone who appreciates a good yarn and a hearty laugh, here is the ultimate backstage pass. You’ll read the kind of stories Jimmy usually reserves for his closest friends and you'll see a wonderful, wacky life through the eyes of the man who's lived it. Jimmy takes us from the legendary pirate coves of the Florida Keys to the ruins of ancient Cartegena. Along the way, we hear a tale or two of how he got his start in New Orleans, how he discovered his passion for flying planes, and how he almost died in a watery crash in Nantucket harbor.

A series of personal and reflective journeys through the streets of Victorian England, The Uncommercial Traveller explores the hidden corners of cities, the forgotten lives of ordinary people, and the quirks of everyday life. Written as a collection of loosely connected essays and travel pieces, it captures the essence of Dickens’ keen observational skills, as he paints portraits of people and places often overlooked by society.

In one of his most exotic and adventuresome journeys, travel writer Paul Theroux embarks on an eighteen-month tour of the South Pacific, exploring fifty-one islands by collapsible kayak. Beginning in New Zealand's rainforests and ultimately coming to shore thousands of miles away in Hawaii, Theroux paddles alone over isolated atolls, through dirty harbors and shark-filled waters, and along treacherous coastlines.

The wonder of the night train: headlamps ablaze, passengers boarding after sunset and leaving before sunrise, slipping in and out of compartments unseen. For Monisha Rajesh, the singular thrill of sleeper trains inspired a new journey around the world – one filled with moonlit landscapes, cosy compartments and quirky companions. From Austria’s Nightjet to Scotland’s Caledonian Sleeper and Finland’s Santa Claus Express, Rajesh invites us on a multi-year adventure aboard the world’s most wondrous night trains.

In the summer of 2020 sportswriter David Walsh asked Pippa York if she’d be interested to be his travelling companion for the Tour de France. The deal was that he would sort out the logistics beforehand, the hotels, the transport details and she would do the day to day tasks of getting them about and adding her insight occasionally. It would also mean she would return to the race she had ridden eleven times as Robert Millar. This is the resulting book: a unique and entertaining sporting odyssey, The Escape uses the minutiae of Pippa and David’s trip.

The Uncommercial Traveller is the persona of Dickens for this collection of semi-autobiographical sketches. A kind of Victorian blogger, he is funny and affecting by turns as he recounts what he sees and wonders at its meaning. Whether laying bare ‘a wilderness of dirt, rags, and hunger’ or musing on the ‘moodiness’ of tom-cats; recounting Mr Indignation Cocker’s sherry bill or simply taking us by the hand as he goes about his ‘no-business’ in London and further afield, he brings the warmth, compassion and fleet-footed wit that infuse his novels.

With his characteristic blend of scientific insight, personal biography, and poetic narrative, The Complete John Muir Collection is a fascinating audiobook for nature lovers, hiking enthusiasts, conservationists, and anyone passionate about the rich history behind America’s most beloved national park.

Blending travel writing, natural observation, and deep reflection, Thoreau invites listeners to see nature — and themselves — with new eyes. Cape Cod is a timeless meditation on solitude, resilience, and the beauty of the wild.

This is a completely clear and un-pixelated accounting of the life of four individuals who's worlds collide at a table, in a bar, on a beach in Southeast Asia. What happens next is magic. Follow the adventures of the four as they grapple with the wreckage of the lives they temporarily left behind in Sweden, the UK, Australia, and the United States. Heartache, loss of love, loss of self, and the reclamation of it all in a chance meeting at a Bar by the Beach.

Grab your cappuccino and settle in for a sweet taste of village life. After several trips to Italy over the last 25 years, Angela Correll and her husband, Jess, decided to take the leap and put down roots in a tiny Tuscan village, restoring a centuries-old horse stable into the home of their dreams. Angela invites you to immerse yourself in the captivating and quirky culture of her small hilltop village as she shares observations, stories, photographs, recipes, and ideas from her time in Tuscany.

Call me Mark. My first time in the Roman district of Trastevere was in 1997 whilst covering the England World Cup qualifier for Radio 1. Nearly thirty years later, I'm headed back there, with my wife Bella and dog Arlo in tow. Call me Arlo. I normally hate the sight of suitcases in case it means Him and Her are leaving me, but this time I'm coming with them. I've got my favourite food packed and my doggy passport ready to go.

No one walks around the Buddhist holy places in India. Not today. They travel by bus with good reason. The Buddha’s homeland is now one of the most desperately overcrowded and poverty ridden places on the planet. It is also very dangerous. But Nick Scott and Ajahn Sucitto decided to do just that: to walk for six months and for over one thousand miles, sleeping out at night and living on alms food, just as the Buddha would have done.

No matter your dreams—whether it’s traveling the globe or creating meaningful adventures closer to home—this story proves that stepping away from the familiar, slowing down, and focusing on what truly matters can transform your life and your family’s perspective forever.

Chaos. Curry. Crying babies. Strap in for a laugh-out-loud ride through travel disasters, questionable food choices, and vanlife blunders that will leave you shaking your head and snorting into your backpack. From airport meltdowns to monkey mayhem, author and adventurer Scotty Boxa recounts his most ridiculous travel fails across 36 countries and countless regrettable decisions. Each story is a bite-sized burst of comedy, perfect for road trips, long flights, or just hiding from life in a bathroom stall. Think you've had a bad trip? Wait 'til you hear these tales.

Barely a year into college, nineteen-year-old Indrajeet More is offered to host a travel show on budget backpacking across India. As he undertakes a year-long journey across thirteen cities in India, what unfolds is a string of surreal life experiences—from getting lost in the forests of coastal Karnataka to camping amidst the snowy peaks of the Himalayas, from hunting for the best toddy shop in rural Kerala to dancing to the beats of Naga folk songs. Through this journey, he discovers novelty and relatability in diverse cultures by reflecting on his upbringing in a Maharashtrian household.

Waking up in the Wilderness invites you to embark on a four-decade journey into Yellowstone National Park. Travel with Natalie Ogbourne as she navigates the fine line between isolation and solitude—on the road, on the trail, and in life. Encounter the park’s inseparable dangers and delights. Explore Yellowstone through each of its seasons—hiking, canoeing, fly fishing, snowmobiling, and camping along the way. Experience the transformational power of its wilderness.

In 1980, Graham Broyd did something outrageous—he sold his scholarship ticket to Washington, DC, bought a one-way flight to Los Angeles, and set off to hitchhike across America. Armed with a red backpack, a surfboard, and a knack for finding himself in both incredible and ridiculous situations, he bummed rides, crashed on beaches, and stumbled into experiences that would shape him forever. From rolling the dice in Vegas to interviewing senators in Congress, from the open roads of the West to the neon chaos of New York City, every mile brought a new story.

Rave may be the middle word in travel, but when raving reporter Kirk Field created the rave new world’s first holiday company catering exclusively for clubbers, the rave new world threw everything it could at him: 9/11, volcanic ash clouds, suspicious customs officers, avalanche’s, North Sea storms, pandemics, fraudulent accountants and even Derek Acorah.

Travel shapes our identity, from ancient spiritual journeys to the modern movement of people across the globe. In his latest book, Douglas J. Brouwer, a pastor, scholar and lifelong traveler, invites listeners to reflect on the profound, transformative power of travel in all its forms. With over 40 years of pastoral ministry in the U.S. and Europe, Doug shares personal stories from his own life, from childhood road trips to leading mission teams, study tours, and pilgrimages.

I've been living in and traveling to Thailand for nearly a decade, and it took MANY years to learn how to get over the numerous barriers …something impossible for a first-timer… This book is a direct download of everything I WISH I would have known right from the start.