Book tips from travel bloggers
October 13, 2016
Name: Sarah Althaus
Age: 31
Occupation: businesswoman, world traveler
Blogging since: 2013
Most Recent Trip: Morocco
Next Trip: Canary Islands
Blog: Rapunzel will raus
DW: Which book helped you to prepare for your last trip?
Sarah Althaus: I love to read - so I read whatever I can about the next place I'm going. When I'm heading to a country whose culture is completely foreign to me, I always bring one of those "Kulturschock" travel guides, published by Reise Know-How. They have a lot of information on local custom and traditions.
I also read books by authors from the countries I plan to visit. One that I found particularly touching was the autobiography of the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, "Memoirs." He was a literary genius, and led an extraordinary life - and his memoirs are a joy to read. I know Chile well - but by reading Neruda's book, I was able to understand the country, its history, and my friends who live there even better.
Which book did you take along on your last trip?
On my trip to Japan, I read "Borderlines: F**k you happiness" by Andreas Brendt. It's the sequel to his last book, and I'd really been looking forward to it. I wanted to find out how the author was getting along in Germany, after travelling the world for 10 years. I've been travelling almost non-stop for several years myself, and I know about the problems of re-adjusting to a normal life once you get back home.
Name a book that really made your day.
"A woman alone: travel tales from around the globe" by Ingrid Emerick and others. It didn't actually make my day, but it DID change the way I thought about travel. Before I took off on my 18-month, round-the-world trip, I had doubts about whether I could actually do it. But these 29 accounts of women who traveled the world all by themselves were exciting - and also showed me that this kind of travel wasn't really as intimidating as I'd thought. Just take off, and see what happens - and that's exactly what I did.