Extraordinary Travel Books by Ordinary (and not so ordinary) Women

East Toward Dawn: A Woman's Solo Journey Around the World (Adventura Books) by Nan Watkins

On the eve of her sixtieth birthday, Nan Watkins d more...2 points

On the eve of her sixtieth birthday, Nan Watkins decided to embark on the around-the-globe trip she had always dreamed of-a trip she would take alone. Having endured both the dissolution of her thirty-year marriage and the devastating death of her twenty-three-year-old son, the author resolved to follow a solo path east across Europe and Asia to renew connections with old friends and explore foreign lands and cultures. Over adventure-filled weeks and months, what began as a trip of discover...2 points

Hitchhiking Vietnam : A Woman's Solo Journey in an Elusive Land by Karin Muller

For 7 months Karin Muller traversed Vietnam and reveals more...2 points

For 7 months Karin Muller traversed Vietnam and reveals honestly and humorously, the culture, pace, land, scents, problems, and beauties of Vietnam.2 points

Eight Feet in the Andes: Travels with a Mule in Unknown Peru by Dervla Murphy

The eight feet referenced in the title belong to D more...2 points

The eight feet referenced in the title belong to Dervla Murphy, her nine-year-old daughter, and an elegant mule, who together clambered the length of Peru, from Cajamarca near the border with Ecuador, to Cuzco, the ancient Inca capital-traveling over 1,300 miles in high altitudes. Despite extreme discomfort and occasional danger, mother and daughter, a formidable duo, were unflagging in their sympathetic response to the perilous beauty and impoverished people of the Andes.2 points

Go Your Own Way: Women Travel the World Solo

There is nothing quite like hitting the road by yourself more...1 point

There is nothing quite like hitting the road by yourself to awaken your senses, sharpen your mind, and build your confidence. In twenty-three beautifully crafted essays, women recount the thrills of traveling solo. Despite threat-assessment levels and airport-security hassles, women of all generations are traveling more freely and independently than ever before. In that go-for-it spirit, Go Your Own Way spans the globe: adventure diva Holly Morris finds herself lost in the jungles of Borneo, alo...1 point

Fly Solo: The 50 Best Places On Earth For a Girl to Travel Alone by Teresa Rodriguez Williamson

There's a whole big world out there. Here's how every more...1 point

There's a whole big world out there. Here's how every woman can get out and conquer it-solo. This is an inspiring guide for women who want to "fly solo"-yet stay safe, sane, and solvent during their travels. With candid advice and insider's secrets about some of the most exciting places on earth, readers will find: - A quiz to help determine what sorts of trips best suit one's personality, interests, and goals - The essential female-friendly spots every woman should visit - Why each destinatio...1 point

American Borders: A solo circumnavigation of the United States on a Russian sidecar motorcycle by Carla King

An exploration of the borders between the United S more...1 point

An exploration of the borders between the United States, Canada, and Mexico becomes a comedy of breakdowns in small towns all around America in this four-month, ten-thousand mile adventure. Experience moments of blissful backroads freedom, cultural connection, and roadside romance--interrupted by cracked welds, electrical gremlins, evil tow truck drivers, tornadoes, and hurricanes. From B.C. to the Blue Ridge, Boquillias to Beverly Hills, American Borders is a unique and intimate exploration of....1 point

By the Grace of the Sea : A Woman's Solo Odyssey Around the World by Pat Henry

"Henry's captivating account fills readers with more...1 point

"Henry's captivating account fills readers with admiration for her courage and stamina." --Booklist "A wonderful voyage of self-discovery." --Indianapolis Star "A powerful and compelling personal account of [Henry's] battle with the elements--plus inner and outer demons--while struggling to complete her solo journey around the world. What a book and what a woman!" --Willard Manus, author, This Way to Paradise1 point

Travel Alone & Love It: A Flight Attendant's Guide to Solo Travel by Sharon B. Wingler

1 point

Islands in the Clouds: Travels in the Highlands of New Guinea by Isabella Tree

The island of New Guinea is hardly the most hospit more...1 point

The island of New Guinea is hardly the most hospitable place in the world. Dozens of live volcanoes punctuate the mountainous terrain and tremors shake the island daily. So high are the mountains of Papua New Guinea that this most tropical of islands actually boasts snow on its highest peaks. Not until the middle of the 19th century did Europeans pay much attention to a land that apparently offered little in the way of natural resources; when the Dutch finally arrived in 1848, they claimed only....1 point

Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman by Alice Steinbach

This funny and tender book combines three of Alice more...1 point

This funny and tender book combines three of Alice Steinbach's greatest passions: learning, traveling, and writing. After chronicling her European journey of self-discovery in Without Reservations, this Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Baltimore Sun quit her job and left home again. This time she roamed the world, taking lessons and courses in such things as French cooking in Paris, Border collie training in Scotland, traditional Japanese arts in Kyoto, and architecture and art...1 point