Welcome to Reading the Book Travel
I’m Jill Bowdery, a British blogger who has been travelling for more than 15 years, visiting 65+ countries on 6 continents. I love to travel both
Welcome to Reading the Book Travel
I’m Jill Bowdery, a British blogger who has been travelling for more than 15 years, visiting nearly 70 countries on 6 continents. I love to travel both solo and with groups, and to discover the cultures and peoples of the countries I visit. And I love to share a good story or two along the way!
Latest posts from Reading the Book Travel
Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary and the Langue de Barbarie: The best Senegal bird watching tours
For serious bird-spotters, the northwest coast of Senegal is paradise. The destination for migrating birds from Europe, as well as many local species, the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary and Langue de Barbarie National Park make spectacular half-day trips from...
Ile de Goree Senegal: Discovering West Africa’s slave heritage
Located a short ferry ride off the coast of the capital, Dakar, Goree Island in Senegal is a world apart. Discovered in 1433 by the Portuguese (although presumably known to the Senegalese far earlier), the island was initially named Palm Island for the number of palm...
Taking a River Gambia tour: the ultimate Gambian experience
I’m on a converted peanut boat in the middle of the Gambia river, exploring the less-visited side of this beautiful West African nation. Crossing over the border with Senegal yesterday at Farafenni, we entered one of the most stable countries in Africa but also one...
Destination Africa: The best African countries to visit
Africa. A vast continent of 54 individual countries, each with their own history, culture and identity. A place of mystique and wonder, of poverty and enterprise, of bustling cities and incredible wildlife. How do you know where to start exploring this exotic (and...
How to plan your holiday: Top tips for solo overseas travel
Solo travel is one of the most exciting and empowering things you can experience. The rush of heading off on your own, free of anyone else to please and able to go wherever you like, can fill you with a sense of adventure and possibility. But solo travel is also a...
Ultimate Australia: Top things to do in every Australian state and territory
Australia: The Land Down Under. It's the dream destination of travellers of all ages looking to enjoy sun, surf and a cold beer or two under the Antipodean sun, but there is so much more to this vast and varied country than meets the eye. So which are the best holiday...
An African market day: The local market at Camp Robin, Madagascar
Madagascar is a remarkable country, famous for its unique flora and fauna and incredible natural beauty. But a visit to this huge island, off the southeast coast of Africa, will show you so much more. One of the many interesting facts about Madagascar is that its...
The best Cuba destinations for first time visitors
Cuba is one of the world's greatest anachronisms. A tropical island with a Caribbean coastline, lying just 90 miles off the coast of the United States, it is one of the world's last communist countries. This former playground of Hollywood's rich and famous has a faded...
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One Day in Lisbon: Exploring Lisbon Castle
Towering over the city of Lisbon, Portugal, Castelo São Jorge is hard to miss, and is surely the most strategically significant of all Portuguese castles. Perched on top of a hill to the north of the city centre, with views over the Portuguese capital to the south and...
read more
Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary and the Langue de Barbarie: The best Senegal bird watching tours
For serious bird-spotters, the northwest coast of Senegal is paradise. The destination for migrating birds from Europe, as well as many local species, the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary and Langue de Barbarie National Park make spectacular half-day trips from...
read more
Ile de Goree Senegal: Discovering West Africa’s slave heritage
Located a short ferry ride off the coast of the capital, Dakar, Goree Island in Senegal is a world apart. Discovered in 1433 by the Portuguese (although presumably known to the Senegalese far earlier), the island was initially named Palm Island for the number of palm...
read more
Taking a River Gambia tour: the ultimate Gambian experience
I’m on a converted peanut boat in the middle of the Gambia river, exploring the less-visited side of this beautiful West African nation. Crossing over the border with Senegal yesterday at Farafenni, we entered one of the most stable countries in Africa but also one...
read more
Destination Africa: The best African countries to visit
Africa. A vast continent of 54 individual countries, each with their own history, culture and identity. A place of mystique and wonder, of poverty and enterprise, of bustling cities and incredible wildlife. How do you know where to start exploring this exotic (and...
read more
How to plan your holiday: Top tips for solo overseas travel
Solo travel is one of the most exciting and empowering things you can experience. The rush of heading off on your own, free of anyone else to please and able to go wherever you like, can fill you with a sense of adventure and possibility. But solo travel is also a...
read more
Ultimate Australia: Top things to do in every Australian state and territory
Australia: The Land Down Under. It's the dream destination of travellers of all ages looking to enjoy sun, surf and a cold beer or two under the Antipodean sun, but there is so much more to this vast and varied country than meets the eye. So which are the best holiday...
read more
An African market day: The local market at Camp Robin, Madagascar
Madagascar is a remarkable country, famous for its unique flora and fauna and incredible natural beauty. But a visit to this huge island, off the southeast coast of Africa, will show you so much more. One of the many interesting facts about Madagascar is that its...
read more
The best Cuba destinations for first time visitors
Cuba is one of the world's greatest anachronisms. A tropical island with a Caribbean coastline, lying just 90 miles off the coast of the United States, it is one of the world's last communist countries. This former playground of Hollywood's rich and famous has a faded...
read more
The magic of the Ganges: Evening aarti at the Varanasi ghats
Post first published in February 2017; updated February 2019 Evening is falling, and I am in a boat on the Ganges. We are at the Varanasi ghats, the broad promenade leading down to the river, and have made our way downtown by cycle rickshaw, pedalled through slums and...
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Reading the Book Travel
Reading the Book Travel inspires travellers of all ages to head just that little bit off the beaten track.
Via a mixture of solo travel and small-group adventures, discover unusual and less-visited destinations from every corner of the globe. Reading the Book Travel is not about scaling mountains or taking risks, it’s about exploring those everyday places that will open your eyes to the wider world.
The world is a book – and those who do not travel read only a page.
What readers are saying:
“Lovely blog and you have really traveled all over the world. The photos are wonderful and loved reading about your various adventures.”
Raghav Modi“Amazing stories from interesting countries – a different kind of blog and totally worth reading!”
Anna Kovacevic“Excellent stories and photos! I love digging into your guides and getting inspiration on places to add to my bucket list!”
Jim Jones