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 65+ 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!
Countries visited
Continents
blog posts
Latest posts from Reading the Book Travel
Choose a post below or select a country from the menu
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...
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...
Chernobyl tours from Kiev: Is Chernobyl safe to visit?
Kiev, Ukraine’s magnificent capital city, is a great destination for a short break on the eastern edges of Europe. But one of its major draws, and the most popular reason for a day trip out of the city, is its proximity to the Chernobyl exclusion zone, scene of one of...
Kiev metro: How to use it, and the stations you MUST visit!
Kiev, capital city of Ukraine, is a bustling metropolis with plenty to see and do. But how do you get around the city and make the most of your visit? Luckily, the Kiev metro is one of the greatest in the world - cheap, easy to use and with a wealth of beautiful...
What to do in Kiev in winter: The perfect 3-day itinerary
Kiev (or Kyiv), capital of the vast nation of Ukraine, is a city which has hit the headlines in recent years for many reasons. From the fall of communism in the 1990s to the recent tensions with Russia over the occupation of the Crimean peninsula, the city has had a...
The best day trips from Kiev: Visit Uman, central Ukraine
Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine, is a wonderful destination in its own right. But what if you’ve run out of things to do in Kiev, or just fancy checking out some other places to visit in Ukraine? To really get a feel for a country, I love to take a day trip outside...
RHS Wisley Christmas Glow – A perfect London festive outing
Christmas Glow displays have increased in popularity in recent years, but where are the best ones to visit? If you are visiting London during the festive period and have access to a car, or simply live in the local area, Wisley Glow at the Royal Horticultural Society...
The ultimate Christmas lights tour in London
There’s nowhere quite like London as Christmas approaches. Grand department stores, historic churches and elegant streets are thronged with locals and visitors alike; but it is the Christmas lights for which the city is particularly renowned at the festive season. If...
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