100 Travel Stories
25 Travel Quotes & Travel Stories
Inspirational Travel Quotes, Stories and Photos
Why do we travel? For adventure, discovery, new experiences, romance, or simply the pleasure of being somewhere different.
Travel has inspired writers, explorers, and photographers for centuries. Some of their words capture feelings that are difficult to describe, while photographs preserve moments that might otherwise fade from memory.
Here are 25 of my favourite travel quotes, paired with photographs and personal stories from places I’ve visited around the world.
1. The Joy of the Unknown
“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure. You have no idea of what is in store for you, but you will, if you are wise and know the art of travel, let yourself go on the stream of the unknown and accept whatever comes in the spirit in which the gods may offer it.” – Freya Stark, Baghdad Sketches
“I do believe in the happiness I have found in Japan” – William (wooden prayer tablets, Tokyo)
Why do we travel? For excitement, discovery, adventure, enlightenment, and romance.
2. Kathmandu, Nepal – The Shock of Arrival
“No drug I can imagine, few love-affairs I might dream of, can match that simple, shocking excitement of arriving in a truly foreign place.” – Pico Iyer
Busy traffic in Kathmandu
Some of the most thrilling travel experiences happen when you first arrive in a new country, especially when it is so different from your own. Pico Iyer would call it “The Shock of Arrival.” For me, that experience was Kathmandu, Nepal.
- Read More: Rush Hour in Kathmandu
3. Hong Kong – The Freedom to Fly
“I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth, then I ask myself the same question.” – Harun Yahya
Hong Kong © Trey Ratcliff / Stuck in Customs
One of my longest and most exciting flights was a 16-hour non-stop journey from Chicago to Hong Kong aboard a Boeing 747. The flight path followed a northern arc, offering beautiful views of Greenland and Siberia before heading south towards Hong Kong.
- Read More: Exciting Hong Kong
4. Koh Lipe, Thailand – A Tropical Escape
“Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” – Ray Bradbury
Koh Lipe Island: blue skies and turquoise water
Welcome to Koh Lipe, an island in the Andaman Sea, Thailand! Its white sandy beaches and turquoise waters are an invitation to explore and relax.
- Read More: The Island Paradise of Koh Lipe
5. Banjul, The Gambia – This Is Africa!
“Certain places seem to exist mainly because someone has written about them.” – William Faulkner
Banjul, The Gambia
Everything that works in other parts of the world seems to stop working here. “This is Africa, Ovi!” my friend Joyce kept repeating…
- Read More: No Photos in Banjul!
6. Bangkok, Thailand – A Different Kind of Experience
“I want to be on the road again, to see things I’ve never seen before, and may never see again.” – Willie Nelson
Navaratri cheek-piercing ritual
There are so many things I’ve never seen before, such as the cheek-piercing ritual I witnessed during the Navaratri Hindu Festival in Bangkok.
- Read More: Hindu Devout Pierces Her Cheeks with Spear
7. Havana, Cuba – Falling in Love with a City
“The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases.” – William Hazlitt
Havana, Cuba
Falling in love with Havana is easy! The city is so unique and vibrant, yet surprisingly tranquil…
- Read More: Havana, Mi Amor
8. Japan – The Beauty of a Country
Traveling is like flirting with life. It’s like saying, “I would stay here and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.” – Lisa St. Aubin de Terán
Japanese aesthetics
I love Japan! But I also love many other countries. A photograph can capture the beauty of a country, but it cannot capture its soul. Take a photographic journey around the world and discover its beauty.
- View: Photos of Our World
9. Angkor Wat, Cambodia – A Journey into the Past
“The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton
The wonder of Angkor Wat
Every country brings memories of adventure, love, and discovery. In Cambodia, Angkor Wat is truly impressive – a masterpiece from the past.
- Read More: The Wonders of Angkor Wat
10. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – A City in Pictures
“Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” – Benjamin Disraeli
Kuala Lumpur
A view of Kuala Lumpur through photographs: its streets, people, attractions, and food.
- View: Images of Kuala Lumpur
11. Flying Over Tibet
“After midnight, the moon set, and I was alone with the stars. I have often said that the lure of flying is the lure of beauty, and I need no other flight to convince me that the reason flyers fly, whether they know it or not, is the esthetic appeal of flying.” – Amelia Earhart
Everest
A stunning view of Everest from an Air China flight from Kathmandu to Lhasa! The entire snow-covered Himalayan range was visible from the airplane. Mount Everest was on the left side of the plane. Passengers seated on the right side even moved across the aisle, stepping over those seated on the left, to get a better view of the world’s highest peak (8,848 m). The shift in weight distribution caused the plane to tilt slightly to the left!
- Read More: Tibet: Om Mani Padme Hum
12. Romania – A Castle in the Carpathians
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta
Peles Castle
One of the most beautiful castles in Europe is located in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, Romania.
- Read More: A Beautiful Castle in Transylvania
13. Everest Base Camp, Tibet – An Unforgettable Journey
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharial Nehru
Everest Base Camp
A trip to Tibet and Everest Base Camp is highly recommended. It can be exhausting, and the high altitude affects people in different ways, but the views are breathtaking and the experience unforgettable.
- Read More: Everest Base Camp Tibet
14. Dakar, Senegal – Unexpected Adventures
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller
Dakar
Adventures in Dakar! A wrong hotel booking, no cash, and a day full of unexpected situations and more.
- Read More: Dakar Escapades
15. Ha Long Bay, Vietnam – The Bay of Descending Dragons
“We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, and we travel to be lost.” – Ray Bradbury
Halong Bay, Vietnam
I think you can measure the level of excitement by the number of photographs you take. During my two-day cruise in Ha Long Bay, I took plenty of pictures.
- Read More: The Bay of Descending Dragons: Halong Bay
16. Taipei, Taiwan – Strange and Unexpected Experiences
“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese
Strange Taipei – frog meat
Take a walk on the wild side of Taipei. Get lost at night wandering through night markets, snake alleys, and massage parlours. Try snake soup or enjoy dinner in a restaurant designed like a public toilet!
- Read More: 8 Strange and Cool Taipei Experiences
17. Takayama, Japan – Happy Sake Day!
“Die I must, but let me die drinking at an inn!” – Walter Map
Sake barrels
While walking through the streets of Takayama’s old town, I stumbled upon a sake shop. It was easy to recognise, thanks to the beautifully decorated bottles and large sake barrels displayed at its entrance…
- Read More: Happy Sake Day!
18. Singapore, Unexpectedly
“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Singapore
I suddenly decided to visit Singapore without much preparation. Singapore is a modern, wealthy, and clean city, where daily life is governed by numerous laws and regulations that are strictly enforced.
- Read More: Let’s Go to Singapore!
19. The People We Meet Along the Way
“Travel only with your equals or your betters. If there are none, travel alone. – Dhammapada”
Travel buddies, Jaipur, India
Along the way, I met many wonderful people, both locals and fellow travellers, who made my trips much more enjoyable.
20. Koh Chang, Thailand – Island Life
“I feel like I’ve never had a home, you know? I feel related to the country, to this country, and yet I don’t know exactly where I fit in… There’s always this kind of nostalgia for a place, a place where you can reckon with yourself.” – Sam Shepard
Koh Chang
Find your own paradise! Once you no longer have a fixed home, you can feel liberated. The world becomes your home!
- Read More: Island Life
21. India – A Country of Contrasts
“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
India is a country of incredible contrasts. I explored only a small part of it, in the northeast, but what an experience! So many colours, fascinating traditions, and unexpected discoveries!
- Read More: Holly Cow! The Incredible India
22. Koh Mak, Thailand – Lonely Beaches
“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang
Lonely Beaches
Just an hour by speedboat from Koh Chang Island, Koh Mak is a small, beautiful island covering only 16 square kilometres. So wild and undeveloped that even the Russians from Koh Chang hadn’t ventured here…
- Read More: Lonely Beaches
23. Encounters on the Road
“A class of men who are exceedingly tiresome are those who, having traveled, talk of nothing but their adventures, the countries which they have seen or traversed, the dangers, whether real or fictitious, which they have encountered, repeating the same things an hundred times over.” – St. John Baptist De La Salle
Nostalgia
It was the end of the day, after visiting Longshan Temple in Taipei. The area was busy, with people chatting in front of the temple. As I walked among them, I noticed this girl, and she noticed me. There was something different about her, something intriguing…
- Read More: Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind
24. Vienna, Austria – A City of Music and History
“The best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end.” – Pico Iyer
St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna
What a city, Vienna! It is one of the most tranquil and well-organised cities in the world!
Get a glimpse of its imperial grandeur by visiting the Belvedere, Schönbrunn, and Hofburg palaces, or simply walk through the old city centre, starting at Stephansplatz. The music of Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Liszt, Brahms, and many others seems to follow you everywhere…
- Read More: Postcards from Vienna
25. The World Is Still on My List
”I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag
More Travel Quotes