Cover American writer Ernest Hemingway in Kenya, 1953. A lifelong adventurer, Hemingway’s quotes on travel offered insight, wit and perspective on his experiences abroad. (Photo: US National Archives and Records Administration)
American writer Ernest Hemingway in Kenya, 1953. A lifelong adventurer, Hemingway’s quotes on travel offered insight, wit and perspective on his experiences abroad. (Photo: US National Archives and Records Administration)
1 / 1
Discover how some of literature’s greatest minds frame the power, magic and transformative nature of journeys in these unforgettable quotes on travel
Travel has long served as a powerful source of inspiration for writers—not just as a physical act of moving from place to place, but as a deeply personal and transformative experience. For many of literature’s most celebrated voices, journeys across cities, countries and continents become metaphors for self-discovery, empathy, wonder and change.
Whether undertaken in solitude or shared with a companion, travel offers a way to see the world—and oneself—with renewed clarity, depth and imagination. These quotes on travel reveal how writers throughout the ages have captured the essence of the journey in words that continue to resonate across time and across borders.
Read more: The art of slow travel: more mindfulness, less stress
Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961)
“Do not go on trips with someone you do not love.”
Ernest Hemingway, the American novelist and adventurer, travelled extensively through Europe, Africa and Cuba. In his famously terse style, Hemingway’s quote on travel reflects his belief in travel as a deeply personal, even romantic, undertaking. This quote, which appears in A Moveable Feast (1964), a posthumously published memoir of his early years in Paris during the 1920s, implies that the right travel companion is as important as the destination. Hemingway, who was married four times and was rarely without a partner in his life, was probably writing from experience.
Henry Miller (1891–1980)
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
Henry Miller, the American author best known for Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, was an unorthodox and deeply introspective writer who viewed travel as a conduit for personal and artistic awakening. This quote appears in Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch (1957), a semi-autobiographical account of his years living in California’s rugged Big Sur coast. In this work, Miller reflects on solitude, nature and the revelations that come when one steps away from society’s routines.
Maya Angelou (1928–2014)
Above Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist and civil rights activist who spoke of travel as a bridge between cultures and peoples. (Photo: Brian Stansberry)
Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist and civil rights activist who spoke of travel as a bridge between cultures and peoples. (Photo: Brian Stansberry)
1 / 1
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples laugh, cry, eat, worry and die, it can produce the idea that if we try and understand one another, we may even become friends.”
A poet, memoirist and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou brought a deeply humanistic perspective to everything she wrote. This quote is taken from Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now (1993), a collection of essays on identity, tolerance and personal growth. In this piece, Angelou champions travel as a bridge between cultures and a powerful antidote to prejudice, drawing on her own extensive global experiences.
Anita Desai (b. 1937)
“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.”
Anita Desai, one of India’s most respected contemporary novelists, has consistently explored the themes of identity, memory and the emotional terrain of diaspora. This quote, often attributed to her from interviews and public appearances, encapsulates the lingering emotional residue that places leave on us; it’s also a theme that is echoed in works like her 2004 novel The Zigzag Way, which explores cross-cultural encounters and the pull of distant geographies.
Anthony Bourdain (1956–2018)
Above Chef, author and television host Anthony Bourdain left behind many eloquent quotes on travel that reflected his empathy for people he met around the world. (Photo: Peabody Awards / Creative Commons)
Chef, author and television host Anthony Bourdain left behind many eloquent quotes on travel that reflected his empathy for people he met around the world. (Photo: Peabody Awards / Creative Commons)
1 / 1
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
Anthony Bourdain, the chef-turned-author and television host, was revered not just for his culinary explorations but also for his deep respect for cultures around the world and empathy with the people that he met. This widely cited quote is from No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach, Bourdain’s 2007 bestseller that was published as a companion to the hit show of the same title. Bourdain’s trademark honesty about the messiness of exploration, framed in his gruffly eloquent style, made his quotes on travel unforgettable.
Don’t miss: 11 Hong Kong restaurants loved by Anthony Bourdain
Margaret Atwood (b. 1939)
“So much better to travel than to arrive.”
Canadian author Margaret Atwood is known for her speculative fiction masterpieces like The Handmaid’s Tale, but she is also a skilled poet. This quote comes from her 1981 poetry collection True Stories, a stark and vivid set of verses born out of her travels with Amnesty International. Evoking the age-old tension between motion and destination, Atwood suggests that the process of moving forward may be more instructive than the goal itself.
Paulo Coelho (b. 1947)
“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It’s lethal.”
Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho’s work often walks the line between spiritual parable and practical philosophy. This quote, popularised through social media and cited often in motivational talks, aligns closely with the ethos of his global bestseller The Alchemist (1988); though not quoted in the novel, the sentiment captures its central theme: that the pursuit of one’s “personal legend” or true purpose requires risk, courage—and leaving the familiar behind.
Anaïs Nin (1903–1977)
Above Anaïs Nin, the iconic bohemian diarist, saw travel as a search for connection and kinship. (Photo: Elsa Dorfman / Creative Commons)
Anaïs Nin, the iconic bohemian diarist, saw travel as a search for connection and kinship. (Photo: Elsa Dorfman / Creative Commons)
1 / 1
“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls.”
Anaïs Nin, the French Cuban American diarist and novelist, is celebrated for her lyrical, introspective writing and her bohemian spirit. This quote is from The Diary of Anaïs Nin, in which she reflects on her lifelong search for emotional and intellectual kinship. For Nin, travel was not merely a physical act; it was a quest for deeper connection and alternative modes of living.
Judith Thurman (b. 1946)
“Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you’ve never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground.”
Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and New Yorker writer Judith Thurman penned this evocative quote on travel in Cleopatra’s Nose: 39 Varieties of Desire (2007), a collection of literary essays. It perfectly captures the paradoxical yearning for the unknown, and speaks to dreamers, writers and travellers who feel the pull of imagined landscapes more strongly than those of their everyday lives.
Roald Dahl (1916–1990)
“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.”
British novelist Roald Dahl, beloved for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, infused his children’s stories with curiosity and wonder. This beautiful quote on travel comes from The Minpins (1991), one of his final works. Though it’s aimed at young readers, the message is timeless: approach the world with awe and attention, and you’ll be rewarded with unexpected magic.
Topics
Kristine Fonacier is a widely published journalist and author, covering lifestyle, business, politics and travel, having been the editor in chief at the Philippine editions of Esquire and Entrepreneur, and the founding editor of Grid magazine. At Tatler, she was previously the regional editor for T-Labs, Power & Purpose and Asia’s Most Influential.
