Booked for a Journey or From Pages to Places

Published in the Sunday Navbharat Times on 03 August 2025

When Books Became My First Passport

When I set foot in the UK for the first time in my life in 1999, it felt strangely familiar—as if I’d been there before. I couldn’t explain this feeling; of course, there were many people of Indian origin there and much of the architecture reminded me of our own Indian cities, but it was more than that! And then it struck me! Yes of course, I’d visited it a hundred times in my imagination. Every cobblestone street, every quaint countryside lane felt like an echo of my teenage Saturdays at the British Library in Mumbai.

Back then, my friends and I had a sacred weekend ritual: scouring the shelves for books by our favourite author, P.G. Wodehouse. We’d whisper prayers to find a Jeeves or Blandings Castle story, then sink into that whimsical world of aristocratic escapades and country houses. The English countryside wasn’t just a setting—it was a dream. And I've been living that dream every time I visit the UK, looking at hat shops and the train stations! And last year, this living dream reached its pinnacle.

My school friend Mahalakshmi, who now lives in the US, and I have been taking holidays every year for a few years now to celebrate our friendship. We were in London and found ourselves standing outside 17 Dunraven Street, near Hyde Park, Wodehouse’s London home, grinning like schoolkids paying homage to an old master. The world he painted in words lay all around me—stately squares, leafy parks, the genteel hush of Mayfair. It was as if my imagination had materialised in brick and stone.

Today, with so much video content readily available at our fingertips, there’s not much left to imagination, but discovering places that are described in a book and you haven’t seen yet, as special as the places we see in them are, they are personal to us, they are ours and ours only as they are our imagination.

So I thought this week, let's take a look at the books that inspire to travel.

From Wodehouse to Wands: Scotland with My Daughter

If Wodehouse belonged to my youth, Harry Potter belonged to my daughter’s. I remember Sara curling up with those chunky books, eyes wide with wonder, and somewhere along the way, her excitement became mine. So when we planned a trip to Scotland together, it wasn’t just about castles and whisky—it was about Hogwarts.

We wandered the cobbled streets of Edinburgh, sipping coffee in the very cafés where J.K. Rowling wrote the early chapters. At Victoria Street, which inspired Diagon Alley, we poked through quirky shops stacked with wizardry. And when we stood on the Glenfinnan Viaduct, watching a steam train chug across like the Hogwarts Express, it was pure magic.

Into the Highlands – Outlander’s Timeless Charm

While in Scotland, I couldn’t resist dipping into Diana Gabaldon’s historical fantasy novel, Outlander, which today is a very popular television series. Set during the Second World War, the novel takes us on a journey through time to 18th-century Scotland. The Highlands are raw poetry—rolling moors, ancient castles, whispers of clans and battles. Standing at Culloden Battlefield, you cannot help but be poignant as you pay tribute to the Jacobite rising, where the forces of Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) were decisively defeated by the British Government army under the Duke of Cumberland. Scotland has always been a magical land for me, and with its mystical highlands and rugged coastlines, it offers some of the most offbeat tours you could think of. Today, there are mystical highland tours in search of fairies and spirits and even ancestry and genealogy tours that can help people trace their ancestors.

Travel Tip: When planning your tours to the UK, make sure you keep some time in London. Maybe join us on a holiday, and we can book a guided Wodehouse walk through central London in Mayfair and Belgravia. Stop by Hyde Park for a leisurely stroll and imagine Jeeves solving your life problems. If you are travelling with your children, then don’t miss the Harry Potter walking tour in Edinburgh. For the ultimate fan experience, ride the Jacobite Steam Train across the viaduct. Book early—it fills fast! Base yourself in Inverness for Outlander tours. Visit Doune Castle (Castle Leoch in the series) and the dramatic landscapes of Glen Coe.

When Journeys Come Before the Pages

Not all my literary travels began with books. Sometimes the road came first, and the words followed. After having experienced the stunning natural beauty, mesmerising landscapes, vibrant culture, spiritual atmosphere and exotic charm of a destination, it always makes me feel that this would be a perfect setting for a book.

Take New Zealand. An island country, renowned for its dramatic landscapes, adventure sports, and rich Maori culture, New Zealand is sure to wow any traveller who has been there. I have yet to come across a single tourist who comes back unhappy from New Zealand. New Zealand is perfect for road journeys, and the stunning Southern Alps with pristine snow and glaciers, Fiordland National Park, and stunning lakes like Lake Tekapo are truly inviting. It's not surprising. Then that though the epic books - The Lord of the Rings was not written with New Zealand in mind, it was chosen as the filming location for the movie adaptation! J.R.R. Tolkien, an English author and philologist, wrote the books in the mid-20th century and drew inspiration mainly from European landscapes, particularly England’s countryside, Norse mythology, and medieval literature.

New Zealand only became associated with Middle-earth much later, when director Peter Jackson chose it as the filming location for the movies. He selected New Zealand because of its diverse and unspoiled landscapes, which matched the epic and varied geography described in Tolkien’s world.

Travel Tip: Book the Hobbiton tour in Matamata for a true Middle-earth experience. For Mordor vibes, hike the  Tongariro Alpine Crossing—a tough but stunning trek.

The same happened with the book Eat, Pray, Love, an easy read that's so hard to put down. I had twirled spaghetti, gorged on pizza, and of course tasted endless flavours of gelato in Rome, and sipped coconut water in Bali, a land of lush beauty – vivid green rice paddies, tropical gardens, and beaches that radiate calm. In Ubud, I’ve visited temples, made my offerings, and watched daily rituals that blend Hindu traditions with a unique Balinese philosophy of balance.

All this before I read Elizabeth Gilbert’s soulful memoir, which brings Bali to life as a serene, spiritual paradise—a place of balance, beauty, and healing. Reading it later was like flipping through a diary I didn’t write but somehow lived. And of course, as an Indian living in India, temples and spirituality are a part of our daily life. In Varanasi, the Ganga Aarti has always held a special place for me. In fact, it's not difficult to experience the spiritual aspect described in the book in Indian at many different places.

Travel Tip: In Rome, try a pasta-making class in Trastevere or go on a gelato hopping tour.  In Ubud, Bali, don’t miss the rice terrace walks. Veena World's luxury tours to Bali offer a spiritual purification experience in Bali too. And in India, we are spoilt for choice with so many different tour options and places to visit, that. Lifetime wouldn’t do justice,

When a Book Blooms in a Memory – Morocco & The Alchemist

When I visited Morocco, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. It was way beyond my imagination. Morocco was a dream painted in blues, golds and reds—labyrinthine souks, desert sunsets, the music of spice markets and warm hospitality. When I re-read Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist afterwards, every word pulsed with colour. Santiago’s quest wasn’t just fiction anymore; I could actually picture the entire book with Morocco’s beautiful landscapes right in front of my eyes as I relived my experiences from my trip!

Travel Tip: Explore Chefchaouen for its blue streets, and ride into the Sahara on a camel for a night under the stars—pure alchemy.

No Picnic, But Plenty of Adventure – Mount Kenya

Recently, my colleague Prashant gifted me No Picnic on Mount Kenya. I haven’t read it yet, it's on my to-read-soon list —but the premise has gripped me already: Italian prisoners escaping a camp during WWII to climb Mount Kenya. Having trekked up Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 2016, the idea thrilled me. There’s something primal about mountains—they test you, shape you, free you. I think it's true when they say, The mountains call you!

Travel Tip: You may not climb Mt Kenya, but you can surely admire it from a distance as you visit the plains of the Masai Mara and admire wildlife as it should be!

Around the World in 80 Days – The Journey That Never Ends

And then lastly  there’s Jules Verne, the master of wanderlust. Around the World in 80 Days isn’t just a book—it’s an invitation. From London’s foggy streets to India’s spice-laden air, from steamer decks to desert trains—it makes you believe that the world is both vast and wonderfully small.

Because that’s what books do. They make you curious. They make you pack your bags. They make you believe that the next adventure might just be one page—or one flight—away.

Travel Tip: You may not travel around the world in 80 days, but you surely can do it in your lifetime. Take up Veena World's 50-country challenge and start one place at a time.

So, where to Next?

Looking back, I realise some books made me travel. Some travels made me read. Either way, both journeys enriched each other. Because when words meet the world, the magic doubles.

So tell me—what book is waiting to take you somewhere new?