Travel diaries can be a traveler’s best friend
Why I Love Travel Diaries
No matter where I travel in the world, I always bring a travel diary with me. I love writing down my observations on life in other countries, like this list of things I noticed about Albania and this list of things I observed in Shanghai when I visited in 2014. I now have a shelf of travel journals in my closet…full of things like memories of my first trip to China in 2000 and details about my amazing trip to Syria in 2010. (Hey, Syria in 2010 was a different time.)
Part of the joy of a travel diary is in the purchase and picking out the right journal for the right trip. I know my green travel diary is from China (I knew we’d spend a lot of time outdoors in Guilin and Yangshuo), the beige one from Syria (easy, the desert), and the blue one from the Dominican Republic (also easy: the ocean). I love going back and reading my memories. While I always remember my trips, I sometimes forget the smaller details…like the falafel I had for lunch in Damascus or the old woman who helped me when I was lost in China. Travel journals help you remember these things, and if you are lucky, you will have them for years and years and years.
Tips for Selecting Travel Diaries
So before spending money on a travel journal, think about how you are going to use it and where you will store it when you are done. Specifically…
- How often you will keep a travel journal? Is this a one-time thing, or do you envision keeping a diary for each trip? If you plan on always keeping a travel diary, you may want to pick one standard brand, type or size and always buy your diaries in that same style so that they look nice on a shelf.
- How do you plan to work with your journal? Will you just be writing things down? Or will you also be keeping any mementos? Lined paper is a must if you are planning on always writing things down, but you might enjoy the freedom of an unlined page if you also plan on taping small souvenirs to the pages of your journal.
- Will you keep mementos in your travel journal? If so, look for diaries that include a cord or other sort of wrap that will protect the content of your diary as you slip it in out of bags and backpacks.
- What kind of pen will you be using? Some journals like the Midori Traveler’s Notebook, are designed with fountain pens in mind! Obviously most of us don’t use fountain pens these days but think about the weight of the paper you’d like to be writing on.
- Do you need help getting the creative juices flowing? Does the concept of a blank page scare you? Do you need prompts and lists? If so, seek out journals come with helpful questions to get you thinking. I have some below!
The Big Names in Travel Journals
There are a few big names in travel journals that you should be aware of. These brands are generally a little more expensive, but then again, they are also high quality. I haven’t suggested any specific models here but instead focused on suggesting a few of the bigger brands.
Midori Traveler’s Notebook: The top brand to consider is Midori Traveler’s Notebook. It’s totally the granddaddy of travel journals and the most serious serious option I can present to you. I actually JUST bought one of these myself but am holding off on opening the package until my next trip. (Stay tuned!) This is a bit of a lifestyle choice because the Traveler’s Notebook has accessories available to purchase! What’s great about the Traveler’s Notebook is that you can add additional pages as you go along instead of always buying a new notebook. The leather cover also ages beautifully. Honestly, this is a beautiful product, but you can probably also buy five notebooks from my list below for the same price. Buy this notebook.
Moleskine Passion Journal: Moleskine notebooks are everywhere and their clean, modern design make them great for bookshelves. They’ve created a specific journal for traveling, which I love! The Passion Journal has five themed sections to fill in, five tabbed sections to personalize, and sections for loyalty cards, checklists, calendars, travel information, budget and trip planners, memorable moments and more. I just wish it came in more colors. (Although you can always just buy regular Moleskines that come in multiple colors.) There’s also a Moleskine Voyageur Journal that stores printed emails, itineraries and maps.
Rhodia: Rhodia doesn’t have the same brand cachet as Midori or Moleskine but it’s still a great product. These are just standard notebooks though…no travel elements. Just a high quality notebook if that’s what you are after.
Field Notes: I like these because they come in packs of 3 to 5 and you can get them in different colors too. They are also fairly inexpensive. They aren’t as slick or as high quality as Midori or Moleskin, but they do the job. Again, not travel journals per se…these are just regular notebooks…but still interesting.
Other Travel Diary Recommendations
If you’re not shopping for brand, here are some of the best travel diaries and journals I have come across. They make the perfect gift for anyone about to hit the road. Note that some of the items listed below come in different sizes and colors so please check the details carefully before purchasing!
Traditional Leather Travel Diaries
If you like that more traditional feel, here are a few of my favorite leather travel diaries. I love a good rustic leather cover. It makes me feel very Indiana Jones. I just love how these become more weathered with age.
Antique Traveler’s Diary
Leather Travel Diary
Rustic Travel Diary
Colorful Travel Diaries
Like I mentioned in my intro, I sometimes like to match the color of my travel diaries to my destination. Note that I’ve picked out some favorite colors here but these travel journals all come in multiple colors so be sure to check the details! I think what’s great is that you can be consistent in style by choosing one style, but then you can buy a bunch in different colors.
Green Travel Diary
Pink Travel Diary
Blue Travel Diary
Mindful Travel Diaries
These travel journals are great if you need some help getting started because they give you some frameworks to work with. They come with interesting quotes and questions for you to think about throughout your travels. I like this style of journal because it can be good sometimes to have a theme or question to ponder as you are capturing your observations.
Travel Journal: Maps Not Apps
Everywoman’s Travel Journal
You Are Here Travel Journal
Fun Travel Diaries
These travel diaries are just plain fun! Lots of listicles and prompts to get your creative juices flowing. I think what’s great about these types of travel journals is that at the end of your trip, you’ll have a really broad spectrum of written memories because of all the prompts. The younger generation might appreciate these too…great gift material.
Travel Listography Journal
En Route Travel Journal
I Was Here Travel Journal
Tips and Ideas for Keeping a Travel Diary
- Buy washi tape so you can tape train tickets, receipts and other small mementos into your travel diary. Be careful because washi tape normally is sold in multiple roll sets. You probably don’t need too many rolls of washi tape…
- Buy a couple of colored pens to make your entries more interesting and to differentiate content.
- Buy a local postcard and tape it to the first page of your entry about City X. This serves both as a bookmark and a nice visual of the place you are writing about.
- If you meet anyone interesting during your travels, ask them to write a message in your journal. If that feels awkard, give them a specific assignment like “The Top 3 Things To Do in City X.” It can be fun to read through what others write in YOUR journal.
Travel Journal Prompts
Not sure what to write in you travel diary? Here are a few prompts to get you thinking…when in doubt, go through “Who, what, when, where, why.”
- Definitely chronicle your meals every day, especially your more local and interesting ones!
- Create a “10 things you’ve eaten in Country X so far” list.
- Document the “5 things you’d do again in Country Y.”
- Capture “The 5 souvenirs you want from Country Z.”
- Write about the 3 people you met that day and your interactions with them.
- If you wear a Fitbit or similar, note how far you walked each day and your average heart rate.
- Keep track of what time you woke up and what time you went to bed.
- Make a note of what you were wearing.
- Document how much money you spent and what you spent it on.
- Write down your dreams each morning! I don’t know about you but I have crazy dreams when I am not in my own bed.
Some people say the written word is dead. I disagree. 20 years from now, I will still have a book. Whether I will still have the app on which I took notes during my trip down the Yangtze River is debatable! This is why travel diaries are so essential. Enjoy and I wish you all the best for your travels!
Check out my other favorite travel products over here! Also, I just did a round-up of the best anti-theft travel purses.
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