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Through Sand and Snow is the first book for adventurer Charlie Walker.
This book follows the first part of his very first adventure of planning to cycle to the most northern part of Europe, the most eastern point of Singapore and the most southern point in Africa.
Oh, and did I mention that he didn’t have a bike at the start of the book?
This is one of the few travel books that I’ve actually read twice, that is how good it is!
As a normal English guy that has a silly idea (something that resonates with me), he takes his £50 second hand bike, some basic panniers and starts cycling through Europe to Nordkapp, the most northern point in Norway. He then turns around back through Europe across Turkey, Iran and India. He somehow manages to avoid detection by the Chinese military in Tibet and then makes his way through south east Asia (following a path that I had travelled a few years later) to his final destination of this book, the bottom of Singapore.
I loved this book, not just for the adventures he undertakes but for his own personal travel growth that occurs. A naive traveller at first, his adventurous spirit grows. I think another reason I enjoyed it, is that I can see a little bit of myself in Charlie, but he takes it to the next level when it comes to adventuring.
His writing style is beautiful, serious and descriptive but with the hint of English humour that all English people turn to in their worst times. It’s like he’s talking to you personally as he writes. It isn’t just a memoir of where he went, but the people he met and how they shaped him. Something all travellers know only too well.
The current cover of the bookI read this book so long ago that the current option available has an all new cover. As soon as I read it i bought his second book which follows the next part of his journey form Singapore, to southern Africa and back to the UK. If you want to buy both at the same time (and you should!), you can find that one here.
The companies I use:
- 🏨 For the widest range of accommodation, I use Booking.com to book my hotels, hostels and guesthouses.
- 🎒 This is the backpack I use that has taken me all over the world.
- 📶 Get data on the go with an eSIM from Airalo.
- 🏥 For travel insurance, I use Safety Wing. Get $20 off your first policy with this link.
- 🚙 Renting a car when travelling? Find the best options with DiscoverCars.
- 🚶🏻♂️Want more in depth info on the road? Join a tour run by locals with GetYourGuide.
- ✈️ Relax before you set off with hundreds of airport lounges worldwide with Priority Pass.
- 💲 I use Wise to send money abroad. Really easy and a lot cheaper than the bank! Give it a try with a fee-free transfer of up to 500 GBP.
- 💻 Stay safe online abroad with NordVPN.
Dan is an avid traveller from London. His first big adventure was in 2010 living in Malaysia for 3 months. He has been on the road almost constantly since 2015 travelling to destinations that aren’t on the mainstream tourist trail and working full time and travelling since 2021.
