Top 10 the best travel documentaries
The divine feeling of escaping to a new place and finding the divine sense of joy between ticking off a new destination on the map on your bedroom wall can only be experienced by the desperate traveler.
If you’re looking for inspiration for your next trip, travel movies can serve as food for your famished nomadic soul.
Today, I will discuss the best travel documentaries that will get you off your boring couch and make you want to go out and travel the world.
Top 10 Travel Documentaries From Around The World
Here is a list of the best travel documentaries from around the world:
- The Long Way Down (2007)
- Encounters At The End Of The World (2009)
- Baraka (1992)- A Kaleidoscopic Retreat
- Parts Unknown – Anthony Bourdain: (2013 – 2018)
- A Map For Saturday (2007)- A Solo Traveler’s Love
- Under An Arctic Sky (2017)
- Sahara With Michael Palin (2002)
- Chasing Coral (2017)
- Given (2016)
- The Eagle Huntress (2016)
The Long Way Down
Ewan and Charlie were not satisfied with their journey around the world and they return for another motorcycle adventure taking the Long Way Down. They started from the tip of Scotland John O’Groats to the southernmost point in Africa, Cape Agulhas.
The 15,000-mile bike adventure is a tougher challenge than before, dealing with extreme temperatures and harsh climates. But as with the Long Way Round, McGregor and Boorman are hilarious and honest making this documentary an absolute must-watch!
Encounters At The End Of The World (2009)
Who doesn’t love cold weather, beautiful scenery and having fun with science in the vast expanses of Antarctica?
Filmmaker Werner Herzog tackles this perfectly, exploring the desolate and vast wilderness of Antarctica around the US base of McMurdo Station and the people who live and work there.
This documentary will make you want to go to a remote and cold place.
Baraka (1992)- A Kaleidoscopic Retreat
This is one of the best travel documentaries of all time. It is non-narrative documentary and it highlights the phenomenon of nature and how it forms the core of different cultures.
Baraka takes his audience into the hidden realms of nature while focusing on man’s power to destroy its countless blessings.
Parts Unknown – Anthony Bourdain: (2013 – 2018)
Anthony Bourdain’s style of reporting and meeting people from all over the world he visited is a common theme, bringing a personal approach to the nomadic style of travel.
His “Parts Unknown” is one of the best travel documentaries to watch.
A Map for Saturday (2007) – A Solo Traveler’s Love
When you’re on a long trip around the world, every day is like a Saturday Solo travel is just wandering the unknown lanes of forbidden places. The story traces the history of trekkers across four different continents. The documentary also features interviews with other backpackers and highlights how the road can create unbreakable bonds.
Under An Arctic Sky (2017)
It’s a short travel documentary but definitely worth a watch. It’s beautifully shot in Iceland in winter, with a group of surfers searching for the perfect wave. But at this time a storm comes and they have to overcome it.
Surfers filmed under the Northern Lights for the first time. It will encourage you to visit Iceland to explore more of the country in the arctic darkness.
Sahara With Michael Palin (2002)
This is another travel documentary by Michael Palin. His travel itinerary is just so good; This time he’s exploring the Sahara desert, going on remote adventures with tribal nomads, and more. It will inspire you for desert adventures.
Chasing Coral (2017)
Chasing Coral is a documentary for those interested in the ocean. It follows scientists and divers who explore why coral reefs are disappearing and explain it to you. A good conservationist documentary as well as one for traveling to these beautiful parts of the world.
Given (2016)
It’s such a unique and refreshing take on a travel documentary as narrated by a six-year-old boy. It follows a family on a journey from Kauai (part of Hawaii) to 15 countries around the world. A really good insight into family travel and life learning experience travel can have with young children.
The Eagle Huntress (2016)
This documentary is about a 13-year-old Kazakh girl named Aisholopan who wants to become an eagle hunter, the first woman in her family for twelve generations to do so.
Beautiful scenery and an inspiring story make this a mesmerizing travel documentary to watch.
