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359 reviews for:
On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer
Rick Steves
3.91 AVERAGE
359 reviews for:
On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer
Rick Steves
3.91 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I was going back and forth on how to rate this book - I love the adventure and I learned so much, not only about the lands Steves traveled through but also about the political and cultural climate of the late 70s.
But Steves’ stream of consciousness as a 23 year old young man was tough to read at times. The way he talked about women often didn’t sit right and his judgements of caste systems, servants and minorities were misguided, privileged and cringey at times.
I ended up giving this a 4.5 because Steves made it very clear in his prologue that he intended to provide a candid snapshot of this trip based on his journaling and was intentional in not editing to make himself sound wiser and more culturally sensitive than he was at that age.
For that reason ^ this book deserves a good rating, it serves as a window into a different time, even if the cultural standards weren’t perfectly aligned with my own values as a progressive woman in 2025. It was very apparent that this trip was a humbling turning point for Steves and it was fascinating to live through it with him.
I’ve read some of Steves’ guidebooks but would love to read more of his other works as well, I am inspired to book another trip overseas ASAP!
But Steves’ stream of consciousness as a 23 year old young man was tough to read at times. The way he talked about women often didn’t sit right and his judgements of caste systems, servants and minorities were misguided, privileged and cringey at times.
I ended up giving this a 4.5 because Steves made it very clear in his prologue that he intended to provide a candid snapshot of this trip based on his journaling and was intentional in not editing to make himself sound wiser and more culturally sensitive than he was at that age.
For that reason ^ this book deserves a good rating, it serves as a window into a different time, even if the cultural standards weren’t perfectly aligned with my own values as a progressive woman in 2025. It was very apparent that this trip was a humbling turning point for Steves and it was fascinating to live through it with him.
I’ve read some of Steves’ guidebooks but would love to read more of his other works as well, I am inspired to book another trip overseas ASAP!
informative
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Lovely insights from Rick Steves about travel and immersing oneself into other cultures
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Fast paced vivid story telling that will make what little travelling you may have done feel like nothing! -1 star star because I don't really know how I feel about the whole taking a photo of someone without their permission then publishing it. Most of them were asked but the ones that weren't rubbed me the wrong way and felt a little exploitive but maybe I'm just reading too much into it?
-1 star because while I liked the authenticity of not changing his 23 year old thoughts and comments to make himself more likeable, it made it apparent that I would not have liked egocentric 23 year old rick steves 😂
-1 star because while I liked the authenticity of not changing his 23 year old thoughts and comments to make himself more likeable, it made it apparent that I would not have liked egocentric 23 year old rick steves 😂
fast-paced
I enjoyed this thoroughly. He gives a warning at the top that these were the thoughts of a 22 y/o in 1978, so they might not be as culturally competent as one would expect now, so I was worried. There was a little of that, but as an artifact of the past it was barely worth noting. I listened to Steves read this memoir, so what was startling was hearing a voice I grew up with and thought of as a innocent, upper Midwestern, polka-lover talk about the first time he got high. I was not prepared, which is completely on me, given the premise of the book.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced