World over, filmmakers have found inspiration in the universal concept of travel. Films have the power to transport you into another world – and travel movies tap into the potential of the visual medium to encourage journeys and promote the magic of life-altering adventures.

To fuel your wanderlust, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite travel films that will help you indulge in the sights, sounds and stories from every corner of this planet.

THE DARJEELING LIMITED (2007)

Courtesy: Fox Searchlight Pictures

The Darjeeling Limited is an emotional comedy about three estranged brothers who reconnect on a soul searching train voyage across the vibrant landscape of India. With a host of family conflicts waiting to erupt, the film follows the three brothers as they explore spirituality and reinstate their lost sense of brotherhood. Wes Anderson subtly handles melancholy through the highs and lows of travel to create an uplifting, instantly re-watchable film.

Watch the trailer here.

THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (2004)

Courtesy: Buena Vista International

No list of best travel films is complete without the mention of this internationally co-produced masterpiece. The Motorcycle Diaries is a biopic on the legendary Ernesto Che Guevara’s 14,000 kilometer motorcycle journey across South America. The film offers a glimpse into the region’s stunning locales and the fascinating cultural aspects of its communities. Watch it to truly understand the sense of freedom and exhilaration that travelers seek – and pay homage to this Latin-American icon’s awe-inspiring story.

Watch the trailer here.

MAP FOR SATURDAY (2007)

Courtesy: Earthchild Productions

Long-term travel can be one of the most personal sacrifices one can make – and A Map For Saturday puts this message across without intimidating those who contemplate such a life-altering decision. This travel documentary follows backpackers on their year-long solo adventures around the world. Relatable and real, it is a visual guide to different locations, languages, cultures, people and experiences that collectively make up the kaleidoscope that is a world of travel.

Watch the trailer here.

EAT PRAY LOVE (2010)

Courtesy: Columbia Pictures

Julia Roberts brings her charm to the silver screen in this movie based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s critically acclaimed memoir. After a bitter divorce, Liz Gilbert (Roberts) sets off on an international adventure in the quest for self-discovery. Eat Pray Love follows Gilbert as she eats her way through Italy, prays her way through India, and finds love in Indonesia. This book-turned-movie released in 2010 created quite a compelling case for solo travel (especially among middle-aged women), and has since risen to the status of being a pop-culture phenomenon.

Watch the trailer here.

WILD (2014)

Courtesy: Fox Searchlight Pictures

A biographical drama about writer Cheryl Strayed (brilliantly portrayed by Reese Witherspoon) and her 1,100 mile solo hiking trip in the Pacific Crest Trail. In the attempt to redeem herself and gain mental clarity after a string of personal tragedies, an inexperienced Strayed braves through dark forests, snowy peaks, and muddy trails on her own. Gritty, intense and emotional, Wild de-glamorizes solo travel in an honest, tell-all tale about pushing one’s limits in the journey through life.

Watch the trailer here.

UP IN THE AIR (2009)

Courtesy: Paramount Pictures

George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham in this American comedy-drama film that captures the life of a businessman who lives out of his suitcase. With an outstanding cast, the movie explores the theme of isolation and detachment – the two harsh realities of an urban nomadic life.

Watch the trailer here.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006)

Courtesy: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Boasting of an ensemble cast that includes Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Alan Arkin and a young a Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine follows an emotionally dysfunctional (although completely relatable and endearing) family on an inter-state road trip adventure. In order to fulfil the wish of their 7-year old daughter, the Hoovers take their broken-down Volkswagen microbus from Albuquerque to California on an epic journey that borders on the bizarre. Heartwarming, funny, with nutty characters and a refreshingly simple storyline, Little Miss Sunshine rightfully made for a strong contender at the 79th Academy Awards – with six nominations and two subsequent wins.

Watch the trailer here.

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (2011)

Courtesy: Fox Searchlight Pictures

The quirks of seven elderly Britons against the backdrop of a bustling, exotic (read: rustic) Indian city sets the tone for this comedy-drama film. Judi Dench and Maggie Smith lead an all-star cast in this heartening story that follows seven 60-plus British retirees to India as they decide to spend their twilight years in the country. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel intrinsically captures the West’s fascination with the East. The observations and experiences of each character seamlessly translate into humorous and honest insights – albeit occasionally borrowing from clichés to up the ante.

Watch the trailer here.

Got a favorite travel movie that we’ve missed? Share it with us on our Facebook page!

Written by Lynn Verghese for JenJon Retail & Services Pvt. Ltd. Images used in this post are taken under the Creative Commons Licenses. 

Travelling is a concept that appeals to many of us, regardless of where we come from. Travelling solo, on the other hand, is widely misconstrued as the perfect recipe for loneliness, and boredom.

Despite the constant chatter about the myths and dangers of being alone and away from home, the trend of solo travel, is slowly picking up in our part of the world – especially among the millennials. Stories of solo travellers across the world who meet with exhilaration and uninhibited freedom are motivation enough to get the thrill-seekers and risk-takers of today to pack their bags and get going on a life-altering adventure.

Embarking on a solo trip will get you plenty of advice, much of it unsolicited, most likely to make you rethink your globetrotting dreams. Rather than letting misconceptions deter your plans, read up and prepare for the unexpected before setting off on your big adventure!

BEFORE YOU LEAVE

• Visit a place close to home if you haven’t travelled alone before. Gradually breaking in to the solo travel lifestyle will make it a lot less terrifying for first-timers.
• Share your flight details, hotel reservations, and local contact details with a close friend of family member to ensure that they can track you down in case something were to go wrong.
• Scan copies of all your travel documents, IDs, ticket numbers, etc., and email them to yourself or back them up on Google Drive or DropBox for easy access anywhere.
• Don’t assume that your phone will work. Sign up for a pre-paid local sim card or an international package if you plan on traveling overseas.

IN-TRANSIT

• Avoid arriving at strange airports or stations late at night. Alternatively, opt for hotel pick up services if you do arrive at your destination at odd hours.
• Track your cab via Google Maps to know if you’re going off route. Also, it’s safer to use call taxi services rather than flagging them down in the street, especially if you’re alone.
• When taking the train, avoid sleeping in empty compartments. You’re safer sharing a compartment with a family.

STAY SAFE

• Dress like a local or a long-term expat to avoid unwanted attention. Tourists are often easy targets for pickpockets and swindlers.
• Always carry a travel-sized first aid kit with Band-Aids, pain killers, anti-histamines, mosquito repellents and anti-rash ointments.
• Keep a note of any hospital or 24-hour clinic nearest to your hotel or guesthouse for serious medical emergencies.
• If you’re listening to music, avoid wearing both headphones. This way, you’ll be more alert with what’s going around you.
• Local acquaintances will help you figure out ways to get around in the area and places to avoid if you’re alone.

ALONE DOES NOT MEAN LONELY

• Discover interesting places that are hidden away from tourists by getting to know local service people such as store clerks, hotel staff, taxi drivers and servers. They usually have the inside scoop on things to do that travel blogs and brochures won’t tell you about.
• Sign up for group walking tours, safaris, special-interest trips and group expeditions, which tend to have a high percentage of solo travellers. Befriending like-minded tourists and locals is a part of the experience.
• Gastronomically adventurous but afraid of eating alone? A book is the perfect café companion.  Additionally, websites and apps such as Yelp and Zomato will help you discover restaurants and cafeterias with communal tables for single travellers like you!

The decision to take a trip alone, locally or internationally, is a choice that every person should make at least once in their lifetime. Stepping out of our sheltered lives and voluntarily signing up for a tryst with independence can be as exciting as it can be daunting.  However, whether you’re a sophomore in college or whether you’re grey and well into your 70s, very few experiences can match up to the way travelling can – it changes you for the better.

Written by Lynn Verghese for JenJon Retail & Services Pvt. Ltd. Images used in this post are taken under the Creative Commons Licenses.