Travel & exploration: where to start

 The Travels of Marco Polo, Volume 1/books/The-Travels-of-Marco-Polo-Volume-1-Marco-Polo by Marco Polo. The account that introduced Europe to China.

 Life on the Mississippi/books/Life-on-the-Mississippi-Mark-Twain by Mark Twain (1883). Steamboat piloting, and a return trip decades later.

 Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)/books/Three-men-in-a-boat-to-say-nothing-of-the-dog-Jerome-K-Jerome by Jerome K. Jerome (1889). The funniest boating trip on the Thames.

 The Cruise of the Nona/books/The-cruise-of-the-Nona-Hilaire-Belloc by Hilaire Belloc (1925). A small boat, a long coastline and a wandering mind.

 Khartoum, and the Blue and White Niles, Volume

1/books/Khartoum-and-the-Blue-and-White-Niles-Vol-1-of-2-George-Melly by George Melly (1851). A young Victorian's journey up the Nile.

 Records of Captain Clapperton's Last Expedition to Africa, Volume

1/books/Records-of-Captain-Clappertons-last-expedition-to-Africa-Vol-1-of-2-Richard-Lander by Richard Lander (1830). The fatal 1825 expedition into West Africa.

 Two Happy Years in Ceylon/books/Two-happy-years-in-Ceylon-C-F-Gordon-Cumming by Constance Frederica Gordon- Cumming (1892). A painter-traveler's two years in Sri Lanka.