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TRAVEL WRITING
This kind of writing is less a text-type and more a category of writing. Travel writing can be as
recognizable as a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide recommendation for a trip to a foreign country
or city. Or it might take the form of an article, describing the experiences of the writer in a
strange place, accompanied by photography, maps, or diagrams. It’s possible for Travel Writing
to be ‘literary’ in tone and mood, full of imagery, vivid descriptions, and figurative language,
recreating the characters and situations the writer met along the way like a novelist. Common
themes in travel writing include the search for the self or one’s roots; curiosity about other
people; the desire to be informed; the search for a religious, spiritual or abstract experience.

KEY FEATURES OF TRAVEL WRITING

 Viewpoint: travel writing often documents the personal experiences of someone

exploring a new place or country so is often first person.
 Perspective: an outsider’s perspective is common when reading travel writing,
particularly if the destination is new, exotic or remote. Alternatively, the piece might be
written from an insider’s perspective and is inviting you to visit or share an experience in
a different part of the world.
 Structure: look out for chronological timelines, past – present structures or
a linear journey of discovery. Guidebooks will have clear headings and subheadings and
will probably include box-outs and the like.
 Information: travel writing often seeks to be informative and can present you with facts
and figures, names and dates, historical or architectural or geographical information
and more.
 Description: if the writer is trying to make the destination tantalizing, or to help transport
the reader, you might find examples of visual imagery, vivid description, even figurative
comparisons, helping you visualize a far-off place.
 Visuals: photographs, maps, or floor plans of famous locations are all visual features
that you might encounter in travel writing, particularly guidebooks.
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Sample Paper 1 A

Unseen Text: Indonesia’s Wild Spin on Ping Pong

Text Type: Travel writing – Magazine article – Online article

Guiding Question: Comment on the way this article attempts to entertain the reader while also
revealing the strangeness of the author’s experience.

This is an excellent text to analyse as it’s crammed full of content and ideas. One challenge of
this paper is choosing what exactly to write about and focusing your answer on a well-selected
range of ideas and devices. As well, this text is wide open to interpretation: some may find it
entertaining and humorous, while others may see the depiction of Indonesian ‘strangeness’ as
racial stereotyping. The sample response below tries to balance both readings of the text – but
you don’t have to sit on the fence. After reading this, as an exercise in analysis and evaluation,
write a second commentary which takes one side or the other. Remember, this response is but
one of many equally valid ways of analysing and evaluating the text.
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Sample Response:

The text is a typical piece of travel writing based on an experience in Indonesia. It is written
from an outside perspective and is aimed at a Western audience who enjoy reading about exotic
places or experiencing adventure travel. It can be argued that the text largely succeeds in
entertaining the reader with an amusing and dramatic account of a simplistic game of ping-pong;
however, there is a tragic undertone as the ‘devastating’ reality of frequent earthquakes is
revealed gradually. In addition, we may question whether the author is perhaps too quick to
dismiss cultural differences as strange behaviour; however, as the text is a personal account and
aimed at entertaining an outside audience, it is fair to submit that his feelings towards what is
‘other’ are essential to the purpose. His struggle to understand their customs is central to the
passage and he communicates this in a humorous way with which the reader can identify.

Initially, the writer creates entertainment through the headline ‘Travel Tales’, using alliteration
to create a light-hearted tone and emphasising that this will be a short and amusing
story. Moreover, the headline implies that this may be one in a series of travel
anecdotes. Furthermore, there is a pun employed in ‘Wild spin’ which is intended to create
humour, as it could refer to both ping-pong technique and ‘spin’ as in a biased interpretation of
events. This indicates that Indonesia’s version of the game is out of the ordinary and
bizarre. The adjective ‘wild’ connotes both excitement and a lack of civility, thereby appealing
to the Western reader’s curiosity at best or – at worst – to their prejudices.

The opening paragraph puts the reader straight into the action, building tension and excitement
despite the rural setting. An extended metaphor of war is used to describe the match. For
example, ‘attacks’, ‘barrage’, ‘ammunition’ and ‘ricochet’ all fit into the semantic field of battle
and therefore add drama and intensity to an otherwise simplistic game. Later, the writer
continues to create a feeling of anticipation through single, isolated verbs: ‘Crouch. Uncoil.
Slam’. This magnifies each movement, with the use of present tense adding to the immediacy of
the situation, as if the reader is also there and experiencing the tension.

The notion of ‘strangeness’ is somewhat central to this passage, which focuses on the author’s
inability to understand the local customs. While curiosity of ‘the Other’ is a typical feature of
travel writing, arguably the repetition of ‘weird’ and ‘weirder’ creates an ‘us and them’
divide. Moreover, the writer also employs non-standard English to communicate this
strangeness, such as ‘four seero’, making it clear that the people are different and have limited
English. However, any suggestions of mockery here are undone by the fact that the article
largely makes fun of the writer himself, as his ping-pong inadequacies in this context are
revealed. There is also some admiration evident in the description of the paddle as a ‘wooden
sculpture’, implying a respect for beauty and crafting despite struggling with functionality.

The writer’s portrayal of his general incompetence in the situation and his inability to
comprehend the preference for a ‘dented’ ball are entertaining aspects of this piece. He uses
questioning throughout to convey his utter bemusement and heighten the comedy for the
reader. However, interspersed throughout the text are references to the terrible natural events
that shape the lives of the local people. The decision to refer to the ‘devastating’ and ‘ever-
present’ earthquakes subtly, disguised in the more obvious focus on the game of ping-pong, is
effective for two reasons. Firstly, the use of humour makes the reference to such natural
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disasters more unexpected and therefore jarring. The text is thus not solely intended for
entertainment purposes, but rather uses entertainment to depict a more serious reality. Secondly,
the structure of the text reflects the local elder’s statement that ‘Earthquakes are a part of
life’. It is fitting that life goes on around these catastrophes, with the sport providing the teens
with much needed relief and enjoyment. The simile ‘even my attacker… looks like a baby on his
back’ conjures an image of innocence and happiness, appealing to the reader’s
empathy. Furthermore, by the end of the article, the barrier of ‘strangeness’ has arguably been
broken down by the emotional connection made through the game. This is seen in the final
line ‘to the teens, to me, nothing at this moment could be better than an unexpected bounce that
brings joy’, demonstrating a shared elation in the comedic value of the moment which overrides
cultural differences.

In conclusion, through its stylistic choices, this text does entertain its intended reader, with the
strangeness of the experience intertwined with this purpose. However, in the end, strangeness
succumbs to basic human connection over spectacular failure, forging a link between the
intended outside audience and the people of Indonesia.

Sample Paper 1 B

Unseen Text: Taiwan KOM Challenge – A Personal Account

Text Type: Travel Writing – Article – Website

Guiding Question: How do the formal and stylistic features of this text appeal to a particular
audience?

Here is a perfect example of a typical Paper 1 text. Published on the internet, and falling loosely
into the category of Travel Writing, it has some easily identifiable formal features, such as an
image and tabs linking the reader to wider information. The perspective is easy to understand as
well; the piece relates a personal journey and is even subtitled ‘A Personal Account.’ But most
interesting is the use of language; sometimes dramatic, at other times descriptive, often
informative and even a tiny bit persuasive to the right kind of reader. Read the extract first, then
have a look at the model response which focuses on analysing the informative features of the
writing and explaining the way the text appeals to a niche readership of competitive cyclists.
Always remember, this series of model answers provides only one possible response to each text.
You may have alternative ideas and approach your analysis in a way that is completely different,
but equally valid: a great follow-up exercise would be to write a new analysis and share it with
others to see what they think.
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Sample Response:

This passage is written by Daniel Carruthers, a writer from New Zealand, and falls into the
category of travel writing in that it describes a faraway location from the point of view of an
outsider, with the aim of letting readers picture the scene and revealing some information about
another place, the ‘famous Toroko Gorge in Taiwan.’ However, the text is not aimed at the
casual traveller. As the writer is himself a cyclist and the website specifically targets cycling
enthusiasts (the tabs at the top provide ways to purchase biking equipment, sign up and join a
wider cycling community) it would be fair to say the intended audience for this text is niche:
cyclists. Furthermore, the writer describes a cycling adventure that would not be open to just any
cyclist. The challenge described in the text is significant – the Tour de Formosa is a ‘seven day
challenge’ and the route is featured in the ‘world’s top 100 most dangerous roads.’ What’s
more, this particular race is ‘invitational’ and only open to ‘deaf racers.’ It is likely that, while
amateur cyclists would be interested in the text, only the most committed competitive cyclists
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might be able to properly visualise the writer’s experience and fully appreciate the story he
experience he recounts.

Firstly, formal features of informational writing provides some context about the race for
interested readers. The text includes various facts and statistics, often in the form of numbers.
The reader finds out about the ‘total ascent of 3,500m’ and discovers the length of the entire race
is 100km. The writer breaks down these numbers into quite a lot of detail: for example, the
3,500m climb is not all vertical as ‘there was one 3 – 4km descent that was welcomed after 70km
of solid climbing.’ The reader can map out the likely course of the race, as the writer tells us
that ‘the first 15km was a neutral roll-out’ and we find out that the last 1km ‘got even
steeper.’ This kind of detail is likely to appeal to competitive cyclists who can imagine how they
might strategize if they were in the writer’s place.

Other uses of language are also directed at knowledgeable, enthusiastic cyclists. There is a use of
jargon that only real cyclists would understand, making the text appeal more to members of the
cycling community. For example, the writer mentions specific pieces of cycling equipment
(a ‘28kg sprocket’ and ‘My Garmin’). He uses language that other cyclists would be able to
interpret but which non-cyclists might find baffling (what exactly is a ‘neutral roll-out’?) and
mentions the names of other famous cyclists with just a minimum of added information about
who they are: ‘Taiwan expat pro rider Lee Rogers’; ‘Italian rider Orrico-Davide from the Atlas-
Enervit.’ The text does not explain these terms or names further, suggesting the audience would
be expected to know them already.

The way the text writes about other people who are not part of the cycling community also
excludes them, creating a them-and-us opposition between cyclists and other people. He treats
car drivers with particular hostility: ‘what made matters even worse is that traffic was allowed to
pass by’. Cars are made to seem more dangerous than the trip itself when ‘a car nearly clipped
me.’ Onlookers to the race are included as part of the in-group when they sympathise with the
racer ‘the onlookers also yelled at the car as they understood my plight.’ Words
like ‘clipped’ and ‘plight’ dramatise the incident and accentuate the them-and-us opposition
between cyclists (the rider), cycling enthusiasts (represented by the shocked onlookers) and
‘others’ – epitomised by the indifference of the car drivers

The drama of the race itself might have particular appeal to cyclists who are used to competing.
The third main-body paragraph contains dramatic diction such as ‘surged forward’, ‘l attempted
an acceleration’ and ‘one of my trade-mark “suicide” attacks.’ These are phrased in a way that
includes other cyclists (again, it would help to be familiar with what one of the writer’s ‘suicide
attacks’ actually are to be able to visualise this image). In the next paragraph, the writer
enjoys ‘picking off blown riders one by one’ and the reader can appreciate his feeling of victory,
even though he is not an ideal build for this race. The writer took care to inform us that ‘as an
85kg cyclist, I am by no means of climber build’ and this detail serves to make his
accomplishments seem even more impressive. Actually, when it comes to this particular aspect
of the text, the success of an underdog against more powerful opponents is a storytelling
convention that cyclists and non-cyclists can probably both appreciate similarly.

There are other elements of the text that non-cyclists might enjoy too, particularly in the
descriptions of the scenery. The road is described in line 16 as ‘stunningly beautiful’ and lines 28
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– 30 describe the scenery as viewed from a high point on the climb. Vivid adjectives such
as ‘lush green native bush’ and ‘large twisted gaunt old trees’ combine with images, such
as ‘straight out of the Goblin forest’, and information (‘drier alpine climate areas’) in a way that
might be seen in more conventional travel narratives aimed at a wider audience.

In conclusion, though, it is evident that the text would have most appeal for those already in the
cycling community. Even the photograph that accompanies the main story is not chosen for its
aesthetic or descriptive quality. Although the gorge wall is high and dramatic, the composition of
the picture following the rule of thirds focuses our eyes on the ‘pack’ of cyclists coming out of
the tunnel mentioned in line 20 and occupying the centre of the image. Carruthers calls the
journey ‘epic’ and uses superlatives to say it is ‘the longest and most varied climb.’ He
repeats ‘bucket list,’ which is a common way of expressing something that people aspire to do at
least once in their lives; because of the major challenges involved in this race it is likely only
serious, competitive cyclists would add this trip to their list. Finally, the last paragraph
states ‘keen cyclists’ – a direct acknowledgement of the intended audience for this text.

Now, it is your turn to practice a full Paper 1. Make sure you annotate the text, and prepare an
outline before you start writing!
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- In what ways does this text attempt to entertain the reader while also conveying insights into
the writer’s experience?

A Fish With Hair

In The Maldives, going for a swim is going overboard.

By Ron Martin

It is long before first light when I arrive at the dock and find the boat that will take me to Fua
Mulaku. It is a dhoni, one of those whimsical crafts unique to the Maldives, planked out with
tarred palm wood, boasting some 60 feet of waterline and sporting a curlicue bowsprit — a
Viking ship with a sense of humor. On the bow, a lone figure sits hunched under a madras sheet,
whittling away at a coconut husk — beak of a nose, eyes dark as the ages, a cigarette dangling
from his mouth. But upon my “hello,” the figure leaps up. Behold, it is a boy. And he has a knife.

He calls out something in Dhivehi, and from amidships other figures stir beneath the sheets. The
boy keeps his eyes on me, silent and suspicious, knife at his side. Now the captain presents
himself. His name is Mohammed, a grinning, snaggletoothed fellow who takes my money and
gestures me aboard. The boy points questioningly at the mask and fins lashed to my canvas
duffel.

“For looking under the water,” I say, pretending to dive in, puffing out my cheeks and
performing a faux breaststroke. The boy smirks and says something that prompts Mohammed to
take a swat at him. The boy dodges and runs away as the captain hurls invectives at him.

“The boy, it is not so very nice what he said,” Mohammed explains. He looks embarrassed. “He
says you are a fish with hair.” I tell him I’ve been called much worse. “Perhaps,” he replies. “But
in the Maldives, to call someone a fish with hair is most unkind.” A cultural thing, I guess. And
I’m still gnawing over the implications when the boat putters away from the dock.

The Republic of Maldives begins about 300 miles southwest of the tail end of India, comprising
a hopscotch of coral atolls that stretches for 510 miles on either side of the equator. Only in the
past 40 years or so have tourists been arriving. The many island resorts here are sequestered in a
few confined regions. Without jumping through all sorts of bureaucratic hoops like I had,
foreigners are not regularly permitted on any of the so-called inhabited islands, like Fua Mulaku,
where I was heading. It will take five hours over the wide-open Indian Ocean just to get there.
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The boy’s name is Abdul. He is 14. And whenever something needs doing on the boat, he is
there to do it. Crawling in the engine well to tinker with a gummed-up fuel pump. Climbing out
on the bowsprit to navigate Mohammed through a reef. Even taking his turn at the wheel when
the captain needs a break. Abdul is indispensable, a born boatman. The other three crewmen
have come along, it seems, mostly for ballast.

Every now and then Abdul sits back on his haunches, smokes a cigarette and studies me while he
whittles at the coconut husk. I smile and, in various ways, try to connect with him. Nothing. He
has already written me off: a fish with hair.

Midmorning we slow to pass through a narrow channel in the atoll’s outer reef. A long stretch of
coral heads reveals itself, the boat moving past them just above idle speed. I put on a mask and
fins, and pantomiming my intentions to a not fully comprehending Mohammed, I grab the stern
line and leap off the transom. Behind me, I can hear the commotion as Abdul and the other
crewmen storm the gunwales to witness a fool at play. I bodysurf from side to side, taking in the
scenery below — vast canyons of coral and reef fish galore. When I am finally back aboard the
boat, Abdul is immediately in my face, waving his arms and interrogating me.

“He wants to know what you saw,” Mohammed says. I tell Abdul he should put on the mask and
see for himself. He shakes his head, appalled by the notion. “He does not swim,” says
Mohammed. Neither does Mohammed. Or anyone else on board. For all that makes the Indian
Ocean instrumental in their lives, Maldivians do not look kindly upon it. The ocean is both
highway and grocery store. It takes them places and provides them food. It is not much used for
pleasure. If anything, in the Maldives there’s a general and altogether valid sense that the ocean
cannot be trusted. The country’s 1,200-plus islands are flatter than flounder, and if the most dire
of warnings about global warming hold true, then the Maldives could, one day not all that far off,
quite simply disappear.

That some foreigner with a mask and fins would so willingly cavort with the enemy? I can
understand why they might call him a name most unkind.

- Taken from the online magazine ISLANDS www.islands.com (February 25th, 2010)