“Travellers are the best storytellers,” they say, and boy they say that right. Indeed travelling does make you a pandora’s box when it comes to telling stories learning and your holistic transformation because of that. Every seasoned traveller will tell you that actually its the “why” that you travel and not the “how” you travel. Although Travelling makes you come out of your shell, your comfort zone and stretch you physically and mentally sometimes taking a toll on you when you remember that journey you took it surely brings a smile in your face.

Not convinced with our explanation of “why” you should travel, here is the list of 5 best TED talks on travel which will surely compel you to leave that couch and get going.

1.JD Lewis: On Travelling and How to Just Do It

Actor, Musician, Dad, JD Lewis tells the story of how his son Jackson, one day came home and asked the difference in the world as a family. Taken aback, Dad responded by starting Twelve in Twelve foundations. Watch the story to see their journey.

Relatable, Quotable, Travel Gyan from the story

“Behind every no you get, there’s always a yes. There’s always a way and an alternate route to get where you’re going. All you have to do is claim it and go do it.”

“We are insecure in moments and we take on information from people that is not ours. It’s someone’s belief system that doesn’t belong to us because they live in fear.”

“There are two kinds of people – the people that succumb to their fear and the people that go: ‘I’m just gonna do it because I have to. It’s my calling, it’s my mission.'”

“When you put a pen point on the horizon and you make a choice and a statement and you claim it in front of your friends and family, amazing things occur. Things that you would never have imagined come to the forefront.”

“Run as quickly as you can from Middle America thinking. … I was raised in a country where we were taught to live by the straight and narrow, be part of the status quo, to get the corporate job for the insurance.”

2. Francis Tapon: How and Why Travel Transforms You

Former project manager at Microsoft, Francis Tapon quit his job to see how travel transforms you. He did a three-year long journey in Africa and visited all 54 countries. is a former project manager at Microsoft, who quit his corporate job in 2007 to get to know the world – and himself. He has travelled about 150000 km, made 9 terabytes of travel videos of his own visited 49 African countries and 111 countries in all! His goal in life is to visit every country in the world, and we have no doubt that he will achieve it.

Relatable, Quotable, Travel Gyan from the story

“Travel below your means. Don’t necessarily always go to Paris and London. Don’t always stay at the fanciest hotel you can stay at. Maybe do some Couchsurfing.”

“Pilgrimages are another way to find the truth.”

“What would you do with your time if you had a billion dollars? Whatever the answer to that question is, that’s probably your passion.”

“The prophets are teaching us that perhaps some of the answers to life’s most profound questions lie in the wilderness.”

3. Robin Esrock: Learn to Travel, Travel to Learn

Global Adventurer, Travel writer, TV producer and TV personality Robin Esrock hail originally from South Africa. After an accident quit his job, went on backpacking to 24 countries. He is one of the pioneers of wired-in travel journalism. Watch this story to understand what one can learn while travelling.

Relatable, Quotable, Travel Gyan from the story

Get off the couch, switch off reality TV and start participating in reality itself.”

“I smile when I’m nervous and I laugh when I’m scared because it sure beats screaming and crying.”

“Don’t panic, surround yourself with good people and just know that people would rather help you than hurt you. Listen to your instinct, smile”

4. Tony Wheeler: The Road Less Traveled

After travelling “hippie trail” in Asia in 70s Tony Wheeler created the famous travel guide “Lonely Planet”. After selling millions of books, and now going digital from websites to apps, ebooks and inflight infotainment systems. Tony is now retired and tells you everything about The road less travelled. He tells how travel to the world's more 'edgy' locales fascinated him.

Relatable, Quotable, Travel Gyan from the story

“I think it’s terrific, where we are in the world today, that you can still go to places which you may have heard about, but you haven’t actually seen pictures of.”

“A few years ago, Mr George W. Bush came along and gave me a reason for some travels. When he said there was an Axis of Evil, I thought – ‘Well, I wanna go there!’”

5. Rick Steves: The Value of Travel

Rick Steves lives literally out of a suitcase. His show on European travel called Rick Steves’ Europe is one of the most sought-after Europe related travel show. Rick Steves reflects on the value of thoughtful travel. In this insightful talk, he stresses that “Fear is for people who don't get out very much."

Relatable, Quotable, Travel Gyan from the story

“I learned once again that fear – and there’s a lot of it in our society – fear is to me for people who don’t get out very much.”

“A third of the people on this planet eat with spoons and forks like you do, a third of the people eat with chopsticks and a third of the people eat with their fingers like I do and we’re all civilised just the same.”

“There are so many misunderstandings between people and when we travel, we straighten them out.”

Travel wallops my ethnocentricity and I’m very grateful for that.”

“I’m going here because I think it’s a good character to know people before you bomb them.” (on why he travelled to Iran)