This week, we sit down with travel writer Rolf Potts, celebrated in the travel community. His book Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel has become a classic, motivating many, including Tim Ferriss and myself, to embrace long-term travel. Between adventures like driving a Land Rover through South America and cycling across Burma, Rolf contributes to prestigious publications like National Geographic Traveler and The New Yorker. He shares unique insights on traveling light, advice for budding travel writers, and reveals how travel can be affordable.
Travel writer Rolf Potts (Photo courtesy of Rolf Potts)
Name: Rolf Potts
Age: 47
Hometown: Wichita, Kansas
Countries Visited: I don’t keep an exact count—probably 80-90.
Website: RolfPotts.com
1) How did your journey into travel begin?
Growing up in Kansas, summer vacations were the pinnacle of my childhood. I thought everyone eagerly awaited those annual trips. In my youth, I visited places like Kansas City and Chicago, but it wasn't until I was 15 that I saw the ocean. While attending college and working summer jobs, I worried that traditional life wouldn’t grant me the multi-month travel experiences I yearned for. After college, I became a landscaper, saved money, and embarked on an eight-month adventure across North America in a Volkswagen Vanagon. That trip showed me how delightful and accessible travel can be if you embrace a slower pace. A few years later, I received my first passport, taught English in Korea, and transitioned to full-time travel and writing.
Potts grew up in Kansas and didn’t see the ocean until he was 15. (Photo courtesy of Rolf Potts)
2) What does a typical day look like for you?
I can't say I have a typical day. While I appreciate routines, I've never excelled at sticking to them. I tend to focus intensely when working on a specific project, whether it's a book or an article with a deadline. However, I find it harder to concentrate when juggling smaller tasks. Mornings are my most productive time for writing, especially after I've had my coffee.
3) What are three travel books or authors you admire?
My favorite travel books have remained consistent since my youth. While there are brilliant new titles, like Robert Moor’s On Trails and Kate Harris’s Lands of Lost Borders, they don't impact me quite like Pico Iyer’s Video Night in Kathmandu or Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek did in my formative years. Tim Cahill, Paul Theroux, Eddy Harris, and Jan Morris are also key influences from that late 20th-century travel writing era, alongside Walt Whitman, whose “Song of the Open Road” is essential reading.
In May 2001, Potts journeyed on a slow mail steamer down the Irrawaddy River in Burma, a tale that opened his book, Vagabonding. (Photo courtesy of Rolf Potts)
4) What's a standout travel experience for you?
Having traveled for so long, it's tough to pinpoint a single highlight. One unforgettable moment was taking a Laotian fishing boat 800 miles down the Mekong River in 1999. Another memorable experience was lounging in a meadow at Yellowstone’s Wolf Lake during my first vagabonding trip, feeling thankful for my choice to travel long-term. Countless moments have filled my journey since, reminding me of the joy in experiencing diverse cultures.
5) What is a common misconception about travel?
The biggest misconception about travel is that it's unaffordable for most people in the long run. Many see travel as a commodity, but it can be more fulfilling if you immerse yourself in local cultures and live more simply. While the travel industry aims to offer comfortable, efficient vacations, those who choose to engage with host communities can often travel for the same cost—or even less—than their monthly expenses at home.
Potts takes a selfie with penguins in the Malvinas (Falkland Islands); he estimates he’s visited around 80-90 countries. (Photo courtesy of Rolf Potts)
6) How do you balance work and travel?
I try to blend both aspects so they enhance one another, though it doesn't always align perfectly. In my earlier days of writing for a biweekly column, I reported my travels shortly after they occurred. These days, I maintain a clearer separation between travel and writing, primarily working from home in the U.S. Occasionally, I’ll rent a place in cities like Cape Town or Buenos Aires specifically to write, but most of my writing occurs stateside.
7) What advice do you give aspiring travel writers?
Follow your passion for writing. There are easier ways to fund long-term travel, and the allure of travel writing can fade quickly if you resent spending time indoors crafting articles instead of exploring outside. It's essential to strive for quality in your writing, whether on a sentence level or in terms of the information you provide. This requires reading widely and honing your skills over the years. Ultimately, the quality of your writing is what truly matters.
8) Since your 2010 no-luggage journey, how has your packing approach evolved?
I’ve always packed light, but my six-week, no-luggage trip taught me that what you bring doesn't significantly impact the quality of your travels. I documented this experience through a video series and discovered that traveling without luggage became easier than anticipated. After a week, I adjusted to using only the essentials I had on hand, allowing me to focus on my adventures rather than the challenge of packing. While I still pack lightly, I’ve found that I really only need basic toiletries and a few clothing items.
Potts unplugged and spent last winter hiking in Hawaii. This image was captured on Kalalau Trail Vista on Kauai in February 2018. (Photo courtesy of Rolf Potts)
9) What recent lesson has travel taught you?
With time, the lessons learned from travel become more subtle and nuanced. Last winter in Hawaii, I did a lot of hiking for the sheer joy of it, allowing me to reconnect with my younger self, who enjoyed wandering without the pressure of documenting my experiences. There’s a liberating feeling in spending a day in nature, free from any writing ambitions—just enjoying the moment.
10) What adventure awaits you next?
Having begun my international travels in Asia, I'm eager to return after recent explorations in South America, southern Africa, and Hawaii. I plan to start in Thailand, a familiar territory where I wrote Vagabonding, and then venture to places like Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Indonesia, all of which await my discovery.
To learn more about Rolf Potts, check out his website and listen to his podcast. Don’t miss his classic book, Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, along with his latest release, Souvenir, published earlier this year.
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