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Journeys to Impossible Places
In Journeys to Impossible Places , best-selling author and presenter Simon Reeve reveals the inside story of his most astonishing adventures and experiences, around the planet and close to home.
Journeys to Impossible Places continues the story Simon started in his phenomenal Sunday Times bestseller Step by Step , which traced the first decades of his life from depressed and unemployed teenager through to his early TV programmes.
Now Simon takes us on the epic and thrilling adventures that followed, in beautiful, tricky and downright dangerous corners of the world, as he travelled through the Tropics, to remote paradise islands, jungles dripping with heat and life, and on nerve-wracking secret missions.
Simon shares what his unique experiences and encounters have taught him, and the deeper lessons he draws from joy and raw grief in his personal life, from desperate struggles with his own fertility and head health, from wise friends, fatherhood, inspiring villagers, brave fighters, his beloved dogs, and a thoughtful Indian sadhu.
Journeys to Impossible Places inspires and encourages all of us to battle fear and negativity, and embrace life, risk, opportunities and the glory of our world.
Journeys to Impossible Places continues the story Simon started in his phenomenal Sunday Times bestseller Step by Step , which traced the first decades of his life from depressed and unemployed teenager through to his early TV programmes.
Now Simon takes us on the epic and thrilling adventures that followed, in beautiful, tricky and downright dangerous corners of the world, as he travelled through the Tropics, to remote paradise islands, jungles dripping with heat and life, and on nerve-wracking secret missions.
Simon shares what his unique experiences and encounters have taught him, and the deeper lessons he draws from joy and raw grief in his personal life, from desperate struggles with his own fertility and head health, from wise friends, fatherhood, inspiring villagers, brave fighters, his beloved dogs, and a thoughtful Indian sadhu.
Journeys to Impossible Places inspires and encourages all of us to battle fear and negativity, and embrace life, risk, opportunities and the glory of our world.
352 pages, Paperback
Published December 27, 2022
125 people are currently reading
781 people want to read
About the author
Simon Reeve
14 books270 followersSimon Reeve is an English author and broadcaster. In recent years he's been travelling around little-known regions of the world for a series of BBC television documentaries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
October 26, 2021
Incredible. An autobiography that is more profound than many “self-help books” that takes you on a real rollercoaster. I had high expectations from this having read Simon’s Step by Step earlier this year and I was not disappointed. I love Simon’s honesty and his ability to make you feel like you’re on the journey with him as he travels the world. His personal battles are very informative and so I really appreciate him not holding back with details. I also found so many moments of wisdom that I could relate to, many views and realisations Simon had felt very personal and I found myself agreeing to a many observations he had and shared in this book especially about climate change and plastic pollution. Overall, I highly recommend this read, it’s one of my favourite books of 2021. I find it hard to be inspired by individuals but Simon Reeve is one of the few people that really does inspire me.
Oh and the letter towards the end that Simon wrote to his son is quite beautiful and very touching. Something I will look back on again and again as it is profound.
Oh and the letter towards the end that Simon wrote to his son is quite beautiful and very touching. Something I will look back on again and again as it is profound.
January 19, 2022
Very earnest, great detail about his adventures, likeable chap. Got a bit bored of him gushing about how great his wife was and adoration for his son - you know when someone keeps talking to you about how great their kid is? That. But otherwise a great read.
August 28, 2023
Love it! Once again, Simon took us on an exciting, educational and dangerous trip around the world, and in all this he did'n forget the most important thing - himself, his family and emotions.
Pack your things and go on a crazy adventure.
Pack your things and go on a crazy adventure.
February 20, 2023
I simply adore this man and have been a fan for many years now. Having read his previous book Step By Step, I wasn’t sure if he was able to equal it, but he does just that and more, following him into the next stage of his life and travels.
Simons own vulnerability and candidness about his struggles I find particularly endearing and raw. He does not possess a stuffy privileged view of the world, and his travels convey his real honest enthusiasm for both the world, and the people around it. He comes across eager to seize every, and any, opportunity to learn about other cultures to our own, and give a voice to the marginalised. The accounts of his travels are addictive. They are at times dangerous but also humorous - played in-part by the people he meets - however, they also call into question the way we are treating our planet. He inspires me to travel more and seek out even more of an authentic experience.
At its core I find the book is quite life-affirming, peppered with huge moments in his own personal life, and finishing with a beautiful written letter promise to his young son that even made me choke up.
I’d recommend also watching his relevant travel documentaries afterwards to fully place the scenarios and places he talks about. It is a nice accompaniment to visualise these landscapes for yourself.
Simon Reeve is a man firmly on my ‘dinner party guest list’! (I would love to chat about his travels with him, but this book comes a close second!)
Simons own vulnerability and candidness about his struggles I find particularly endearing and raw. He does not possess a stuffy privileged view of the world, and his travels convey his real honest enthusiasm for both the world, and the people around it. He comes across eager to seize every, and any, opportunity to learn about other cultures to our own, and give a voice to the marginalised. The accounts of his travels are addictive. They are at times dangerous but also humorous - played in-part by the people he meets - however, they also call into question the way we are treating our planet. He inspires me to travel more and seek out even more of an authentic experience.
At its core I find the book is quite life-affirming, peppered with huge moments in his own personal life, and finishing with a beautiful written letter promise to his young son that even made me choke up.
I’d recommend also watching his relevant travel documentaries afterwards to fully place the scenarios and places he talks about. It is a nice accompaniment to visualise these landscapes for yourself.
Simon Reeve is a man firmly on my ‘dinner party guest list’! (I would love to chat about his travels with him, but this book comes a close second!)
Read
October 29, 2023Really interesting read. Loved learning more about his journeys outside of his documentaries and his life lessons.
December 16, 2022
Recently, TV 'personalities' have been churning out books to fill a financial blackhole induced by the pandemic. This is one of the worst offerings I've read. Pathetically hypocritical (from his recreational drug use, support but-oh-wait not support for Extinction Rebellion, ignorance of his own arrogance and privilege, then middle-class milking it to brag about his current lifestyle, etc.). Could barely stomach it to finish the book.
The most fatal flaw is that Simon is under the impression he is personally interesting, not 'famous' due to the destinations and individuals he meets. Simon's expendability and dislike character normally work in his favour in this line of work. I don't care if his life is in danger as he travels, because of his past responsibility of alleged second-degree murder, or at least manslaughter (he sold knives knowingly to violent thugs who then murdered others with them - something he never even contemplates a need to atone for or self-blame).
Yet this is 2/3rds a book on IVF treatment and Simon's desperation for his wife to have a child, or two. I just don't care. The fact his lack of intelligence contributes negatively to his ability to parent (he has a whole holier-than-thou sermon in the 2nd half of the book about the evils of 'screens' and benefits of knives)... Is deeply depressing - poor child. He even quotes the debunked marshmallow test... But he knows best, hence he ONLY uses the internet for a mere 7 hours a day... Oh, and how we should be more simple minded like dogs.
Just rather obnoxious and a tedious read - in the refund bin.
The most fatal flaw is that Simon is under the impression he is personally interesting, not 'famous' due to the destinations and individuals he meets. Simon's expendability and dislike character normally work in his favour in this line of work. I don't care if his life is in danger as he travels, because of his past responsibility of alleged second-degree murder, or at least manslaughter (he sold knives knowingly to violent thugs who then murdered others with them - something he never even contemplates a need to atone for or self-blame).
Yet this is 2/3rds a book on IVF treatment and Simon's desperation for his wife to have a child, or two. I just don't care. The fact his lack of intelligence contributes negatively to his ability to parent (he has a whole holier-than-thou sermon in the 2nd half of the book about the evils of 'screens' and benefits of knives)... Is deeply depressing - poor child. He even quotes the debunked marshmallow test... But he knows best, hence he ONLY uses the internet for a mere 7 hours a day... Oh, and how we should be more simple minded like dogs.
Just rather obnoxious and a tedious read - in the refund bin.
June 21, 2024
one of my fave books ever. Would recommend to everyone!! love this man’s work v much
November 28, 2023
Simon Reeve comes across as a lovely bloke with a genuine zest for life. He's brave, adventurous and I learned a bit about environmentalism and various cultures by listening to this audiobook. And no doubt he means it whe he gushes about how BLESSED he is to be married to a WONDERFUL wife who is the BEST mother on the planet to their AMAZING son, and how they live in an INCREDIBLE part of the British countryside... It just that it all gets a bit #humblebrag after the umpteenth repetition. 3.25 stars.
Want to read
November 9, 2021Excerpt in The Guardian here, about Reeve's decision, in his late thirties, to have a child, and his subsequent experience with his own infertility.
January 22, 2023
Concoction of Simon’s travels in his job and personal life - very engaging and definitely worth a read
October 15, 2024
Loved this book! Really puts life into perspective and is a reminder that good things come from taking risks 🌟
October 15, 2024
"Toliko nas putuje, traži nešto što misli da treba i bori se za to umjesto da prigrli ono što već ima i uživa u tome."
Poučna, iskrena, humoristična, uzbudljiva... jednostavno genijalna knjiga !
Poučna, iskrena, humoristična, uzbudljiva... jednostavno genijalna knjiga !
December 8, 2024
Such an inspiring book, by a humble, kind and reflective author. I loved it.
May 9, 2025
This book reads like you’re travelling :-)
November 11, 2021
A very good book and one which really has the authors voice and opinion! I enjoyed it, an easy and evocative book.
February 17, 2024
I found this book very touching and inspiring. I really admire Simon Reeve and his enthusiasm for travel and meeting people - it makes me want to learn from him. There were also many eye-opening stories in the book and I feel it has made me more educated about the world and what some people live through, which I'm very grateful for.
October 16, 2024
I love how passionate Simon is in his documentaries and books and this one was great too. Story flowed well, just the perfect amount of enthusiasm and information to each story to keep me reading a bit longer every time
October 16, 2022
A great follow on autobiography to Step by Step. More than an autobiography really, it's a travel book and a deep dive into the damage we are doing to our planet. An inspirational read and Simon continues to be interesting, honest and humble. Some really relatable and profound stuff here.
October 20, 2023
Simon Reeve promatra svijet kao znatiželjni petogodišnjak. Moraš ga voljeti 🙂
September 3, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. A moving and uplifting read.
October 25, 2022
An easy way to live a more exciting life. Easy reading and a ‘topic’ I enjoy.
August 19, 2022
Bloody brilliant.
This book postures as a travel book, but is so much more. And just like Simon plans everything with his travel, as he self proclaims in the book, every word in this book has a purpose.
Also side note: always try out friend's / family's recommendations. This one was gifted by my sister becuase she enjoys his documentarries and thought I would like it. I loved it
This book postures as a travel book, but is so much more. And just like Simon plans everything with his travel, as he self proclaims in the book, every word in this book has a purpose.
Also side note: always try out friend's / family's recommendations. This one was gifted by my sister becuase she enjoys his documentarries and thought I would like it. I loved it
April 6, 2024
But for me, an impossible place is somewhere - it can be anywhere - that is special, mystical, extreme, frighteningly dangerous, blessed with inspiring people, an Eden of wildlife or staggeringly beautiful. The key is that it is somewhere I was never meant to be, because exploring, travelling, and even living in any of these places was never my destiny.
Journeys to Impossible Places is the natural successor to Step by Step , and is as equally well-written, fascinating, absorbing, and as reflective as Simon Reeve's first foray into the written combination of autobiography, and travelogue.
This book largely focusses on the period of Simon's life when his BBC career was just beginning to get established, following a few of his travels, but primarily two of the major journeys through the tropics, the Indian Ocean, as well as tracing Sacred Rivers. These trips were insanely dangerous, and moving, and as someone who isn't really a very adventurous traveller, it was exciting to experience what Simon did through his very vivid writing.
Simon and the team's expedition into Burma was utterly gripping, and sickening too at the amount of risks that were involved. The likelihood of being shot, beaten, tortured, and arrested, were SO high. To even enter Burma they had to enter illegally from the Indian border, disguising their activity from Indian police. What Simon makes abundantly clear is that the stories they could share would make the risk completely worth it, and I am grateful to him and his team for creating the documentaries that I have found so enlightening and engaging for many years. The description of the team when they were leaving to go to Burma, and Simon was saying goodbye to Anya, his wife and fellow traveller, and coordinator, felt like something in a dystopian film:
An equally dangerous trip was to Somalia. They are at the front-line where there is active fighting between AMISOM - the African peacekeeping force - and militants from al-Shabab. As fighting escalated, Simon and his film-crew were instructed to return to the safety of armoured personnel carriers. It led to this surreal, absurd moment:
Simon does a really good job at relaying events, both the facts and the emotions too. He is also good at weaving in political and environmental commentary, and he has always struck me as being probably the best documentary maker at getting straight at the heart of issues which affect regions. It always feels that he comes from a very balanced, insightful perspective, and that came through once again in this book. There are so many stories from this book I could quote, and list all the inspiring, brave, and revolutionary people Simon encountered on his journeys. It was all endlessly fascinating.
Simon is also startingly - but in a welcome way since it is such a major topic - honest about the fertility challenges himself and Anya faced together. Their struggle to try and have a child was really quite moving, and you could feel just how much Simon needed a child. He's very open with his struggles with mental illness, and also the struggles and emotions he felt at such a difficult time in both their lives. I think it's really important, especially for men, to express these things - whether that's the grief that can come from trying and failing, but also male infertility, since infertility is often seen, culturally, as a woman's problem. Simon addresses the need for men to talk, and I commend him for it.
It is truly beautiful how much Simon loves his son. Was it a little preachy at times? Yes. Was that a massive problem? No, not really. I think he's earned the right. Do I think I'm ever going to be as spontaneous and as adventurous as Simon wishes us to be? Probably not, but maybe in my own way.
This was my third Simon Reeve book, and I immensely enjoyed it. It felt like a fusion between the more strictly autobiographical Step by Step , and the solely travel focused Tropic of Capricorn. I'm seeing Simon on his tour in November, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the tour interacts with the book!
Journeys to Impossible Places is the natural successor to Step by Step , and is as equally well-written, fascinating, absorbing, and as reflective as Simon Reeve's first foray into the written combination of autobiography, and travelogue.
This book largely focusses on the period of Simon's life when his BBC career was just beginning to get established, following a few of his travels, but primarily two of the major journeys through the tropics, the Indian Ocean, as well as tracing Sacred Rivers. These trips were insanely dangerous, and moving, and as someone who isn't really a very adventurous traveller, it was exciting to experience what Simon did through his very vivid writing.
Simon and the team's expedition into Burma was utterly gripping, and sickening too at the amount of risks that were involved. The likelihood of being shot, beaten, tortured, and arrested, were SO high. To even enter Burma they had to enter illegally from the Indian border, disguising their activity from Indian police. What Simon makes abundantly clear is that the stories they could share would make the risk completely worth it, and I am grateful to him and his team for creating the documentaries that I have found so enlightening and engaging for many years. The description of the team when they were leaving to go to Burma, and Simon was saying goodbye to Anya, his wife and fellow traveller, and coordinator, felt like something in a dystopian film:
The plan was that Jonathan, Andrew, Cheery and I would leave for Burma early the following morning, while Anya and Abhra Bhattacharya, who had rejoined the team to help with logistics in Mizoram, stayed behind to hold the fort, handle our emergency communications with locals and deal with the Indian secret police, who it was now clear were indeed following us. It was now time for me to say goodbye to Anya. We had a sweet couple of hours chatting about the journey and our future plans, and then I gave her a letter I had written for my mum, just in case something terrible happened, and I slipped another little farewell card into her rucksack for her to find after I'd left.
An equally dangerous trip was to Somalia. They are at the front-line where there is active fighting between AMISOM - the African peacekeeping force - and militants from al-Shabab. As fighting escalated, Simon and his film-crew were instructed to return to the safety of armoured personnel carriers. It led to this surreal, absurd moment:
I could see the building where snipers were firing through tiny holes knocked in the side. I went first, running across open ground with sniper fire close overhead, and then a strange sound off to one side. And there, under the archway, in the middle of the battle, a barber was calmly giving a soldier a wet shave with a Sweeny Todd cut-throat razor, while his stereo pumped out jaunty upbeat music. He must have had a very steady hand. As I came through his field of vision he turned to look at me, a cigarette danging from his mouth, and a wry smile spread across his face as he watched me running and diving for safety into the back of an armoured personnel carrier. It was a surreal moment, perfectly blending madness and noramlity.
But then so much of Somalia was a surreal and impossible place. It wasn't easy to sum it all up. The executive produced Sam Bagnall and I talked endlessly about the crazy challenge of trying to explain four decades of conflict and civil war, then attempted it with a piece of commentary in the final programme that could only last for 40 seconds of screen time. Such are the limitations of television.
Simon does a really good job at relaying events, both the facts and the emotions too. He is also good at weaving in political and environmental commentary, and he has always struck me as being probably the best documentary maker at getting straight at the heart of issues which affect regions. It always feels that he comes from a very balanced, insightful perspective, and that came through once again in this book. There are so many stories from this book I could quote, and list all the inspiring, brave, and revolutionary people Simon encountered on his journeys. It was all endlessly fascinating.
Simon is also startingly - but in a welcome way since it is such a major topic - honest about the fertility challenges himself and Anya faced together. Their struggle to try and have a child was really quite moving, and you could feel just how much Simon needed a child. He's very open with his struggles with mental illness, and also the struggles and emotions he felt at such a difficult time in both their lives. I think it's really important, especially for men, to express these things - whether that's the grief that can come from trying and failing, but also male infertility, since infertility is often seen, culturally, as a woman's problem. Simon addresses the need for men to talk, and I commend him for it.
It is truly beautiful how much Simon loves his son. Was it a little preachy at times? Yes. Was that a massive problem? No, not really. I think he's earned the right. Do I think I'm ever going to be as spontaneous and as adventurous as Simon wishes us to be? Probably not, but maybe in my own way.
This was my third Simon Reeve book, and I immensely enjoyed it. It felt like a fusion between the more strictly autobiographical Step by Step , and the solely travel focused Tropic of Capricorn. I'm seeing Simon on his tour in November, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the tour interacts with the book!
April 27, 2022
Simon Reeve is the new and improved Michael Palin! This book taught me so much:
Wistman’s wood in Dartmoor - a place to visit
Borneo: Dayak people; highest biodiversity on the planet; deforestation dominos effect (drilling for oil/gold, loggers exploit abandoned new roads to chop down trees for wood, farmers exploit deforested land to grow palm oil)
Colombia: war between military & FARC resulted in human misery, exacerbated by drug cartels (“When 2 elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers”)
Istanbul: Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia
Ubari Lakes in Libyan desert
Bhopal disaster - area never cleaned
Civil war in West Bengal (Maoist insurgence)
Dubai Oman contrast
Bangladesh at climate change frontline due to low land
Jhum slash and burn practice in India
Burma/Myanmar human rights abuses & government abandonment of village people
Laos developed into an LA in the jungle by China - wildlife & human rights abuses. Littered with bombs from Vietnam war
Bear abuse in Vietnam - saddest part of the book
Hawai: extinction capital; plastic beach
Tourism in Durban causes much killing of marine life due to efforts to keep sharks away from swimmers
Women used to give birth vertically (using gravity to help them) until male doctors changed the practice for their own comfort
Prawn fishing accounts for a third of bycatch
Wistman’s wood in Dartmoor - a place to visit
Borneo: Dayak people; highest biodiversity on the planet; deforestation dominos effect (drilling for oil/gold, loggers exploit abandoned new roads to chop down trees for wood, farmers exploit deforested land to grow palm oil)
Colombia: war between military & FARC resulted in human misery, exacerbated by drug cartels (“When 2 elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers”)
Istanbul: Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia
Ubari Lakes in Libyan desert
Bhopal disaster - area never cleaned
Civil war in West Bengal (Maoist insurgence)
Dubai Oman contrast
Bangladesh at climate change frontline due to low land
Jhum slash and burn practice in India
Burma/Myanmar human rights abuses & government abandonment of village people
Laos developed into an LA in the jungle by China - wildlife & human rights abuses. Littered with bombs from Vietnam war
Bear abuse in Vietnam - saddest part of the book
Hawai: extinction capital; plastic beach
Tourism in Durban causes much killing of marine life due to efforts to keep sharks away from swimmers
Women used to give birth vertically (using gravity to help them) until male doctors changed the practice for their own comfort
Prawn fishing accounts for a third of bycatch
August 28, 2023
I'm a fairly big fan of Simon Reeve's work. His TV programmes have been excellent and I was massively impressed by his previous book. This one follows on from that. It covers some of his programme making and parts/scenes were often familiar because of that however it adds to the background of the places too. The parts that are not about his travels are often person or extremely personal! I find his openness and honesty both appealing and rare. His philosophy (parts at least) come over powerfully and clearly. He is a committed environmentalist who probably understand many of the issues rather better than some who comment on them.
All in all this makes for an excellent autobiographical read to me. 4.5/5
All in all this makes for an excellent autobiographical read to me. 4.5/5
April 2, 2022
This is the follow on book from Step by Step by Simon Reeve. Again there are stories of his travels to far flung places across the globe and the fascinating array of people and adventures he encounters along the way. But the 'journeys' in this book are personal ones too especially dealing with he and his wife's struggle to achieve their desire to have a child. Simon Reeve writes very much as he speaks - I can almost hear him when I am reading his books. Not always an easy or uplifting read - some the places in the world he has visited that are on the brink of ecological suicide make for quite depressing reading. But despite that this is a fascinating read from beginning to end.
March 4, 2024
~ Journeys to Impossible Places by Simon Reeve ~
I read about a third of this one before I decided to stop. I just struggled to read him.
Don't get me wrong, I love Simon Reeve -
I am addicted to his TV programs, and I really enjoyed the talk I went to see last autumn!
The book is fascinating, and he talks about a wide range of topics from his private life as well as his travels: culture, politics, life in general in lost places!
While not the book for me, I would still recommend it as he has a unique perspective on the world and interesting reflections to read.
You never know, I could pick this up again in a few weeks and love it...
I read about a third of this one before I decided to stop. I just struggled to read him.
Don't get me wrong, I love Simon Reeve -
I am addicted to his TV programs, and I really enjoyed the talk I went to see last autumn!
The book is fascinating, and he talks about a wide range of topics from his private life as well as his travels: culture, politics, life in general in lost places!
While not the book for me, I would still recommend it as he has a unique perspective on the world and interesting reflections to read.
You never know, I could pick this up again in a few weeks and love it...
February 16, 2023
A fantastic account of some of the journeys Simon has gone through, both in travelling and in life. The book provokes thought in every chapter - whether about the tragedies of environmental destruction, poverty, the core traits of human kindness that permeate cultural barriers, or the importance of family, friendship and experiences. Simon presents reasons through his experiences to be both fearful and hopeful for the future of our planet and ourselves. I had goosebumps whilst reading the final chapter, something no other book has done to me. A brilliant read.
May 5, 2023
This book is a heartwarming read. For me, it felt very open and honest as well as being extremely interesting and a great accompaniment to Simon’s TV series. I found it a privilege to be ‘travelling’ alongside Simon on his various journeys, both at home and abroad. Clearly Simon is a deep thinker with great humanity and the rare ability to connect with people from hugely differing backgrounds. The book was written during the pandemic lockdown and shows a great use of time by a traveller unable to travel.
March 9, 2024
I was into Simon Reeve's travel documentaries during the Covid lockdown. Not only did he take you to places one wouldn't dream of, but there was always an honest, non touristy side to what he showed in his discoveries. A very likable guy, this book too is sincere, uplifting, perhaps better than any self-help book, and gives a glimpse of the incredible places he has had a chance to go to! Watching his documentaries, I envied him thinking what a life! But reading this takes you behind the scenes, and I am in awe and respect for what he does.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews