Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
$7.99 with 38 percent savings
Print List Price: $12.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Mary Hollendoner
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Monkeys on the Road: One family's vanlife adventure from the USA to South America in search of a simpler life Kindle Edition

by Mary Hollendoner (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 1,168 ratings
Thirty thousand miles driving from the USA to South America with a 6-year-old kid in a camper van. Will they make it?

After a decade in the corporate rat race, Mary was ready for a change. Too much stress and not enough time with her family left her feeling that her priorities were all wrong.

So she and her husband hatched a crazy plan to change their lives...

They quit their jobs.

They pulled their six-year-old daughter out of school.

And they moved into an old camper van to attempt a drive to the southernmost tip of the world!

What followed were three-and-a-half years of heartwarming personal encounters, breathtaking wilderness campsites, and occasionally terrifying situations...

Surrounded by an angry mob in Mexico, threatened by exploding batteries in Colombia, caught up in a political revolution in Bolivia - they grew closer as a family as they navigated through adversity. But what stuck with them the most was the endless generosity of the local people, from whom they learned invaluable lessons about happiness and priorities.

Will they survive whale sharks, police searches, and volunteering in local schools? What happens when COVID hits?

Find out in this heartwarming read about a family trying to find their place in the world.

Get it now in ebook, paperback or hardback. Free if you’re in Kindle Unlimited!

FIRST PLACE in the International Book Awards for Travel
FIRST PLACE in BookFest Awards for Travel
Silver medal from READERS' FAVORITE in Travel, and awarded a 5-star review
Second place in the INDIES TODAY Awards for memoirs
Semi-Finalist in the KINDLE BOOK Awards for Non-Fiction
Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    November 28, 2021
  5. File size
    15.6 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details
Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download

Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
iphone with kindle app
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.

Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.

View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.

Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.

Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Get the free Kindle app: Link to the kindle app page Link to the kindle app page
Enjoy a great reading experience when you borrow the Kindle edition of this book with your Kindle Unlimited membership. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.

From the Publisher

Map of route from North to South America
Map of route from North to South America
Map of route from North to South America

Editorial Reviews

Review

FIRST PLACE in the International Book Awards for Travel

FIRST PLACE in BookFest Awards for Travel

Silver medal from READERS' FAVORITE in Travel

Second place in the INDIES TODAY Awards for memoirs

Semi-Finalist in the KINDLE BOOK awards for Non-Fiction


"fun, funny, heartwarming, heart-pounding--a rollercoaster ride in a van" - 5-star review from Readers Favorite

"This fascinating record of a family journey pulled the reader along from exciting episode to exciting episode. ... The author has a flair for sharing human connections made along the way. ... This book is exemplary in production quality and writing style. Very well written." - Writer's Digest

"Hollendoner writes with crisp prose that will easily grasp the reader's attention. She utilizes humor exceptionally well, and her style is comfortably familiar... Hollendoner lands a perfect balance between tension and exploration in her writing." - The BookLife Prize

"...a feel-good family road trip memoir full of nail-biting adventures, that also weaves in educational snippets about local history and exotic animal encounters, commentary on cultural differences, and realizations about happiness." - #1 bestselling Travel and Memoir author, Tony James Slater

"I really loved this book. Very inspirational, a great adventure. It's fast-moving, and very informative. You feel like you're journeying with them. Not just a 'we went here, we went there' -plenty of adventures and unpredictable happenings along the way. So well-observed, and beautifully described. There's masses of information, it really is a joy to read." - 5-star review from Amazon Top 500 Reviewer, Julie Haigh

"As they travel through unexplored and touristy places in the South American countries, Mary shares their beautiful experiences in an intimate, witty, and friendly account." - The Sunday Book Club

"Unique experiences at every turn! The book is very well put together: the various stories are fascinating and well chosen... the entire book is intriguing." - Chill with a Book Awards, Book of the Month

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09M8YD3CQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sawmill Mountain Publishing
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 28, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 15.6 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 1,168 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Mary Hollendoner

Mary Hollendoner

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Mary is passionate about travel and the outdoors. Originally from England, she moved to California for its rock climbing and sunshine, worked a season on the Yosemite Search and Rescue team, but then ended up climbing the corporate ladder at Google for a decade to fund her travel obsession.

She has bicycled across Central America, motorcycled across Mexico, driven the length of Australia, and backpacked around Europe, S.E. Asia, and Africa – all as a prelude to the epic drive through the Americas that is the subject of this book.

She’s written for travel, climbing, and retirement magazines, and this is her first foray into a full-length book.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
1,168 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find this travel memoir engaging and well-written, providing a wonderful glimpse into different lives and cultures. Moreover, the book serves as an excellent travel memoir, capturing the highs and lows of the journey, and customers appreciate the heartwarming interactions with strangers throughout the adventure.

Select to learn more

ReadabilityInsightAdventure storyWriting styleTravel valuePacing
100 customers mention "Readability"100 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable and engaging, describing it as a delightful and inspiring adventure.

"Great book for those of us who always wanted to do something different but were afraid to take the leap of faith and go for it...." Read more

"...The author did a wonderful job of illustrating how rewarding a life with less can be...." Read more

"Hello. This a cute story of a family's hike on the AT. It was interesting to read about an entire family backpacking together...." Read more

"...No boring bits :) Part of me wants to use this as an inspirational travel checklist, and it certainly is that...." Read more

59 customers mention "Insight"59 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, providing wonderful glimpses into different lives and cultures while making readers think about life and offering new perspectives.

"...The author did a wonderful job of illustrating how rewarding a life with less can be...." Read more

"...Part of me wants to use this as an inspirational travel checklist, and it certainly is that...." Read more

"...Through the book, I got to swim off the Baja, explore high altitude regions of South America, and meet lovely people from Mexico to Argentina...." Read more

"...When I picked this book up, I couldn’t put it down. It pulled me in, and I felt as if I were traveling along with them...." Read more

40 customers mention "Adventure story"40 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy this adventure story, describing it as a great cultural family travel book and armchair adventure, with one customer noting it as a heartfelt account of a long journey.

"...multi-year multi-country adventure, and there are plenty: both heart-warming and occasionally scary. No boring bits :)..." Read more

"“Monkeys on the Road” is a fascinating story of a young family’s journey in a camper van from California to Argentina...." Read more

"...It is fascinating to see the growth and change in the family...." Read more

"...I enjoyed every moment of it. Your detailed and emotional depiction of life changing events, wether good, bad or just plain ugly (Payulo) is just..." Read more

35 customers mention "Writing style"32 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, finding it well written and easy to read, with one customer noting it is written at a third-grade reading level.

"...This one was very well written. Lots of detail where it mattered most...." Read more

"A very well written, fun, and fascinating account of a family’s three years of traveling through Latin America...." Read more

"This book is a well written and honest view into long term travel van life...." Read more

"...This book isn’t that because it’s engaging thoughtful and well edited. Read it and laugh or read it and learn about driving Latin America...." Read more

22 customers mention "Travel value"22 positive0 negative

Customers praise this travel memoir for its wonderful unpredictability and authentic portrayal of real people on the road, with one customer noting how it captures both the highs and lows of the experience.

"...Highly recommend for both armchair travelers and those looking to embark on a great adventure of their own." Read more

"...This book covers 3.5 years and shows the highs and lows of traveling. I appreciated that the author noted dates for each country...." Read more

"...I like that she is honest about the ups and downs of the wonderful unpredictability of travel...." Read more

"Great travel memoir. Engaging and interesting." Read more

20 customers mention "Pacing"20 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing, noting the heartwarming interactions with strangers and experiences of human kindness throughout the journey.

"...find interesting people you can just turn up and be super friendly with whoever you encounter...." Read more

"...explore high altitude regions of South America, and meet lovely people from Mexico to Argentina...." Read more

"...They also make instant connections with hospitable humans who welcome them into their homes and generously share what little they have with the..." Read more

"...Her story is a reminder that there are kind and generous people out there, beautiful and vast spaces to explore, and adventures to be had...." Read more

Missing pages REVIED BEST DAY EVER!
5 out of 5 stars
Missing pages REVIED BEST DAY EVER!
I bought this book in April 2022, and I am just getting around to my summer reading list. I opened the book to find it is missing the first 10 pages of the story!! So disappointed that I didn’t open it and inspect the book sooner. :-(( I am past the return/refund/replacement window. Kinda p*sses me off. UPDATED REVIEW: Amazon did not reach out to correct my defective copy of this book. BUT the author personally sent a complete copy to correct Amazon’s printing error. AND SHE AUTOGRAPHED IT!!
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • William Huguley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Follow your dream
    Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Great book for those of us who always wanted to do something different but were afraid to take the leap of faith and go for it. I have mentioned this book several times while reading it and hope that some of my family goes for their dream.
    Helpful
     Report
  • masreview
    5.0 out of 5 stars This rich, adventure-filled read was hard to put down.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I had a hard time putting this book down. The way this family embraced living in and traveling through various cultures from Mexico all the way to Argentina was wildly inspiring. The author did a wonderful job of illustrating how rewarding a life with less can be. Highly recommend for both armchair travelers and those looking to embark on a great adventure of their own.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Ana Calzadilla
    4.0 out of 5 stars Cute Story of Family Hiking AT
    Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Hello.
    This a cute story of a family's hike on the AT.
    It was interesting to read about an entire family backpacking together.

    Thank you to the author for providing this narrative of a family's experience on a long distance trail.
    Helpful
     Report
  • G
    5.0 out of 5 stars Heart-warming and at times scary tales from an adventurous family
    Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Mary and John did what for many people is only ever a dream: opting out of careers in tech for #vanlife and a multi-year adventure from Yosemite to Patagonia with their 6-yr old daughter.

    This is different from many of the other adventure memoirs I've read that tend to be feats of strength or endurance: riding bikes across a continent etc. Those accounts often have to convey tales of brutal monotony and courage in the face of weeks of grinding hardship in a way that somehow manages to be interesting. Here Mary gets to pick only the most fascinating parts of a huge multi-year multi-country adventure, and there are plenty: both heart-warming and occasionally scary. No boring bits :)

    Part of me wants to use this as an inspirational travel checklist, and it certainly is that. Assuming of course that you can handle the most off-the-beaten-track version of travel where there are no guides, very few plans, and generally a great willingness to follow what may or may not be a passable road over the well-traveled routes.

    But what really stands out is not the sights. Mary reaches a point that I've occasionally got to in travelling where you don't really care about more cities, or rocks, or ruins, or gorges, or rivers, or whatever, and just want to hang out with cool people. And what I totally believe from this book and my own travelling experience is that to find interesting people you can just turn up and be super friendly with whoever you encounter. It's also true that the people with the least will give the most and find joy in the giving: time, food, shelter, love.

    Other things I learned about traveling overland in Central and South America: borders with a vehicle can be crazy stressful and complicated, it's essential to have good Spanish, and you'd better be a mechanic. Oh, and a global pandemic will constantly redefine what you thought your travel experience was going to be.

    Loved it!
    5 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Talie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Journey
    Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    “Monkeys on the Road” is a fascinating story of a young family’s journey in a camper van from California to Argentina. Author, Mary Hollendoner, tells the story of their years long trip. She relays what it was like to travel with her husband John and their daughter Lilly, who was six when their Odyssey began. The family sought remote places using dirt roads. Mary paints word pictures of the scenery and introduces us to local people the family met along the way. I loved reading this book and felt like I was on the adventure with the Hollendoners. Through the book, I got to swim off the Baja, explore high altitude regions of South America, and meet lovely people from Mexico to Argentina. If you like travel and are intellectually curious, you will love this book.
    Helpful
     Report
  • S. Raymond
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Magical Journey through Mexico, Central and South America
    Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Rock climbers Mary, John, and their six-year-old daughter Lily, anxious to leave their stress-filled life behind, decide to quit their jobs and head off on a journey through Mexico, Central America, and finally the vastness of South America. As they near their departure date, Mexico is experiencing unprecedented murderous violence, hurricanes, and finally a record-shattering earthquake. Should they stay in the safety of the U.S. or head off on their adventure?

    John turns the key, starts their beloved van, and off they go on their epic journey through multiple countries and cultures so different from each other and their own. From camping on beaches in Baja California, sleeping on a village’s plaza, rock climbing in the Andes, and visiting off-the-beaten-path Incan ruins, Mary’s writing draws the reader into the epic adventure.

    Planning to be gone for one year, their trip extends to three years. They encounter animals such as a tiny mouse making its home in their van, howler monkeys, bats, and whale sharks. They also make instant connections with hospitable humans who welcome them into their homes and generously share what little they have with the family. While they travel on their odyssey, they meet refugees from political and social unrest on another sort of journey altogether. Then, they are faced with the terrible reality of the Covid epidemic and must choose whether to stay in place or return home.

    When I picked this book up, I couldn’t put it down. It pulled me in, and I felt as if I were traveling along with them. It is fascinating to see the growth and change in the family. It is intriguing to visit the exotic locales that are somehow so near yet so far away from this American reader. I can’t wait for the next installment to find out what adventures they have next!
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Mollymax
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing adventure
    Reviewed in Australia on May 1, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Very enjoyable read of a family travelling in their campervan.
    Report
  • Jon Rankin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, must read
    Reviewed in France on September 8, 2022
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Its a well written and informative book. I loved it.
    Report
  • Sven Kockmann
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unterhaltsam, Kurzweilig, Informativ
    Reviewed in Germany on May 28, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Ich habe dieses Buch für die Vorbereitung auf eine Panamerikareise gelesen. Ich habe dabei sehr viel gelernt und kann mir jetzt besser vorstellen wie diese Reise sein wird. Mary schreibt sehr unterhaltsam.
    Report
  • Atalaya
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Captivating Journey into Latin America!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    As a Peruvian expatriate residing in London, I found myself irresistibly drawn to the vivid portrayal of my home country in this book. The author's evocative narration of the Peruvian landscape is imbued with such striking realism that it instantly transported me back to my roots. It was an overwhelming experience, akin to being home again after a long while.
    I wholeheartedly recommend this book not only to those who have a penchant for travel and adventure narratives but also to anyone seeking to gain an in-depth understanding of Latin-American culture and geography. Happy reading!
    Customer image
    Atalaya
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    A Captivating Journey into Latin America!

    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2023
    As a Peruvian expatriate residing in London, I found myself irresistibly drawn to the vivid portrayal of my home country in this book. The author's evocative narration of the Peruvian landscape is imbued with such striking realism that it instantly transported me back to my roots. It was an overwhelming experience, akin to being home again after a long while.
    I wholeheartedly recommend this book not only to those who have a penchant for travel and adventure narratives but also to anyone seeking to gain an in-depth understanding of Latin-American culture and geography. Happy reading!
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    Report
  • KLH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great family adventure.
    Reviewed in Canada on February 20, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Mary Hollendoner has written a book that delves into the ins and outs of adventure travel with her husband and their young daughter. It is a lovely book, that captures the essence of living day to day, traveling with a larger goal in mind, but being open to what each day offers. This is a good family read, especially if you read it out loud to your younger children. Having travelled much of the same route, 20 - 40 years ago, it brought back many fond memories of the people we met and the adventures we had. I am looking forward to more from this talented young woman writer and adventurer.
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report