"I wish I could travel for pleasure, " says the author of such scenic blockbusters as "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons, " in which secrets and suspense are combined with a guided tour of Italy and other stops in Western Europe.

WSJ: Dan Brown returns to Europe for 'Inferno'

FlyerTalk is an online forum for people who travel for business or pleasure, many of them mileage junkies, to share strategies to score tickets, upgrades, lounge access and other perks.

WSJ: Flying With the Ultimate Travel Junkies

Now as more Chinese people travel for business and for pleasure, these types of hotels are becoming commonplace in modernized China.

FORBES: The Rise of China's Budget Hotels

Up to 6 million Chinese are expected to travel abroad this year for business or pleasure--many for the first time--up from 5.3 million in 1997 and 2.8 million in 1992.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Travel Watch

For an industry that typically views travel as either business- or pleasure-related, the news comes as a surprise.

BBC: Is your vacation an obligation?

For Theroux, the Lake Victoria crossing embodied the simple pleasure of independent travel.

BBC: Africa��s path less sailed

There are certainly worse places to visit, either for business or pleasure, and few cities from where it is so easy to travel anywhere in Europe in a few hours by virtually any method you choose.

WSJ: Travel: Vienna: a Gem at the Heart of Europe

The State Department issues a Travel Warning for any country it deems particularly volatile, and recommends that anyone traveling overseas, whether for business or pleasure, register with them first.

FORBES: Most Dangerous Destinations 2006