In 1594, the first Dutch ships sailes to 'the East'. Throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, almost five thousand ships were sent to the Dutch East Indies, attracting a growing number of travellers, with trade as one of the major incentives. In addition to Dutch missionary ambitions, progress and technological innovations not only fed the growing hunger for expansion, but also stirred an appetite for adventure. The hope for a life in welfare is mirrored in the growing numbers of passengers travelling 'East' in the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentienth century. At the same time, Javanese travellers started to explore their homeland as well. Travelling the Dutch East Indies not only offers a diverse picture of travel and a critical perspective on the colonial ideaology with which it is associated, but also shows how the collections of Leiden University Libraries can serve as a rich source for all kinds of historical research.