Buying a present for someone who travels is not an easy job. Gifts for travellers tend to have to be light, portable and above all useful.
To save you some time, and maybe some money, I’ve created this list of gift ideas for the traveller or would-be travellers, ideal for Christmas, birthdays or just general gifts.
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The Osprey Farpoint 40 Backpack is the ideal 40l carry-on rucksack for travelling. Fits in overhead lockers and is the right size for Easyjet, Ryanair and most budget airlines, but big enough to take you from a weekend to 3 weeks!
We used these for our 3-week trip road around Bali and I packed all I needed and had room to spare! I particularly liked that is had 3 handles (top, side and an over the shoulder) as well as fold away adjustable shoulder straps and waist and compression straps to keep everything tightly in and with padding for laptops and iPads as well as many pockets for all your little extras. Check them out on Amazon
What better than buying a case designed by one of the best Travel Bloggers, Monica Stott of The Travel Hack? Monica has designed the case to have a generous 28 litres capacity in the main compartment, but still be 55 x 40 x 20cm suitable as a carry-on for over 20 of the major airlines. There is a toiletries pocket, internal document pocket, a padded slot for your laptop and a compartment for your handbag.
Stylish with a pink lining, it is a must for chic travellers! Buy yours on Amazon
One of the all-time most useful travel items I have bought is this Osprey Ultralight Stuff Rucksack. It folds away into a small pack which I can pop in my handbag, or hang from my rucksack. Excellent for a day’s hiking, a trip to the shops.
Made with Deluxe AirMesh harness for comfortable carrying, it has a zippered panel access and stash pocket and packs into its own carry case. There is a stretch mesh side pocket for water bottle and an internal security pocket. Really light at only 0.09 kg. Get it from Amazon Here
Take the stress out of having to rake through clothes to find what you want. With these packing cubes, you can keep things together and although they look way to small to fit everything in, they are perfect for packing/unpacking a rucksack when you are moving around. Essential for any traveller. Check them out on Amazon.
Made from cotton cashmere, these gorgeous ponchos from The Jambo Collection, come in 10 different reversible colours combinations. Perfect for travelling as they are light, but keep you cosy on chilly nights and chilly flights. Dress it up or dress it down, it over jeans, skirts or leggings, a great addition for a traveller’s . My favourite is the Clean Denim/Duckegg combination! Have a look and see which is your favourite.
Not the most elegant of items, but compression socks are excellent at reducing swelling of your feet while you are on a plane for a long journey, or even on road trips. They now come in other colours than just the standard black – Check these pink ones out!
If you are looking for super comfortable shoes for walking or hiking when the weather is warmer and walking shoes or boots are too heavy and hot to wear. They come in lots of cool colours – which is your favourite? Have a look on Amazon.
Knitted in 100% pure high-quality cashmere, these beautiful luxury travel wraps from Willow Cashmere come in 20 delicious colours, from Bubblegum Pink, below, to Lime, Hyacinth and more neutral Ivory, Taupe or Denim. Wrap yourself up in one while travelling or nestle down in one at home, the generous 200 x 110cm size is the perfect size. It is machine washable too, which makes it ideal for travellers. Have a look at them on Willow Cashmere.
Travel Essentials
International Travel Plug Adaptor
Life would be so much easier if every country had the same plugs and wall sockets!! So when you are jumping from one country or continent to another, pack an international multi-plug adapter or two as there always seem to have something to charge. These international travel plugs are a great gift for international travellers, as you can slide the prongs in our out depending on which country you are in and four USB ports for your devices.
When Alan bought me my chilly bottle, I have to admit I was a bit sceptical, how could this metal bottle keep my water chilled for 24 hours, even while the outside temperature soars??
After travelling in Bali for the 3 weeks, it has been an absolute godsend, no more lukewarm slugs of water from an environmentally-unfriendly plastic bottle, but chilled, clean, tasty water from a rugged (yes we have dropped ours several times) cool looking flask. Check out all the different colours on Amazon
Although we love our Chilly Bottles, sometimes weight and size are a determining factor. These refillable Foldable Water Bottles from Hydramate come with a safety lid, a water viewing window and a carabiner clip. They fold up into next to nothing and, are of course, an environmentally friendly way to carry water. Have a look on Amazon
When I travel I carry two microfibre towels with me, a mini one attached to my rucksack and a bigger one tucked up inside. Always on hand to mop brows – either waterlogged or sweaty! Super absorbent but also quick drying and these ones come with a handy pouch! Check them out on Amazon!
We tend to do a lot of snorkelling, canoeing and other water-based activities, and to keep our plethora of phones, cameras, money etc dry we use one of Osprey Dry Sacks which are fully waterproof and perfect for keeping things safe and dry.
Incognito
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If you are like me and don’t like to apply nasty chemicals to your skin to kill mosquitos, try using Incognito. It is 100% natural, completely deet free, and non-greasy. If you are travelling hand-luggage only, it comes in a handy 100ml bottle. Have a look on Amazon.
Now I know some of you will laugh, but I take a pack of hairbands with me wherever I go, not just to put my hair up in a ponytail, but they have so many other uses:
we attach them to our hold luggage to identify them (pink for me and blue for Alan)
we are often given loose keys for accommodation or motor scooters etc, so we slip one of these on and then they can go on our wrist, so we don’t lose them
keeping leads together
larger ones can go around the bottom of long trousers to keep insects out
Sadly we all have to be vigilant and opportunist thieves abound, but the Pacsafe is a convenient portable safe which can be locked to a secure fixture to protect your valuables. It has a 3-dial combination lock and can fit up to a 10-inch tablet, camera, jewellery, wallet and other small items. It is water resistant and folds flat when not in use. Check it out on Amazon.
This great little camera is light enough to carry around with you, but with the 60x zoom you can capture the most exquisite detail of distant wildlife and ultra-wide landscapes. Perfect camera for travelling, buy from Amazon.
An essential bit of kit for any adventurer with casings that let you film underwater and attachments that secure it to a motor or ski helmet, a great gift for any travellers. The camera is waterproof to 10m without housing or use the Capture app to live stream. Buy one on Amazon.
This cute little Polaroid camera is a blast from the past. Now pocket-sized and with the latest technology, the camera gives you instant photos at the press of a button as well as saving your images for uploading later. Great for those spontaneous shots on the road with new friends, parties, and postcards home. Buy online from Amazon and don’t forget extra paper!
I love using my selfie stick, but sometimes I want a smoother video and with its internal gimbal, the SMOVE is perfect for the job. It can also give you automated 360 degree panorama shots, auto face follow, 1/4″ mount, easily portable, fits in your pocket.The SMOVE is the only smartphone stabilizer that comes with a charger for your phone. The SMOVE PRO 3-axis stabilizer supports both smartphones and all GoPro models and action cameras.
Most travellers use cameras, some use GoPros and others use drones, and all the information is stored on SD cards. It is always useful to have more than one card, as just as you get ready to take that photo of the phenomenal sunrise, the card flashes up as full! Be your travellers best friend and buy them a spare!
With multiple SD cards for drones, GoPros and cameras, having a place to store all the tiny cards is vital for a traveller. Choose a cardholder that is shock, crush, water and corrosion proof to protect your files. This high-quality aluminium one holds up to 8 cards in a clam-shell, tough case for maximum protection.
A WIFI connection seems to be imperative for most travellers nowadays, but with free wifi comes risks. Most of us leave ourselves open to having our data hacked when we connect to the free wifi available in coffee bars, restaurants and lodgings. Using a VPN is essential to protect yourself and an ideal gift idea for digital nomads, business travellers, or anyone who uses free wifi hotspots.
A VPN allows you to use the free wifi but in a safe and secure way so no one can hack into your personal information.
Also, some sites are blocked in other countries and a VPN will allow you to access your these sites and even stream your favourite movies and programmes on Netflix. Definitely one of the best gifts for travellers!
Turn that heap of tangled leads, chargers, USB sticks and adapters into perfect order with this great travel gear organiser case from BUBM. With two zipped layers for separating everything out and keeping them in secure together. Featuring 10 elastic rings and 5 small net bag on the top laver and 2 mesh bag and a velcroed pocket on the other, big enough to pop your iPad or tablet in. Perfect for the disorganised traveller.
As I work full-time and take my work with me wherever I travel, I carry my MacBook Pro laptop with me wherever I go. It is the ideal machine for blogging, photo editing and web work I need, but still light enough to carry about with me. Have a look on Amazon.
This fab little speaker goes everywhere with us. It connects easily with up to eight Bluetooth devices and provides 360 degrees surround sound for a rich, crisp and powerful sound. It is also a waterproof speaker can be immersed in water up to 1 m for 30 minutes. Check them out on Amazon.
Available in 1, 2, 4 or 5TB these slim external drives are a godsend, light enough to slip in your bag and working with a USB they make backing up our photos, files and documents so easy. See what is available on Amazon.
With phones, cameras, iPads, Kindles, tablets and chargers all needing charging, this handy 4 Port USB Charger helps immensely. It comes with easy to fit travel adaptors for the UK, EU & US, perfect for wherever you are in the world. Have a look on Amazon.
A perfect way to celebrate travelling as a couple, this leather Luggage Tag can be personalised with your very own names and date and available in 3 colours, Saddle Tan, Whisky Tan or Natural Tan. Don’t forget leather is the 3rd-year-anniversary gift!
Surprise the traveller in your life with a personalised photo album with the country they have visited designed out of up to 30 words from their personal journey, could be a country or an entire continent. Available in 3 sizes – A5 – 210mm x 150mm. A4 – 297mm x 210mm. A3 – 420mm x 297mm. Check them out on Amazon!
Do you have a favourite city? Have it turned into a piece of art with a map print illustrating the geography and patterns of the great city. This bold print will fit your decor, for home or office. These modern clean line maps illustrate the beauty that results from city buildings. Printed on high-quality 200g/m2 paper and comes without the frame. If you cannot find the city you want, you can ask for it to be created for you, without extra cost. See the other cities available on Amazon!
It is always interesting to look back on where you have been in the world and this travel size scratchable map will make a great present for the globetrotter or just to inspire someone to journey further! Have a look on Amazon.
Travel Guides
One of the first things I do when I know we are planning to visit a new place, or even revisiting an old one, is to buy a Lonely Planet guide either in book form or on my Kindle App. I don’t follow the guides religiously, but the just to give me a flavour of the place and I use them as they are intended, a guide. Buy them on Amazon.
I am trying to get into the habit of writing a travel journal wherever I go so that I have something to look back on in years to come and to help with my blogging. This beautiful blue leather one, on Amazon, with refillable pages is ideal for any traveller to record their thoughts.
I love Neal’s Yard Remedy Organic products and the Rehydrating Rose Facial Polish is one of my favourites. Antioxidant milk thistle and aloe vera combined with gently exfoliating wild rose seed powder to leave skin smooth, enriched and revitalised, great for cleaning off the grime of travelling! It comes in a handy 100g tube which is perfect for hand luggage only. Buy online here
Another firm favourite of mine is the Neal’s Yard Remedy Organic Pumice Foot Scrub which soothes and smooths my feet after a long day walking or hiking or just for a quick pampering. The peach seed and pumice exfoliate while the softening mallow and cleansing ginger mint freshen and smooth my tootsies to perfection. I highly recommend it for travellers. Buy online here
Travelling can be stressful, but a roll or two of the Neal’s Yard Remedy Travel Remedies to Roll, eases all the stresses and strains. The blend of rosemary, lavender, frankincense, bergamot, neroli and clary sage pure essential oils rolled over pulse points are as a quick restorative during periods of travel. Buy online here
Now available for iPhone and Android, Fog of the World app is a real-life game that you need to remove the fog on the map by exploring the world. It’s a fantastic way to visualize everywhere you have been in your entire life.
If you still can’t think of the best travel gifts to buy, why not get an Amazon eGift Card and let them choose something themselves!
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Larch Gauld
Larch has a base in Scotland, from where she set off on her travels around the world. Now semi-nomadic, she combines her website design business and her drone flying with exploring the world. Her passion for travel aims to inspire over 40s to explore new destinations and expand their horizons.
