Christmas is just around the corner and you might still be struggling with gift hunting for all those road-trippers, globetrotters and travel companions in your life… or even for yourself! ?

You can also use one (or two) below suggestions to give others an idea about what should be wrapped under the Christmas tree marked with your name.

Saying so, it’s far from that I would like to encourage you to give material things without a meaning as a gift. Actually right the opposite.

Some gifts will encourage travelling and some will make travelling easier. This means these are ideas for giving a part of an adventure.

So here are a few things that – in my opinion – make the best gift option for every traveller and explorer. Beside an air-plane ticket, of course ?

1. Passport Cover

“The little book of big adventures” is one of the most important documents, so it is wise to protect it when you are off to see the world.

When I was travelling in Asia, it often happened, that hotel returned dirty or wet passport to me. If your passport gets damaged, you will have to request a new one, as you will not be permitted to use the damaged one.

I am sure that it’s not in traveller’s plan to fill the pages of passport and throw it away… but to keep it in a good condition as a souvenir to great travels ?

Passport cover can be very nice gift, especially, if you add a personal touch and create a cover with a special meaning.

2. Reusable shopper

Multipurpose bags or shoppers always come in handy and you can never have too much of them.

I try to put things I buy in a reusable bag as many times as I can. A shopper can be found in my purse, car and backpack all the time.

Imagine souvenir shopping in one of Asia’s night markets – you get a plastic bag for each item you buy and you end up with tons of one-time ‘baggies’.

Not only while travelling, but also at home, you get a plastic bag for every little thing you buy.

So by giving a personalised shopper as a gift, you are not only showing your effort and invested time for thinking the gift through, but doing something good for the environment as well.

P.S.: Some of the shoppers are so cute, you can use them instead of a purse for a coffee date ?

3. Travel Guide

I never take a long trip without a Lonely Planet travel guide. It does not only help with planning and when you have no WiFi access, but it serves as a travel diary as well. I agree – we are living in a digital world, were actual books are less popular…

But taking a book and do some late night reading and planning for the upcoming journey or just to bring back memories of your recent trip cannot compare to online browsing. An actual, paper book is just so much better. Call me old-school, but that’s what I really like ?

So, in my opinion, you cannot miss with a gift like this ?

P.S.: I highly recommend using Book Depository that offers free worldwide shipping and a wide range of books (not just travel guides).

4. Chipolo Plus

My personal phone is set to silent mode most of the time, so that incoming emails or messages don’t disturb me in the office. Unfortunately I don’t remember to turn the sound on again when leaving the office, meaning, I cannot track my phone, when I misplace it (happens often…).
Chipolo is a Bluetooth tracker that finds anything in seconds. By double pressing this smart key ring will make your phone ring – even if it’s on silent.
It can be used for searching on everyday items and – of course – when travelling. Don’t loose your phone, wallet or passport ever again 😉

5. Microfiber towel

Small, absorbent and quick-dry towel is a must on every trip I take. Similar to a scarf, this piece of fabric has a multipurpose use.

Microfibre towel can be used of course for it’s primary purpose – wiping after taking the shower. But you can also take it on the beach or use it as a blanket on   an overnight bus from one side of Malaysia to the other. Most of buses in Asia are way too cold, so this gift might prevent you or gift recipient from “freezing” and granting a good night sleep. Clever, right? ?

P.S.: I recommend you to buy a towel in darker shade, so that stains won’t show that quick.

6. Travel bottles

More and more airlines tend to charge check in luggage and you are only allowed to carry small suitcase or backpack without extra payment. For more than 10 years now, you are only permitted to take small amount of liquids in your carry-on. It means you either need to buy your favourite products in travel packaging (which are usually expensive and only usable once), buy everything necessary at the final destination (which can be quite tricky, if you even find them) or you can also repack your daily products to smaller bottles.

Speaking of smaller bottles – you can never have too many of them at home, since not all are suitable for different types of liquids, gels or creams. A set of different travel bottles is always a great gift, especially for someone who tends to make short(er) trips.

P.S.: get a set, that is packed in a clear, 1 L bag – this will make security screening easier and quicker.

7. World map watch

Counting down the hours till next trip would be so much easier with a world map watch, wouldn’t it be? This piece of wrist jewellery is elegant and it carries world map on it’s face. Company producing the watches says, you show your love for our globe and add the magical touch to your wrist by wearing this gorgeous piece.

The suggested watch is a high-end one (at least from my Christmas-gift-budget point of view), so it might not be suitable for every pocket.

A very nice budget option available here: Etsy – world map wrist watch

8. World map umbrella

We usually use umbrella on grey, rainy days. Except you are a big fan of days like this, umbrella is of of the things, that can brighten up the day. Instead of looking at the sky covered with clouds, looking at the world can definitely be one of the options to turn the day for the better.

Besides, in hot, sunny days, it can serve as a beach umbrella too (I did use it for this purpose a few years ago on Koh Wai, Thailand ?).

I actually own an umbrella like this (stick version) – it was a souvenir to myself from Paris. One of the best gifts I have bought for myself while travelling ?

P.S.: a folding umbrella is perfect for travelling.

9. Travel diary

Beside passport, travel diary is a book that keeps the best stories and the most beautiful memories between it’s covers. Now, I am a fan of digitalisation, but reading a story from a notebook is much nicer then reading it from a tablet.

I was writing down memories since my very first trip. With every trip the diary got more detailed and more personal. I love going through the lines I wrote in the past years – it’s how I feed my travel carvings when I’m stuck at home ?

It’s one of the easiest gifts you can give yourself – but one of the precious ones too.

10. Space bags

Travelling with hand luggage is not always easy, especially when you are taking a bit longer trip. Saving space is crucial in this case.

A few years ago I came across space bags. But they were not the standard space bags, that need vacuum cleaner to work. They were special space bags, ideal for travelling – you squeeze the air out with rolling.

In addition, space bags are waterproof and smell-proof. They are also reusable and usually clear, so you can easily see, what is packed inside.

11. Power adapter

Travelling from one continent to another within the same trip can end up with an empty battery on your smart phone, caused by lack of power adapters.

All-in-one is my go-to solution, since you cover all types of plugs with only one adapter.

P.S.: top your gift off with power strip with standard outlets and USB ports. Because there are never enough plugs in hotels, hostels or Airbnbs ?

12. Scratch-off world map

This is one of the most promoted gifts for travellers, but I couldn’t skip it.

Scratch-off world map is for me a mix of two cool things – map of my favourite planet and a scratch-off lottery ticket ? Why? I love pinning, colouring and marking places I have created memories at already and scratching the golden or silver coat from a lottery ticket always makes me excited. The best thing from all? Suggested “ticket” is always a winning one – you always win new experience when scratching off a new country from the wold map ? Pure joy ☺️

13. Travel wallet

Imagine how many important documents you need to carry during the trip… Passport, health insurance and copy of plane tickets are just a few.

Saying that, it’s not always easy to keep important stuff organised.

I have been using a travel wallet like this for years now. I bought it for only a few bucks via eBay.com but it perfectly serves it’s purpose still today.

I easily keep all important things in there while travelling or when I’m at home too – that way I always know where to search for my little book of adventure ?

14. Noni juice

One of the most precious things we can “own” is health. Yes, I know, technically we cannot own health, but we can do a lot to keep it.

Travelling usually doesn’t make you feel rested in a physical way (unlike your mind ?), since we tend to push ourselves to a limit saying “I haven’t travelled half of the world to skip *insert-awsome-activity*, hell no!”.

Noni juice supports my immune system while I travel and it’s also conveniently packed in travel pouches, so I can keep it in hand luggage too.

15. Foldable travel bag

For a long time now my packing rule is “pack only as much as you can carry by yourself”. This results in packing light and travelling only with hand luggage, no matter the length of the trip. However, this doesn’t mean that I only have hand luggage also when I fly back home ?

Travelling light makes moving from one place to another effortless, but it’s not convenient, if you want to bring some souvenirs back home – especially not for bunch of people.

I use foldable travel bags all the time – not only when I am on vacation, backpacking on the other side of the world, but also when I travel to Belgium or Germany for business purposes. When I am there, I visit Primark quite often or buy gluten free things, which I cannot get at home. Since my hand luggage is already full with my clothes, shoes and other things, I need an extra bag to bring new goodies home. This is where the foldable bag in size of a book (when folded) comes in the game.

Thank you so much for reading my suggestions – I hope the list will give you an idea for a perfect gift.

Love,

Note I: This post contains some affiliate links. When you complete a purchase via my link, I earn a small commission that helps me keeping content fresh ?

Note II: Only photos of reusable shopper and None juice are mine, others are taken from web (usually from the link provided behind every photo).

Interested in reading about how it all started? Click here to read Season 01, Episode 01.