My top gifts for the frequent traveller in your life.
Are you looking for the perfect present for your travel-obsessed loved ones? This year, avoid the last minute dash to the shops or online panic buying and take a look at my gift guide for the jet-set traveller in your life. These are all presents that I have received or items that I have picked up over time. They have made such a difference to my adventures and I wouldn’t go without any of them now!
Scratch Map
From £14
A scratch map is a great way of easily logging your travels. Not only can you keep count of all the countries you have visited, it is also a great looking poster for your wall at home. They come in all sorts of different colours and styles, whether it’s a particular continent you are looking for, or a quirky style, like their typogeography maps. Sratchmap.com is the original store, however you can often find something similar on the high street for £20 or less, so keep a look out!
Lumie
From £39, depending which model you go for! (I use the Bodyclock Spark 100- £79)
If you hate that groggy feeling when you have to wake up for an early flight, these light alarms will help give you that natural wake up feeling. This clock will recreate sunrise in your room using red and white light, so that the room is fully lit when your alarm goes off. It means that your body naturally feels more awake at that time and more often than not I find I wake up a minute or two before the alarm even goes off.
Travel Toothbrush
£149.99
Okay, £150 may seem a lot for a toothbrush, and you may be confused as to why this one made the list, but let me explain. Travel often involves nights away from the comfort of your own home, whether in tents or hotels. This toothbrush comes with both a charging glass for your home, as well as a USB travel case, which means you can keep it charged when away and store it neatly in your suitcase. It’s perfect for having a home comfort with you when you are away.
USB Aroma Diffuser
£14.99
After a long journey, it is nice to have a relaxing space to unwind and rest. I love my diffuser at home, it makes the house feel calm and I love recreating this in my hotel rooms. Beware, you don’t want one which will set off a fire alarm with the mist, so have a look for one like this from AromaWorks. Just dab some essential oil onto the pad, place it in the pod and turn it on. It even comes with a colour changing light for extra ambience. Just relax…
A Travel Writing/Photography Course
£127 (but do not pay this amount! Often you can get discount codes which will reduce the cost by up to 90%! Different courses charge different amounts, this was the blogging course I did earlier in the year.)
“Travel, It makes you speechless and then turns you into a storyteller.”- Ibn Battuta. This legendary medieval Moroccan explorer spent over three decades exploring the world and wrote one of the world’s most famous travel logs. Let your loved ones become storytellers in their own way. A creative course in travel writing/blogging/photography can provide the tools to turn their travels into something much greater. Courses can range in price and length, but there are lots available depending on what the recipient may be most interested in. The beauty of an online course is that they can do it anywhere-on a plane, in a hotel or at home. Also consider a day masterclass, there are many run around the country in specialities such as photography or travel writing (National Geographic often run a travel writing masterclass https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2019/05/masterclasses-national-geographic-traveller-2-february-2020 ) . Whether an online course or day masterclass this is a fantastic opportunity to develop skills for future travel, as well as reminisce about past adventures.
Foldable Yoga Mat
£16.95
Journeys can be tough on your body, particularly long car or plane trips. I carry this yoga mat around in my suitcase and it is always the first thing I unpack. It is lightweight and folds flat, to a size slightly larger than an A4 piece of paper. As a result I can turn any room into a gym space and stretch out my tired muscles so that I feel fresh for the rest of the day.
Go Pro (Hero 9 or Max)
£329.98 (Hero 9 Black), £379.98 (Max)
This is the ultimate present for the action lover and although it is not cheap, it may be a special present for those wishing to push the boat out a bit. The Hero series have just got better and better, and the Hero 9 is no exception. This waterproof 5K video camera has now got HyperSmooth stabilisation and the widest angle camera to date from a GoPro, to make sure you get the best shots possible. The Max allows you to take 360°footage through it’s double camera, so you can capture the whole adventure from every angle.
Magazine Subscription
From £35 ( National Geographic Traveller, other magazines may vary in price.)
There are so many different travel magazines out there to inspire any travel lover; Lonely Planet, National Geographic Traveller and Wanderlust Magazine to name just a few. The beauty of a gift subscription is that it will provide a consistent source of up to date travel information, as well as entertainment for long journeys. You can often buy year long subscriptions, so it is also the gift that keeps on giving! If you still can’t decide on a magazine, why not subscribe to PressReader (https://www.pressreader.com/subscribe, £28 a month), where the recipient can get hundreds of magazines to download and read on a tablet device.
1000 Places to See Before You Die, Patricia Schultz
14.39
This book was one of the main influences for my travelling. I bought some gold star stickers from the local corner shop and as I travelled the world I would put a sticker by each of the places that I had been to in the book. The beauty was that the book chose places which were both far flung, such as Macchu Pichu, but also places on your doorstep, such as Stonehenge. Before long, I was even designing trips to specifically see places mentioned, and learning so much more about them. The book was released back in 2012, but don’t let this put you off as a lot of the information is still relevant and I still use it today.
Step by Step, Simon Reeve
£20.00
Simon Reeve is an author and television presenter who has made documentaries and written books on international terrorism, history and his adventures across the globe. His autobiography, Step by Step, is one of my most recommended books and an absolutely fascinating read. The book takes you ‘step by step’ through Simon’s life, from his rebellious childhood to his greatest adventures to date. I particularly like the way he presents both the wonderful but also sometimes darker sides of a place to form a more balanced view of the country he is visiting. He is honest, charismatic and this is a book to inspire anyone to see more of the amazing world we live in.
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