5 Gifts For Travel Lovers
The first of December is one of my favourite days of the year. Christmas is finally on the way! All of a sudden I have the excuse I (don't really) need to blast Christmas music, get the tree up and wear hideous jumpers with flashing lights. No. Shame.
But It can be so hard to buy Christmas gifts for those people who seem to have everything and want nothing. I know, because I tend to be one of them. I feel like now, I'm at the age where I just buy something if I want it, so when Christmas rolls around there's barely anything to buy me!
So here is a little list of things I thought would be an amazing gift for anyone (girl or boy!) who loves to travel. Let me know if there are any unusual ones I might have missed!
1. Tens
Okay, these are amazing. Designed and made by three Scottish photographers, Tens are the sunglasses I wish I had had when I was travelling in Europe. You know when you buy a new pair of sunglasses, get all excited to wear them in the actual outdoors, and are then completely bummed out when they wash out the amazing colours you should be seeing? This is why Tens exist. I could go on and on about the filtered lens etc, or I could link the video. Video seems more interesting, right?
Also, can we just talk about the packaging?? I bought a pair for my Dad's birhday, and might have added a little pink pair in there for myself. They come in a beautiful wooden box, with a sliding magnetic lid which felt like opening a box of dominoes. They're so reasonably priced (we're talking £80 here) that I need to get myself a few more pairs, stat.
https://www.tenslife.com/
2. Clip and Country Rings
If you know someone who likes to bring home souvenirs, look no further. Personally, I always bring home magnets. Safe to say my fridge door is about to fall off with the sheer weight. So when I stumbled upon the Traveller Collective on Instagram, it was a smack my forehead light bulb moment. These things are awesome!
Basically, you buy the clip, in whatever colour you like. It looks kind of like a key ring. Once you have that, there's literally no stopping you. Available from the store, you can purchase little metal rings to go on your clip, holding the names of each country you visit. The perfect gift would be a clip, some initial rings, and a gift card for your traveller to add on more as they see new places.
I frickin' love this idea, especially since the company uses some of the profits to give back. The current project aims to raise $10,000 to provide better education for the children of Dum, Ethiopia. 20% of all profits go towards this project, so you can buy your Christmas gift safe in the knowledge that you're doing something pretty great too.
This is definitely on my Christmas list. My fridge door will thank me.
Check them out and have a look at the shop here http://travellercollective.com/
3. Rosetta Stone
There's nothing better in life than being able to go to a new country, and have a clue what the locals are talking about. It just feels nice. That's why Rosetta Stone makes my top 5 list. Learning new languages is the perfect way to spend a plane journey, and it's something that's on every traveller's list. If they have a favourite country, help them learn! My favourites? French and Italian.
http://www.rosettastone.co.uk/
4. A Camera/Equipment
I know, it's kind of an expensive one, but cameras make fantastic gifts for those with itchy feet. Let's be honest now, a phone camera can only do so much, and there's no better feeling than taking a photo on an honest to goodness camera. One of my favourites is the Olympus Pen E-PL8 which I've had my eye on for a while, and will be purchasing as soon as I'm able!
If you can't quite afford a new camera, but still want to purchase something tech-y, why not have a look at portable printers? I think these are such a good idea, as it gives you the option to print on the go. An awesome one is the HP Sprocket, which functions without ink! It's also, small, pretty and super portable. Perfect for chucking in a bag on the go!
5. The Bag
Speaking of chucking things in the bag...they really are the most practical yet exciting gift. Bags to travel with aren't generally things that I tend to buy for myself, but they are always needed. It's also a good gift to purchase if you are looking for something to personalise. I don't want to push the boat out and say the perfect one comes from Burberry...but it does. I'm never going to own one of these bad boys, but a girl can dream!
I constantly lust after the personalised bags from Etsy, which are a steal compared to the Burberry one. This leather one is a firm favourite, and currently on sale!
And there we have it! My little list of perfect gifts for travellers. If I'm being honest, I'd love all of these (and will definitely be buying a few of them!)
What are your perfect gifts?
