Unsure what to buy friends and family this Christmas? Are some of them not keen on materialistic things, or are they planning to go on a holiday or travel in the near future?
With my upcoming move to China (in 5 weeks, ah!) I have asked family and friends not to buy me too many ‘things’ this Christmas, as I simply won’t be able to take them with me when I move away. Instead, my Christmas list is mostly made up of practical items that might come in handy when I move. They’re also the sorts of things that all add up and I dread having to do a huge order for everything right at the last minute!
After having a little look around online, I’ve found some wonderful gifts which not only I would personally love, but I know many of my friends would appreciate too!
BUM BAG
A bum bag is a really handy gift for travellers (and also festival-goers too!) and come in such a great range of sizes, shapes, colours and designs. Check out the ASOS range or just give them a Google!
JOURNAL
Even when I’m not travelling, I love receiving stationery as gifts for birthdays and Christmas. One of my friends, who clearly knows me very well, bought me a gorgeous new notebook for my birthday recently, which I’ll be taking with me to China and using as a journal/travel diary!
EL CAMINO BRACELET AND CHARMS
I bought myself an El Camino bracelet years ago and since then my boyfriend has bought me charms of places we’ve visited together. They’re a lovely idea to keep track of countries and cities you’ve travelled to and are really robust so won’t be damaged by the elements – perfect for those adventure travellers.
TRAVEL TOWEL
I would never have considered a travel towel a particularly exciting gift. Practical, yes, but they’re available from most outdoor stores and only cost around £10. The material of a standard travel towel is designed to roll up really small but they often sacrifice the comfort and fluffiness of a real bath towel. So I was super excited to see Christianne Risman’s new range on https://backpackingsolo.shop/ which includes a lightweight but fluffy travel towel! Perfect for backpackers or even just for a weekend away camping in the UK. Check out Christianne’s Instagram and her Solo brand page too!
LONELY PLANET GUIDES
Not necessarily with the view to taking away with you, as books are bulky and I highly recommend downloading loads of books on a Kindle or similar e-reader, Lonely Planet guides are great gifts for inspiring travellers to visit new places, or to help them research somewhere they’re going to visit in the near future.
Their ‘Epic’ series are one of my current favourites as they make a wonderful and more personal gift. My dad was given ‘Epic Bike Rides of the World’ last Christmas as he’s a keen cyclist, and a year later he still has it on the coffee table and loves planning future rides!
PHOTO ALBUM
Photo albums are a great gift for anyone (in my opinion) but especially for travellers. Compiling photos from an awesome trip can sometimes take a while or be forgotten about, but giving someone a nice photo album for Christmas will no doubt encourage them to get it finished!
TOILETRY BAG
Another practical gift idea but one that you can personalise for your loved one, with a wide range of shapes, sizes and designs suited to any and all travellers.
LUGGAGE TAG
Another gift I received for my birthday was a luggage tag with matching passport cover, a lovely little gift which I will be using for years to come!
PERSONALISED PASSPORT COVER
Not on the high street have a fabulous range of travel gifts and one of my favourites on their site is the collection of passport covers with initials embossed on the front. A beautiful personal touch which would be appreciated by any loved one this Christmas.
SCRATCH MAP
I know some people make fun of scratch maps, but I have loved mine for years and can’t wait to one day have it framed and hanging in my own home. There’s loads to choose from, from a simple UK map to Europe, the States, and the Deluxe World Map!
There are so many other practical gifts you can get for your travel-loving friends and family, from clothing to toiletries to maps and books to remember their travels by. Have a look online and down your local high street to see if you can find anything this Christmas!
Xxx
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