Do you have that family member or friend who’s constantly planning their next trip? If you’re sighing right now, then you’re probably looking for some ideas to find the perfect gift for travelers.
In this guide to gifts for travel I’ll give several ideas that will work for male and female travelers. I’m fairly certain that this isn’t your first guide that you’ve opened, therefore you may see some similar items to other guides. As travellers, we love using these and would very much enjoy receiving them from our beloved ones.
However, I’ve tried to include as many unique and individual travel gifts as I could; gifts which I’ve not seen in previous blog posts. In addition to this guide, I’ve listed a number of environmentally-friendly gifts, many of which don’t even need you to buy the item in its entirety.
This list includes more budget-friendly gift ideas that will not cost you a lot. Many guides would include gifts such as GoPro cameras and actual cameras which are more costly. Of of course, if you’re lucky enough to to spend a larger amount on your loved ones , it’s always a good idea to look at what’s in our camera backpack to find more expensive items for gifts.
Best Gifts for Travelers
Top Techy Gifts for a Traveller
1. Portable Solar or Charger An essential travel gift
I’m sure we’ll all be in agreement that our smartphones are constantly in our hands nowadays. While traveling, we’re constantly taking photos and videos as well as being on social media and looking at Google Maps for directions. Therefore, it’s no surprise that phone batteries go out faster.
Carrying a portable charger won’t just allow travelers to keep taking photos on their smartphone. Being able to recharge your device is crucial when travelling in foreign countries. It’s impossible to predict when they’ll require a map to avoid being lost, or in case of an emergency phone call. Thus, buying a mobile charger for a gift can be an incredibly useful product.
Also, if your travel friend also spends a lot of time in the outdoors, think about purchasing a solar-powered charger.
2. Travel Adapter – A Gift for International Travellers
Did you know that there are 15 different socket and plug types in the world?
You can easily gift one international travel adapter instead of needing to purchase (and keep) numerous adapters. Modern adapters come with USB charging slots and a socket for charging, which means your traveler can charge their devices simultaneously. Whatever the location, Mexico, South America or Europe we’ve used our adapter without issue. Therefore, I think this could be an excellent gift for a traveller.
3. Extension Cord – A Useful Present for those with lots of gear
It could be the most uninteresting present, however, having an extension cable should be an essential item in all travellers’ luggage or backpacks. Particularly if they have many pieces of camera gear – like us and requires constantly charging. If your traveler friend lives in hostels with just one plug socket. Although they’re not complicated and can be, they come in useful in a variety of situations.
Of course, if do not want to cover an extension cord to give as a gift to someone I completely understand. In that case I recommend perhaps putting together an electronic kit that looks like a traditional stocking – or mix the idea with other innovative ideas from my list below.
4. Kindle or E-Reader – A Present for Entertainment
If you have a traveler friend who is also a reader like us, having one of the Kindle Fire or Kindle Paperwhite is a must when travelling. I appreciate that some people like to bring a book on a short trip However, if someone is prepping for a longer adventure using a tablet, then it can help them save space.
We used our kindles each day on our year-long backpacking trip whether it was in a long bus ride or on a plane.
5. Apple AirTags are a great For Safety
I’m convinced that after the craziness of cancelled flights and undeliverable or lost luggage this year, we’re able to believe that AirTags have become indispensable items for those who travel.
If you’re not familiar, AirTags are tiny little devices for tracking that function as a key identifier, basically helping people to keep an eye on their items. Thus carrying an AirTag in your checked-in bag can help you track precisely where your luggage is. This could be very useful for travelers who connect flights. They can constantly check if their bags made the plane or not. Also, if the bag did not arrive, you can determine the location of it, which can make it much less stressful than trying to find the staff at the airport.
Of course, these gadgets could be helpful if your backpack gets damaged or is stolen. I read about an incident where someone managed to track their belongings back to their home after they had it stolen.
While AirTags are best used if you own an iPhone However, you may also consider Galaxy SmartTag if you use android.
The most eco-friendly and environmentally Friendly gifts for travelers
Here is a list of gifts that don’t necessarily require the purchase of a physical product, as well as those that would save them from the use of plastics, making them among the most environmentally friendly gifts for travellers.
6. The Water Purifier Bottle The Best Environmentally friendly present
The reduction of single-use plastic waste is now more vital than ever. So reusable water bottles are always a wonderful present for travellers (and to everyone else for any reason for that matter).
However, in case your recipient a gift for is going to an area where tap water from the tap isn’t safe, you can gift a specific water purifying bottle like WaterWell. These bottles would also be ideal for outdoor enthusiasts as they are able to refill their bottle and drink safe water.
I also think it’s crucial to highlight that WaterWell’s purpose goes beyond profit and their aim is to involve their customers in promoting a wide range of worthy humanitarian and environmental causes. For example, they plant a tree with every order which is an amazing thing.
7. Tote Bag A Fantastic present to reduce plastic waste
Tote bags might seem like an added item to be packed but believe us when we declare that they are utilized for a variety of purposes.
Your traveling companion can utilize it for shopping that will help reduce waste from plastic. These bags were used as bags for the beach or as an extra bag that contained all our beverages and snacks in it for long bus rides.
8. Gift a Tree – The Ideal Gift to Make the Planet Greener
When you think of tree planting, why don’t you actually give a tree to your traveller?
A tree for someone will likely be an unexpected but special present. I think that we can all agree that trees are vital to making our planet greener by cleaning the air, encouraging biodiversity , and preventing soil erosion. Treedom is a place where you can get trees. Treedom you can pick from a variety from different varieties of trees to be planted by local farmers.
A tree can be a unique gift to your loved ones , but it will provide environmental, social and economic benefits to many communities.
9. Give the gift of experience – a Fun, Memorable Gift
Giving an experience as a gift is our preferred kind of present. Whilst physical items can be used up, stolen or damaged No one can remove the memory of an experience.
If you’re sure that your wonderful travel companion is headed somewhere and you want to make them feel special, why not surprise them with a fun event. This way, you don’t only save them some pennies as they remember that awesome event, they’ll also remember your name. Additionally, you could purchase a joint item and can create unforgettable memories with them.
The Best Travel Accessories
10. Camera Bag is a must-have for Photographers
If your travel family member enjoys photography, then they’re bound to carry a lot cameras. Making videos for the YouTube Channel and taking photos for our travel blog, we certainly have a fair share of expensive tech with us. Which of course needs storing in a secure, but efficient method.
We used our camera backpack regularly while backpacking, but we also appreciate our smaller shoulder bag when travelling closer to home with less gear.
11. Day Backpack – A Perfect Gift for any traveler
I believe backpacks make perfect gifts for anyone traveling. They can be used as hand luggage to travel on planes, or even to take an excursion on a day.
If you’re looking for a more ethically made backpack, I suggest Hemp & Hope which is an eco-friendly clothing brand that I discovered by chance and fell in love with. The company designs all their clothes and bags in Scotland, UK and have them manufactured in Nepal.
The hemp they use is grown and spun by women from Baglung and Bajura Villages in the Himalayan mountains. It is then taken into Kathmandu and Pokhara for processing into their goods.
I took mine to several countries on our backpacking trip and stuffed every kitchen appliance inside. And after an entire year of use, it’s as intact as it was when I got it.
12. Fanny Pack Bag Bag as well as a Money Belt – The Must-Have Equipment for Safety
Although it’s not the greatest gift on the planet, the bum bag or belt will be an extremely helpful item for any traveler.
Pickpockets are everywhere , no matter what you do. This is why keeping valuables , like money, travel cards, and mobile phones in your pocket is very important. We use both a bum bag and a money belt whenever we travel . We are safe knowing that we will always keep important items at hand.
13. Beach Towel – It’s the Most Cool Travel Gift Ever
If you’d like to have your family member or friend from travel to be the coolest one on the beach, it’s time to get them one of Awesome Maps’ beach towels. Even though I’m not the most beach lover it actually entices me to go and lie in the sand for an hour.
I believe this beach towel would be a fantastic conversation for a conversation starter. So, if your traveler is planning a solo adventure, I bet they’ll be able to make friends with like-minded travelers right immediately.
It’s lightweight, quick dry and is also sand-resistant. You can pick from a general bucket list map, or more specific ones for example, hiking or diving ones. If this isn’t the coolest and unique physical present to a tourist, I don’t know what else is.
14. Dry Bag – Great Protection for Water Lover
In keeping with the theme of water, another great gift idea to a traveler is dry bags.
Dry bags are completely waterproof, and its main goal is to keep items dry when you go on water. When it comes to kayaking, canyoning, water parks or just an outing on the water, keeping electronics and other valuable things like cash dry makes this bag super practical.
15. Scarf Sarong, Scarf, and Headscarf The Most Multi-Purpose Gift
A huge blanket scarf or Sarong is a great option for any female traveller friends or relatives. It’s the one thing that I’ve used for so many different things that I could not imagine leaving home without one anymore.
A big scarf has served as my blanket or pillow on many overnight buses in Mexico and South America. It was also part of my daily bag during our travels across Turkey to be able to cover my head and shoulders. And of course, it’s always a great layer when the temperature starts to cool.
Bandanas were another essential item during my journeys. It’s not just an amazing accessory, it also helped keep my head cool in warmer places or stopping my hair from becoming tangled in windy conditions.
The Final Thoughts on the Top Traveler’s Gifts
I hope you enjoyed scrolling through this gift guide and managed to get some inspiration from it. I’m sure that travellers who are also committed to the environment would love to receive one of these travel gifts.
