Finding that right present for someone can be hard. I mean, if it wasn’t, you’d already have lots of wonderful gift ideas for travel lovers and wouldn’t be hitting the interwebs for inspiration. Believe me, I’ve been there and I hear you.
So to make things a bit easier this holiday season I’ve put together a list of ideas for presents for fellow travel lovers as we head into 2024 and beyond. Ready? Let’s go…
A SCOTTeVEST
When I first got my hands on one of these numbers it felt like I had a clever little secret. Because while I looked like I was just wearing an ordinary vest I was actually wearing the king or queen of pockets.
While SCOTTeVEST has some styles with as many as 42 pockets my SCOTTeVEST RFID Travel Vest for Women has 18 pockets including, as the name suggests, RFID blocking ones to keep potential hackers at bay.
With dedicated pockets to carry phones, cameras, glasses, travel documents, tablets and more (and yes, my iPad fit perfectly) it’s gold when you’re going to be on a plane and want to have everything close to hand, or want to shave a little bit of weight off your hand luggage. Sure you could have all of those things in a bag but then that’s either taking up space at your feet or you’ll need to worry about overhead bin space and all that jazz.
After starting out as a bit of a modified fishing jacket for travellers, the SCOTTeVEST range now includes cardigans, hoodies, pants, shorts, skirts and dresses with hidden pockets in all.
One Hundred Beaches Sydney book
Shameless plug alert… this year Vincent Rommelaere and I created a new book, this time all about Sydney beaches.
This one is the follow up to our Rock Pools of Sydney book and shares one hundred (yes there really are that many!) beaches around Sydney from world-famous ones including Bondi and Manly to hidden harbour gems where you could find yourself swimming with fairy penguins.
As well as introducing you to new places to swim, One Hundred Beaches Sydney shares stories from world para-surfing champion Sam Bloom, the men behind Bondi Rescue, Ben Davies and Michael Cordell, Coastrek and Wild Women on Top founder Di Westaway OAM, First Nations lifesaver turned swimwear designer David Leslie, and the founder of OneWave, the non-profit surf community promoting mental health awareness, Grant Trebilco.
We’ve also included a complimentary “Explorer Guide”, an A3 map folded to A5 listing of all of the beaches along the coast with essential beach safety tips.
As well as finding them in selected bookstores including Berkelouw Paddington in Sydney and The Makers Shed in Glen Innes, you can find our coffee table books on the Australia Unseen website. And if you’re in the UK or USA you can also get one delivered lickety split through Amazon Prime.
Rollie Shoes
Friends raved about them for years and this year I finally joined the Rollie Nation party. Not only do they look good, these shoes were born to travel and were originally created by Australian designer Vince Lebon for his flight attendant wife Kat.
For my first pair I went for the Derby Punch pink ones the model is wearing below and they are so light and comfortable. In fact even without the cut out bits on the side, their Derby Punch shoes are only 320g (that’s lighter than a pair of thongs) and come in lots of classic and fun colours.
I bought mine online and unfortunately the second pair didn’t quite work for me but they were super easy (and free) to return for another pair or for a refund, so if you guess the wrong size or colour your loved one can always switch them for the right pair of travelling shoes.
A Silk Pillowcase
While some people travel with their pillow I prefer to travel a big lighter while still bringing a piece of luxury from with my silk pillowcase. Apart from feeling good, they’re also good for your hair and skin and you’ll always know how this pillowcase was washed.
Keep in mind that while white pillowcases are perfectly fine to have at home, they’re not the best idea to travel with because people keep accidentally leaving them behind. It also makes it tricky for staff if they’re changing your bedding. So much so that according to a butler at The Plaza Hotel in New York at least once a week a white pillowcase that a guest brought from home is mistaken for a hotel one and sent out for cleaning.
It takes a little while to train yourself to take a pillowcase home from a hotel and there have been times when I would have lost mine if I hadn’t noticed a pop of colour in the bed when I did one last sweep of the room.
If you’re loving the whole silk pillowcase idea and would also like to support small Australian businesses, you can find pillowcases with matching silk eye masks through Moonlit Garden on Etsy, as well as 100% Mulberry silk pillowcases and eyemasks that have been infused with hyaluronic acid and argan oil by LunaLux.
Freshly brewed coffee on the go
While I’m more of a team tea person who travels with their own tea bags I know how good it feels to start the day with your favourite hot brew, which is why a good portable coffee maker could be just the gift to put a smile on your travel (and coffee) lover’s face.
There are lots of portable coffee maker options to choose from including the AeroPress Go which is around the same size as a coffee mug and nice and lightweight. All you need is coffee grounds and water and the AeroPress will do the rest.
Shady moments
As someone with fair skin I know what it’s like to follow the shade on a hot and sunny day, and happily there are some great gifts to share with your shade chasing friend.
At Isla in Bloom they take recycled ocean waste and plastic bottles and turn it into bikinis, beach umbrellas, cooler bags and more. You can check out their range of boho beach umbrellas here.
Meanwhile over at Kathmandu they have lots of beach shelters to choose from including family shelters with extendable floors and shaded shelters with mesh windows and doors to keep insects out too.
A GoPro Adventure
My first GoPro experience happened when I borrowed one to take to Antarctica and I am oh so glad that I did. The memories that little baby helped me bring back are so special and I certainly couldn’t have captured them with my other cameras.
One of the humpback whales agreed and even blew my GoPro a little kiss. I had no idea the whale was directly beneath me until the air bubbles hit the GoPro that I was holding in the water and gave me quite the fright.
I knew that when I returned my borrowed one I’d just have to get one for myself and I now have a GoPro HERO7 Black in my travel kit which is still going so strong I don’t need to upgrade yet (though completely understand if you want to spoil your friend with the latest and greatest GoPro Hero11.
Your travel lover already has one? Then what about some of the accessories like the GoPro Travel Kit with a mini extension pole and tripod and a magnetic swivel clip, or the GoPro Fetch dog harness for dog lovers if they have a four legged friend to help them get different kinds of shots.
A Travel Candle glow
Many years ago I read an interview with David Beckham where he said he never travelled without a scented candle. I couldn’t believe that it had never occurred to me before and since then I’ve rarely travelled without one.
There’s nothing like lighting a candle in a hotel to bring a warm glow into the room and they soon work their magic and release a smell that you love. Familiar smells can also help you sleep better in a hotel room. So that’s a sleepy bonus.
If your friend is the kind to travel with a full size candle Jo Malone has an engraving service so you can add a special message and also has smaller travel candles in a gift box.
Some companies have travel tin versions of their candles like the beautiful ones from With Integrity Australia. These natural and organic soy candles have Bondi Beach, Great Barrier Reef and Byron Bay inspired options along lavender, frankincense and lemongrass and green tea. Perfect for clearing any negative energy from previous guests in your room.
Treat Your Travel Lover to a Staycation
Some of the best presents are things that people would love to get for themselves but can’t quite justify spending the money on.
If your friend loves to travel chances are there’s a hotel or two in their own city that they would love to try, but when it comes to booking they end up saving their money for hotels when they’re away from home.
If they’re a Sydneysider they may like to be check into the art deco loveliness of the Kimpton Margot Sydney or find out what it’s like to fall asleep and wake up to the Sydney Opera House directly outside their window at the Park Hyatt.
Londoners can spend a night in the hotel that feels more like a private members club at The Rookery where they can soak in huge clawfoot baths and crawl happily into four-poster beds, or book a stay in one of the sexiest hotels in London, L’Oscar. And if you’re looking for a special stay for two we’ve pulled together some of the most romantic hotels and holiday homes in London.
Wrap Them in a Turkish Towel
Light, absorbent, quick drying and versatile, Turkish towels are more than just a towel. They can also be used as a sarong, a wrap, a picnic blanket, a blankie on a plane and more.
I fell in love with them in Turkey (funnily enough) and only wish I’d bought more from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.
If you’re not going to be in a Turkish market anytime soon you can also find them at other markets around the world and of course you can find lots of great Turkish towels online too.
Beach Safe(ty)
One for the beach loving traveller who wants to keep their valuables safe, the AquaVault is a personal lock box that can be attached to 95% of beach furniture. As well as to bicycles, some fences and other things.
There’s enough room for your mobiles, watches, wallets and sunnies and the safe is made of high impact ABS thermoplastic.
Of course you’d still need something to attach it to, and really bold thieves could pick up your whole beach chair and casually walk away, so it won’t work in every sandy situation. But it’s definitely a cut above the old burying your things in the sand and hoping for the best tactic.
They’ve also been embraced by some top hotels and resorts, which allow guests to use them on the beach or by the pool. Nice one.
Noise Cancelling Ear Buds
It’s all about helping your friend be cord free and care free as they enjoy their favourite music and podcasts on the go, while taking the occasional phone call in between.
Belkin’s new SOUNDFORM Audio Range includes the flagship SOUNDFORM Freedom True Wireless Earbuds and the SOUNDFORM Rise True Wireless Earbuds which both come with controls on the earbuds and environmental noise cancelling.
The SOUNDFORM range is one of the first third-party accessories to work with the Apple Find My network, so users can track and locate their charging case with the Apple Find My app.
And as a travel lover bonus, you can also buy them in a bundle with powerful power banks to help charge your devices on the go. The Freedom True Wireless Earbuds are paired with a 10W dual wireless charging pad while the Rise True Wireless Earbuds come with the Power Bank 10K with three ports which can provide up to 36 extra hours of power to a smartphone.
A Travel Journal’s Charms
These days we share so much of our travels with the world through social media but there’s nothing like writing down your travel memories by hand. On paper.
Not only does it engage a different part of the brain, this is where you can share those secret thoughts that you want to keep just for you.
A friend gave me my first travel journal before I started my first big solo adventure oh so many moons ago and it is one of my most treasured possessions.
As it’s all about the words inside any old notebook can become a travel journal, but there is something fun about having one that feels like it was made for an adventure.
Moleskine have a number of special travel editions including the Moleskine Passions Travel Journal with tabbed sections for long and short trips and adhesive labels, while the Moleskine Voyager includes a section to store printed itineraries and maps.
Cavallini travel journals use beautiful old maps and botanical plates on some of their covers and there are lots of other gorgeous ones to choose from.
2024 Diaries
Or you might want to get their 2024 off to a great start with a lovely diary to help them plot their year ahead and remember it when it’s over too.
As much as I pack my iCal full of appointments and To Dos I also love to have a physical feel-it-in-my-hands diary to get everything down on paper and to remember the year that was if technology ever lets me down.
In the year ahead I’ll be using the Magic of I Astrological Planner which includes planetary movements and retrogrades and is perfect for someone who embraces the woo woo in life.
Other great options include Kikki K 2023 diaries, which you can have monogrammed with their initials for that personal touch, and large and small 2023 Smythson diaries with their featherweight paper and leather covers for the luxury travel lover in your life.
Gift Vouchers
And if you’re still not sure what to get you can always give them the gift of money to be spent on any flight or hotel they want, or you can go with a gift voucher.
At Red Balloon the gift voucher options start at $25 and can be used on experiences and restaurants as well as on physical gifts and hampers in their online store. Plus they’re valid for five years which takes the pressure off to use them in a hurry.
You can also find travel gift vouchers from places like The Gift Card Store and Luxury Escapes.
As with any voucher remember to check the terms and conditions and make sure you let your friend know they need to spend the money before the expiry date.
And that wraps up this list for now. If you have some more gift ideas for travel lovers that you’d love to share do let me know. It’s always fun to find new pressies to buy for friends and family, not to mention for myself.
Happy holidays!
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Looking for some more gift ideas? You may also like to check out Ten Romantic Gifts for the Travel Lover in Your Life And there are even more ideas waiting in my travel packing essentials story.
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