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 2026 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… as well as being a travel writer for newspapers and magazines, I’ve also written three coffee table books with photographer Vincent Rommelaere.
Last year we did an update and re-release of our Rock Pools of Sydney book so there are two versions of that to be found, and we have also released a book that 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 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 them delivered lickety split through Amazon Prime.
LED Face Mask
Red light and LED face masks have been having more than a moment. They’ve been gaining new fans over the last couple of years and as we head into 2026 there are some great options that can be easily popped in your bag to take travelling so you can continue to boost you skin on the road.
A new addition to my suitcase, the Nanoleaf LED Light Therapy Face Mask has seven treatment modes including red light to reduce fine lines and promote collagen formation, green light to help reduce hyperpigmentation and even out skin tone, cyan light to soothe and calm stressed out skin, and white light to accelerate skin metabolism.
It’s easy to recharge with a USB connection and you then go unplugged while you lie back in bed or in a comfy seat as it does its work. You only wear it for between five and ten minutes so I like to close my eyes and meditate while it’s on. And while I look like I’m getting ready to try out for a super hero role when it’s on my face, when I take it off the flexible silicon mask lies completely flat so it’s easy to pack in my carry on.
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.
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 my trusty 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 HERO13 Black.
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.
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.
A Travel Journal
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.
Cavallini travel journals use beautiful old maps and botanical plates on some of their covers and you can also get travel journals like this one by DK that have pages for packing and budgeting.
On very special occasions I’ve splurged on a Smythson travel journal and it feels rather luxurious to write in those gilt edged featherweight pages. But I’m also very happy with all sorts of empty journals as long as I like the look and feel of them before I start writing away.
There are also options that have been made just for kids including this Travel Journal for Kids 8-12 that includes games as well as pages where they can remember the day’s adventures and stick in memories from their trip.
2026 Diaries
Or you might want to get their 2026 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 large and small 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 can be any amount you like 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 Luxury Escapes for holidays, and July luggage for suitcases and travel accessories.
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!
This post contains some affiliate links, so if you click on a link and book something I will earn a small commission but don’t worry, it’s at no extra cost to you.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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.
Leave a Comment