Do you have a friend or loved one with a bad case of the travel blues? Cure their wanderlust between trips with Desi Globetrotter’s curated list of gifts for the travel junkie, all tried and tested by yours truly. Apart from popular travel gadgets like cameras, iphones, ipads and kindles, here’s a different selection of useful gift ideas that will have your beloved globetrotter trippin’ all over again.
STOCKING STUFFER
Taylor Digital Luggage Scale – $14.99 from Amazon
I received this gift from my dad last year and it works really well. It’s sturdy and has a strap that clicks on to the handle of your luggage. For an over packer like me, this is an awesome gift! I once purchased a cheaper luggage scale with a hook which broke after using it a couple of times. The Taylor one has lasted me all year, helping to lift up to 15 kilos at a time.
TOP 5 TRAVEL GIFTS
1. Lowepro DSLR Camera Daypack – $24.95 from Future Shop
This daypack has a separate bottom compartment for the camera, lens and accessories and a top compartment for holding a water bottle or passport to tickets and everything else. On a 3 week journey the bag came back in one piece with no rips (unlike my Walmart backpack) and most importantly, the camera equipment stayed safe. The only downside is that you have to swing the backpack to your front to get the camera equipment out, but after using a one strap sling pack in the past, the double straps are a plus.
2. AdoramaPix Gift Card for a Photo Book – Choose Your Own Amount
For a travel addict, photo books filled with travel memories mean the world. Really that is all we need. Make them happy with a gift card from Adorama Pix, my go to source for creating the best photo books! The site is easy to use and creates high quality professional photo books with the option of panoramic layouts. I was really impressed with the quality of my Thailand book. What I really liked most – glossy pages that lay flat. Published like a real coffee table book. Love, love, love!
3. Departures DVD Set – $29.99/dvd from Departures Entertainment
Inspire the adventure seeker in your life with a triple dose of Departures Season 1, 2 and 3. I’ve written about Departures before as it is one of my favorite travel-venture shows I highly recommend. After watching all 3 seasons on tv, I decided to purchase the dvd set for the days between travel.
4. Packing Cubes – $15 to $30+ depending on the brand
A traveller’s best friend! I never used packing cubes until my recent trip and I was surprised at how organized I felt. I had one cube for pants and shorts, one cube for shirts and dresses and one cube for socks and personal wear. After tightly rolling my clothes, I was left with 3 tidy piles inside my suitcase. There are many packing cubes on the market and I can’t really recommend one over the other, but I personally used Rick Steve’s brand.
5. Muse Mini Portable Bluetooth Wireless Speaker – $49.99 from Muse Mini
This mini portable speaker is compact, syncs with ipods and produces clear, quality sound. I have to admit, I had my doubts at first, but it has proved me wrong – this small thing packs a powerful punch and gets good reviews online too. No fuzzy, noisy speaker here. Perfect to take on beach vacations or have in your hotel room. Music to my ears. *Tip: look for deals online – bought mine for less than $20. Shipping times may vary so purchase in advance.
Photo Credit: Desi Globetrotter, Amazon, Departures, Muse Mini, Future Shop
