In the spirit of the Brits (who start making Christmas dinner reservations in June) I’m ready for the holidays a bit early this year: I’ve made a list of unique gifts for every kind of traveler!  I believe I’ve found some true gems! Whether you are (or are looking to buy gifts for) the nester with wanderlust, the backpacker, or the over packer, I’ve got you covered. 

FOR THE ETHICAL TRAVELER…

“Women without borders” merchandise // Refugee Women’s Centre

For the ethical travel lover who shies away from this consumerist season. You can do your holiday shopping simultaneously with a charitable donation – 100% of the proceeds from the “women without borders” campaign go directly toward funding the work of the Dunkirk Refugee Women’s Centre. Of course, I am a bit partial to this one as I designed the merchandise myself for this charity I love so much, that I spent much of the Autumn working for on the ground. I can tell you first hand that your money is going straight toward an amazing cause. You can read more about what a T-Shirt, travel mug, or phone case will get for the vulnerable women refugees in Northern France on the link above!

FOR THE TRAVELING BOOKWORM…

1. Kindle Paperwhite // Amazon // £59.99

2. Northanger Abbey Framed Travel Quote // Bookishly // £19.95

You know the one – head in a book rather than her iPhone, 90% of luggage containing way-too-big books, can be found frequenting the hostel book exchange. A kindle would be a great gift to give her some more luggage space (although she will definitely still want paper books when she’s at home 😉 ). This Jane Austen quote from Northanger Abbey is also perfect to hang on the wall of any travel loving bookworm.

FOR THE TRAVEL BLOGGER…

1. The Content Planner // Content Planner // 

2. Travel Blog Templates // Etsy // starting from £4.71

I may have a bit of insight into this one… 😉 With the holidays and the New Year, your travel blogging friends will probably be looking to invest in their blogs and smash some goals. Last year I treated myself to a New Years gift of a lovely new travel blog theme from Etsy and it totally revived my blogging attitude. Etsy is my favorite place to buy designer made items as you are supporting small businesses! I could scroll through those themes for hours… I also highly recommend the Content Planner, which is the only pen-and-paper content strategy planner designed for bloggers. I’ve used it myself for years now!

FOR THE ANGLOPHILE…

1. County Maps // Etsy // £12.50

2. Map of London // Etsy // £12.50

3. Seasalt Yellow Raincoat // Seasalt Cornwall // £140

4. Seasalt Porth Mellin Raincoat// Seasalt Cornwall // £140

Ask any traveler, and they probably have a favorite country. For those of you who love the UK, I’ve got you covered 😉 I am in love with the map prints by Pepper Pot Studios on Etsy, so much that I did a giveaway with them last month! I was properly jealous of the giveaway winner as these prints have been on my wish list for years – they are a great gift as they are made for each county, so just buy your anglophile friend their favorite county! (Or London, because London gets its own print, obvi). Any anglophile also needs a proper waterproof coat because, well, England. Need I say more. I swear by Sea Salt – their coats are the only ones that withstand Cornish rain!! I am in mourning because I lost my Sea Salt coat in France (RIP) so these coats are also on my wish list. Above are my top two recommendations!

FOR THE NESTER WITH WANDERLUST…

1. Personalized Airport Departures Board Print // Etsy // £20

2. Personalized Travel Map Framed Print // Etsy //£42

For the traveler who… wants to stay at home. I definitely feel that sometimes! Etsy is a treasure trove of beautiful, handmade, and personalized prints that can help you bring travel into your own home. These are two of my favorites: You can personalize the departures board print to your favorite trips and the years you took them, and for the map print you can request eight meaningful locations! Both are perfect gifts for a family member, partner, or spouse who you often travel with, to bring those memories into your home 🙂

FOR THE BACKPACKER…

1. Osprey Fairview 55L Backpack // Osprey // 

2. Anker Portable Charger // Amazon // £25

3. “Running on caffeine and dry shampoo” shirt // Etsy // £18.89

Always on the go, defying budget airline baggage restrictions and phone battery life – that’s the backpacker! This Osprey backpack is now my go-to backpacking bag. It is super lightweight, just the right amount of compartments, and has a smaller detachable day backpack you can zip onto the front! Also super useful for a backpacker on the go is a power bank, like this super lightweight one with USB cords. And then – well, what backpacker isn’t running on caffeine and dry shampoo?! This shirt is so cute and its from a small business owner on Etsy.

FOR THE SCATTERBRAINED ONE…

1. Personalized GPS Coordinates Keyring // Etsy // £13.38

2. Personalized Luggage Tag // Etsy // £10.95

She leaves a bit of herself everywhere she goes…. (such as her wallet in Prague, or her favorite coat in France, or her wallet in Plymouth, or her wallet in London…yeahhh). Everyone has that friend whose head is always a bit up in the clouds. Which is fine, until she finds herself alone in a foreign country with no credit card or phone! These personalized key rings and luggage tags from Etsy will do the trick – not only will they help reunite lost items with their owners, but they’re so cute that your friend will probably be less likely to lose them!

FOR THE MEMORY LOVER…

1. Instax Mini 9 Camera // Amazon // £69.99

2. Instax Film // Amazon // £14.99

When she’s not telling you to pose, she’s telling you to act candid. If she’s old-fashioned, she has her scrapbooks piled high, and if she’s modern she has her Instagram hashtags on lock. Or both. Either way, she’s the traveler who records everything – “for posterity” – but you love her because you always seem to remember the trips with her the most! A big treat for any memory-loving traveler is the Instax Mini… it’s lightweight, so fun to play with, and I can vouch for how great the photos turn out! If you have a lower budget, or she already has an Instax, a great stocking stuffer is Instax film replacements.

FOR THE OVERPACKER…

1. Vaccum bags // Amazon // 

2. Travelwise Packing Cubes // Amazon // £11.93

It’s either her greatest skill or her biggest curse… the overpacker can fit everything into her luggage. And, she’s only been charged for the extra weight at the airport… a few dozen times. These vacuum seal bags are a life saver for any overpacker – I used them on each of my transcontinental moves and they absolutely transform the packing experience! Packing cubes are also all the rave right now… I’ve never used them, but anyone who has loves them. Definitely something worth trying in the New Year!

So… which one are you?

You might’ve guessed, but I am every type! (Lol, yes this means I want everything on this list…. whoops).

I hope everyone has a lovely ramp up to the holiday season – my goal is to make this the year I don’t procrastinate gift shopping 😉 Join me!

Sarah xx