Gifts for the travel-bug bitten

The biggest holiday season of the year is coming up soon, and that means soon we'll be shopping for gifts for everyone we know and love. Here are some cool picks and travel essentials for the travel buff in your life. (Or even yourself, because hey we all need some self-love now and then!)

1. Scratch travel map

If you're travelling, you've got to have a map. How else are you supposed to keep track of the cities you visit? I like this one because it lets you keep track of where you've been - plus, it seems humans have this strange obsession with scratching things, like picking scabs and scratching insect bites. So we might as well scratch places off maps while we're at it.

Luckies Scratch Map, Amazon.co.uk, £10.49

2. Travel size toiletries

One of the biggest headaches about flying is the 100ml liquid/gel rule - you can't take liquids and gels in containers over 100ml on your cabin carry. It's a pain in the arse, because this leaves you with two options: put your favourite soaps and lotions into a million tiny containers, or bring the full-size in your checked-in luggage and worry about the bottles exploding and spilling out over all your clothing. (Just a tip - if you do pack your full-size in your check-in, chuck it all into Ziplock bags. Please.)

My skin always gets dry on planes, and on board I always appreciate having a nice hand cream for when my hands feel really dry. Thankfully almost everything comes in travel sizes these days. This kit smells amazing, and it's got a great hand cream included for those nifty situations. Just try not to keep sniffing your hands after you've moisturised.

Crabtree and Evelyn Pomegranate Argan and Grape Seed Little Luxuries, Amazon.co.uk, £9.40

3. Passport organiser

Passport organisers are handy for keeping things organised; fumbling around with multiple bags, boarding passes and booking references, travel money and your passport is not fun. These things put everything in one place so you can find them quickly and easily when you need to - and they're great for keeping things like ticket stubs and fast travel money on the go, too.

SWT Travel Wallet, Amazon.co.uk, £5.60

4. Travel luggage

Depending on your airline, you may or may not find yourself worrying about whether your luggage exceeds dimension limits. I find it easier to just work with a bag that already works within these limits, which means it's one less thing to worry about.

My own CabinMax has followed me to six countries since I first got mine three months ago, and I can quite safely say I'm extremely happy with it. The cushioning doesn't compress to nothing, and with the compression straps on the side help to further squeeze your bag. Plus, because it's a backpack you can easily carry it with you even when you're in territory that isn't so accommodating for wheeled luggage - you won't have to worry when trekking countrysides.

CabinMax Backpack, Amazon.co.uk, £24.95

5. Great Adventures by Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet is probably the first thing everyone thinks about when they think 'travel guide', and for good reason - these guides are informative, well-researched, up-to-date, and easy to use. Great Adventures takes you on a photographic journey of some of the most breathtaking things to do in the world. Adventures are separated depending on what catches your fancy - whether you reckon diving, caving, or wildlife watching is more your thing, Great Adventures has you covered.

Amazon.co.uk, £15

6. Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2013

Need inspiration for your next trip? Another Lonely Planet guide, this list of top travel destinations is a great way to scout new places you never thought you'd want to visit. For 2013, Lonely Planet lists Sri Lanka as the #1 place to visit - and having been there myself, I'll say that they're bang-on right about that. But Sri Lanka's another story for another time ;)

Amazon.co.uk, £5.89

7. National Geographic Magazine

A gift with a dual purpose - not only does it feed the wanderlust in all of us, but the proceeds go toward funding National Geographic projects. It was on the wings of NatGeo that my passion for travel was born in 2001 (I kept every issue until my mom threw half of them away without telling me, a dastardly criminal act for which I was extremely upset for a very long time). Insightful stories, gorgeous photography, and hauntingly beautiful places.

Warning: may cause desire to quit job and travel the world.

National Geographic (USA), from USD15
National Geographic (international), from £15

8. Micro 4/3 camera

I'm no expert in photography, but I do know that everyone loves a well-taken photo. Full-size dSLRs can be bulky, not to mention attention-grabbing (and sometimes that includes the attention of pickpockets). The mirrorless SLR system, micro 4/3 cameras are an excellent compromise between image quality and size. The interchangeable lens system and often inclusion of manual functions gives you much greater control over images than regular point-and-shoots in a very small package. Several companies make these, so do your research.

Olympus E-PL1, Amazon.co.uk, £231.99
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3, Amazon.co.uk, £288

9. Swiss Army Knife

The ultimate in handy-dandy, the Swiss Army Knife is made by several companies these days. Victorinox is the most well-known manufacturer of these, and they're essential for those situations where you find yourself needing a pair of tweezers, a pair of scissors or a knife and you didn't think to bring one along. These are great because so many tools are packed into such a small space. Swiss Army Knives come in several combinations with different tools available, so take your pick.

SwissTool, from £15.35

10. First Aid Kit/Medicine box

This one makes it to my list of absolute travel essentials. I can't even count the number of times I've needed a plaster or an alcohol swabs for a cut, or Voltaren gel and Danzen for sudden inflammation, and I've been so thankful that I brought my first-aid kit and medicine box with me so I have these things handy when I need them. You know what they say, better to be safe than sorry!

In my kit I have plasters, Danzen, Voltaren, ibuprofen, melatonin, Gaviscon, antacid, Tussils 5, Lemsip, alcohol swabs, gauze, surgical tape, ultracarbon, Actifed, Po Chai pills and medicinal oil. Everyone will probably need a different set of things depending on the kinds of situations you think you'll get into, but first-aid and medicine boxes are one of those things I think it's best for you to put together yourself.

If you're going to give someone a first-aid kit as a gift, just put it in one of these nice little bags that make it seem a bit more fancy.


What will you be getting your friends this holiday season?