’Tis the season to be jolly… and to fret over finding the perfect gift for your loved one. In my latest guest blog post Jodi from BookallSafaris shares some last minute Christmas ideas specifically for nature adventurers (i.e. those naturalists who love to travel!). If you’re looking for more general gift ideas and stocking fillers for wildlife lovers, don’t forget to check out my ‘Top 5 eco-friendly gifts for wildlife lovers’ suggestions here.
Gift Ideas for Adventure Travellers:
We all have that one friend who is always off on some crazy adventure. When they’re not surfing in South America, they’re biking in Indonesia or trekking some far off mountain in Africa.
They practically live out of a backpack, so when it comes to gifts it can get a little tricky.
Don’t worry, here are a few gift ideas that will help capture those epic moments, inspire future adventures, and make life on the road a little bit more enjoyable.
1. A GoPro
Everyone loves taking photos of their experiences, but there are times when holding a camera is just annoying or not possible. Enter the GoPro.
This is the ultimate gift for thrill seekers and gadget-lovers. In fact, GoPro was founded by a surfer, skier, and motorcyclist who wanted a better way to film himself and his friends surfing.
Did I mention that they also have free shipping?
2. A Grayl Trail Water Filter
There are two things that every adventure seeker needs – a water bottle and a water purification kit. Or, a water bottle that can purify your water.
The Grayl Trail does just that, using a coconut husk-derived carbon filter that protects against the full-spectrum of pathogens as well as many chemicals and heavy metals.
As a bonus, they also pledge a percentage of their sales to environmental preservation.
3. Scratch map
So this one might not be as “useful” as the other gift ideas, however, I’m always for any gift that encourages its recipient to see more of the world.
A Scratch Map is not just a fun and pretty way to keep track of your travels, but it will also inspire your adventurous loved one to travel more!
4. The Trtl Pillow
The worst part about travelling is having little to no neck support while trying to snooze on a long haul flight. Sure, memory foam pillows are okay but they’re bulky and don’t quite cut it.
Enter the Trtl Travel Pillow. It is super light weight, provides ample neck support, and is easy on the wallet.
5. Flight 001 5-in-1 Adapter
Adapter plugs are often one of those essential travel items that people forget to purchase. Plus, there is the effort of having to find the specific one for each new destination you travel to.
Thankfully, this compact adapter set enables travellers to plug-in in 150 countries, and it comes with a colour-coded map to make it easy to determine which prong situation accompanies your next destination.
6. Binoculars
This is a fantastic gift for all kinds of safari enthusiasts.
For a wildlife safari, a magnification of between 8x and 10x is recommended, but remember the more you zoom, the shakier the view becomes.
Binoculars from Nikon and Zeiss are always a great bet.
7. Photography equipment
For a gift that’ll excite a budding wildlife photographer, look no further than the Olloclip Lens Set, which turns the iPhone’s built-in front and rear cameras into wide-angle, fish-eye, and macro 15x lenses.
8. The right sized travel bag
If your gift recipient is thinking about going on a safari in Africa, a lightweight travel bag would a fantastic gift!
While international flights have the usual restriction of 20kgs per person, luggage restrictions are much more intense (about 14kgs) on smaller bush planes that fly between African parks.
This makes having a lightweight bag (and water resistant) super important!
9. A good book
I’m going to level with you here, flights to Africa are LONG! And, the excitement of traveling wears thin once you’ve been in the air for awhile!
Save your friend from the torture that is watching cheesy in-flight movies and get him/her a good book to read.
I’d personally recommend Peter Allison’s Whatever You Do, Don’t Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide or an epic fantasy like The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
10. A Big Five safari experience in South Africa
Is there a better gift to give a safari lover than the chance to spot the Big Five in the flesh???
I don’t think so. For many people, going on a safari is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so this is guaranteed to be a gift that will bring an endless flow of gratitude and joy from your loved one.
The best part is that this grand gesture doesn’t have to break the bank! There are plenty of amazing, budget friendly safari experiences that go for as little as 100USD.
Jodi is a Writer for Bookallsafaris.com, an adventure enthusiast, and a Douglas Adams groupie. She lives in South Africa and has a passion for surfing, ocean conservation, and trawling pre-loved bookstores for a leather-bound volume of The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.
Read more at Bookallsafaris.com
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