When your loved ones are travelers, it makes it extra challenging to bring them the perfect gift as they usually prioritize travel over almost everything else. It’s a good idea to buy them useful gifts that will make their trips stress-free, but the best gifts for travelers, in my opinion, are always experiences. 

So, if you’re in search of the perfect gift for your traveler friend, partner, or family member, read along to learn how to gift like a pro. In this read, I’ll tell you why experiences make the best gifts for travelers and give you some ideas on what you can get. I’ll also show you how to gift experiences without worrying about logistics. 

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Why Experiences Are the Best Gifts for Travelers?

#1 Travelers value experiences over materialistic things

As I previously mentioned, real travelers and adventurers put travel first. So, they’ll most likely always prioritize travel experiences over materialistic things. I mean, who needs a new designer bag or expensive perfume if a hot air balloon ride is on the table?

#2 Experience gifts are tailored to interests and travel plans

The best gifts are usually the things the person needs, has always wanted, or the ones that show how much you know the person. That’s why the best gifts for travelers are experiences, as they’re tailored to their niche interests within travel, and/or align with their travel plans. For instance, if your traveler buddy is a foodie or likes to cook, and they also happen to be traveling to Italy soon, then maybe a pasta-making cooking class in Milan is their perfect birthday present. 

#3 This will help them cut their budget

The best gifts for travelers are the ones that will help them save money. Travel can be an expensive hobby, even if it’s on a budget. So, gifting experiences, which usually come with a decent price tag, are great. Your traveling loved one will appreciate this a lot more as you’ll help them cut down their travel costs. So, if they’ve always wanted to cross skydiving off their bucket list, but never had the budget for it, that would absolutely make an unforgettable gift.

#4 Experience gifts create long-lasting memories

Even if you’re not sharing those moments together, your gift will create long-lasting, core memories that your loved ones will never forget. The best part of gifting the perfect gift is seeing it put a smile on your person’s face, and that’s exactly what experiences can help you achieve.

#5 They’re also more sustainable

Experiences are the best gifts for travelers who prioritize sustainability during their adventures. They reduce material waste and have a lower carbon footprint in regards to production. Not to mention that experience gifts encourage local economic support as they often involve local guides, artisans, and small travel businesses.

9 Top Experience Gift Ideas for Every Type of Traveler 

#1 Hot Air Balloon Ride

Allow your buddy to soar above surreal landscapes and catch an exceptional sunrise at a dreamy destination.

Hot air balloon experiences to check out:

• Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Flight Over The Fairy Chimneys
• Hot Air Balloon in Luxor
• Hot Air Balloon Flight over Moab, Utah

#2 African Safari

Send your loved one on an epic African safari adventure to see the Big 5 in their natural habitat. This one’s probably on every traveler’s bucket list!

African Safari experiences to check out:

• 3-Day Masai Mara safari from Nairobi
• 4 Day Serengeti Luxury Tented Camps Safari
• 3 Days Radisson Kruger Safari Tour from Johannesburg

#3 Local Food Tour 

Nothing is better (or more delicious) than diving into a local culture by exploring its cuisine, and joining a food tour is one of the best ways to do so!

Local food tours to check out:

• Food tour in Marrakech, local tastings, stories and sights
• Food Tour Rio de Janeiro – The Best Typical Brazilian Dishes
• A Food Tour in Local Cairo Life with Egyptian tea

#4 Cooking Class

Here’s another one for the foodies – let them discover the flavors of foreign cuisines through a hands-on cooking class taught by local expert chefs! 

Cooking classes to check out:

• Cooking class and dinner in Petra
• Italian Cooking Class Pasta and Tiramisu in Venice
• Cooking Class in Jaipur with all Transport & Meals

#5 Skydiving 

The thrill of freefall and the adrenaline rush that comes with it is on many travelers’ bucket lists, so be the best friend you are by gifting this experience to your bestie.

Skydiving experiences to check out:

• Dubai Skydive Tandem Over The Palm including Transfers
• Skydiving Experience in East Tennessee

#6 Bungee Jumping

Another freefall experience that’s a dream for many – it might sound like it’s just another adrenaline-fueled activity, but it has its very own special thrill.

Bungee jumping experiences to check out:

• Bungee Jumping at The Victoria Falls Bridge in Zimbabwe
• Bungee Jumping at 200 Feet in Canada

#7 Scuba Diving

Send your mermaid/merman buddy on an underwater adventure to explore the world’s vibrant marine life. 

Scuba diving experiences to check out:

• Red Sea Full-Day Introduction to Scuba Diving in Hurghada
• Scuba Diving Adventures for All Experience Levels in Maui
• Scuba Diving 3 dives including Manta Rays at Nusa Penida

#8 A Spa Day

Super-packed trips can be intense, so your bestie will be extra thankful if you treat them to a luxurious spa day to recharge and unwind. 

Spa experiences to check out:

• Relaxing Day Spa Packages in Seminyak
• Day Spa Activity in Maui, Hawaii
• SPA in New York with Spafinder Gift Card

#9 Helicopter Tour

A bird’s eye view is sometimes the unique way you didn’t know you needed to experience cityscapes. 

Helicopter tours to check out:

• Two Oceans Helicopter Tour in Cape Town
• Dubai Helicopter Experience with Sightseeing Options

How to Gift Experiences Hassle-Free

You might be thinking to yourself now that experience gifts are difficult to put together. But what if I tell you that you can browse through the best gifts for travelers without worrying about travel planning or logistical hassles? 

The short answer is Tinggly!

What Is Tinggly?

Tinggly is an experience gifting solution that offers a special way to put together unforgettable and adventure-fueled gifts for people who love to travel. Instead of traditional materialistic gifts, Tinggly provides curated experience packages that recipients can select from. The packages cover a wide range of activities worldwide — from thrilling adventures like skydiving and paragliding to cultural tours, cooking classes, and even unique stays.

How Does Tinggly Work?

1. Choose from 10,000+ experience gifts via location or search bar, or you can select a gift box based on your loved one’s interests, themes (i.e. adventure, Christmas, birthday, etc…), or depending on your budget. 
2. Decide whether you’d like to send a physical gift box to the recipient or an e-voucher.
3. After receiving your gift, the recipient gets to choose and redeem their activity of choice from thousands of experiences around the world. The gift box’s cost covers all the costs of the 1 chosen activity. 

So, what do you think are the best gifts for travelers – physical gifts or experiences? And if it’s the latter, which travel experience are you dying to have the most? Let me know in the comments below.

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Don’t Forget Your Travel Insurance!

Travel (solo or not) isn’t always rainbows and butterflies – things might go down south sometimes. You might fall ill or lose your luggage, and that’s when you’ll thank me for having your back covered with travel insurance.

SafetyWing offers different travel insurance packages, tailored to your needs, but their Nomad Insurance is my favorite option.

This travel medical insurance is perfect for frequent travelers. It covers lost checked luggage, travel delay, doctors, hospitals, and more. It even covers the COVID-19 emergency quarantine period if deemed necessary by a physician.

GET INSURED NOW – Nomad Insurance

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• 13 Unusual Present Ideas for Travel Lovers This Christmas
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