If you haven’t started your holiday gifts list, we’re happy to help with a list of some fabulous finds that we either own or wish we did.
For the Earth-conscious traveler: Sustainability is not just a buzzword for many travelers, and you’ll make your fave clients very happy with a piece of anything from Solo’s Re:Cycled Collection, a cool-looking group of trendy backpacks, rolling cases, duffels, briefcases and more that are made from recycled materials (think PET water bottles and other unsightly trash) and sold at surprisingly affordable prices. Find gifts at solo-ny.com.
For the libation lover: Nevermind the usual bottle of wine; go for something beyond the ordinary. Check out Honkaku Spirits, a house that is all about artisanal, koji-fermented spirits. Japanese shochu, for example, a koki-fermented spirit distilled from rice, barley, sweet potato and more, is a bottle your client will not soon forget. Prefer something along the organic line? Take a look at what Drake’s Organic Spirits has on tap, where everything from vodka, white rum, spiced rum and more are all certified USDA organic, gluten-free, non-GMO project verified, vegan and OU kosher.
For the memoir lover: Award-winning travel writer Mark Chesnut puts his quick wit, clever observations and excellent story-telling skills to good use in his moving memoir, “Prepare for Departure,” a swan dive into his relationships with everything travel (especially airlines) and his single mother, both equally deep. Pack your carry-on for a trip that will make you laugh, cry and want to stop and smell the roses—and it’s alllll ok. Find it on amazon.
For the red-eye flyer: Neck pillows come in a variety of shapes—most notably the pervasive toilet-seat version, which might possibly be the most uncomfortable travel accessory ever made. Enter the Trtle travel pillow, a bit of a misnomer because it’s technically not a pillow at all. This neck wrap contains an internal support structure that literally holds your head nearly upright as you snooze—it’s one of the best gifts you can give a neck. There are different ways to wrap it and it comes in several colors. Find it at trtltravel.com.
For the island lover: It’s no coincidence that prolific travel writer, editor and author Robert Curley’s nickname is “Caribbean Bob”—he recently published “100 Things to do in the Caribbean Before You Die,” and it could very well be the definitive guide for your island-hopping clients. From the tasty Ruta del Lechon in the mountains of Puerto Rico that takes you on an exploration of the best roast pork on the planet (we might be a bit biased) to the best place to swim with whale sharks in Mexico to “taking a no-tan-lines plunge off the Willy T in the BVI,” Bob will guide your clients to new adventures—and you to new sales. Find it at amazon.com.
For the chronic overpacker: Overpacking is a virtue for some, so we suggest gifting an Eagle Creek Pack-It set. There are several in the line, and some even conveniently compress to make even more space available in your suitcase. A favorite is the “packing folder” that comes with its own folding board with instructions on how to easily fold a dozen shirts sans wrinkles. They come in a variety of colors and configurations that will fit any carry-on or checked piece. Find them at eaglecreek.com.
For anyone who owns a phone: That’s pretty much everyone on your list, we know. The Spigen Slim Armor Wallet series of cases for mobile phones are sleek and protective—and they come with a secret compartment that will hold business cards, credit cards or a wad of cash that can come very much in handy on any trip. Find them at spigen.com.
