It’s that point of the year where many of us are left wondering just what the hell to get our
loved ones, particularly those who travel. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have promised
yourself last Christmas that you’re DEFINITELY going to be more organised and think of
what to get everyone, yet here we all are with less than twenty five days until the big day,
absolutely clueless. So before you head out and panic buy everyone a Yankee Candle and
body wash set, take a peek at a few of the reasons I think travel is the best gift you can give
this Christmas.
Travel definitely doesn’t have to be expensive…
Every single one of us knows how expensive Christmas can be, what with buying for friends, family, partners and most of the time, ourselves (“you know who would like that? Me.”), particularly if you’re fond of buying several gifts for everyone. If you know where to look, travel can often work out to be cheaper! Things like deleting internet cookies when visiting travel sites, especially flight comparison websites, and looking in the right place can grab you some pretty good deals! Check out a website called Groupon, where you can find all sorts from spa days to weekend getaways.
Travel doesn’t have to be far…
You don’t have to travel to the opposite side of the world in order to travel to somewhere new, or old! Most of us associate travelling with long haul flights and even longer bus rides
crammed in with a bunch of strangers: not necessarily true! You could journey to Scotland and spend the weekend at one of the many lochs, but remember to watch out for any monsters! Depending on the type of person you’re buying for, you could even plan a summer road trip, or if you’re feeling particularly generous and know that someone is
planning on doing a working holiday somewhere, you could buy their visa and give them a
starting point for their travels! Check out my ‘next destination’ post for some holiday
inspiration!
Travel is for life, not just for Christmas…
Whilst it’s true that puppies are for life, not just for Christmas, the same can be said for
travel. In one way, travel at Christmas is the PERFECT time to escape the winter blues. Jet
off to St Petersburg to see the Cathedral glimmering in the snow, or head to the Philippines to get some colour back to that winter white skin. In the same way that a pet is for life, so are the memories that you make when you travel. You’re bound to meet countless people, some of whom will stay and some of whom will go. You’ll not only meet new people, but new cultures, new traditions, new foods and of course new, jaw dropping destinations that you’ll remember for the rest of your days (Hakuna Matata and so.)
Everyone has a bucket list…
Literally everyone, from the neighbourhood granny down the street to the five year old kid a million miles away, has a bucket list of some sort. Whether that list is full of the simple
pleasures in life, more often than not they contain exciting and exhilarating once in a lifetime opportunities, such as skydiving or snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef. What better gift than to help make those wishes come true? (Mariah Carey pun completely intended!) The best thing about travel is it’s very rarely unwelcomed, unlike the lynx shower sets we tend to get the male members of our family every year which, apparently, they don’t like!
So why travel?
Whether you’re male or female, young or old, eternal nomad or stay at home parents, the
world is your oyster! Travelling not only enriches you culturally, physically, mentally and
spiritually, but it also happens to be one of the most enjoyable ways of learning those life
lessons you still haven’t quite grasped. Travel because you can, because travel is the best
gift you can receive this Christmas.
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