The Best Luxury Travel Gifts For Her: 10 Elegant Items That Every Girl Will Want!

It’s a simple fact that, sometimes, only the best luxury travel gifts will do.

I’m sure you’ll agree that we all love a good bargain – indeed, I love budget travel and ferreting out a deal, and I’ve got a whole list of budget travel gift ideas that I absolutely adore – but if you’re looking for something truly fancy, you’ve got to splash the cash a little. Maybe you’ve got a friend with a special birthday coming up, or you just want to treat yourself (heck, you haven’t traveled in way too long, right?). In those situations, giving someone a $5 plastic spork set just isn’t going to cut it (literally).

The problem: how the heck do you find something that’ll be truly useful, whilst appropriately glamorous?

Well, I’ve got you covered with this luxury travel gift guide! As with all of my gift guides, I’ve used personal experience of awesome products and travel adventures to cut through the guff, and find items that not only ooze with luxury, but are genuinely useful too. I’m going to show you what to get, and exactly where to find it. These are ten elegant gifts that’ll be perfect for giving to the awesome woman in your life – or keeping for yourself. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone!

What makes gifts for travel lovers so appreciated?

Trust me: if you’re a travel lover, nothing beats receiving travel accessories as gifts. 

When you truly love travel, as I do, you spend every waking moment thinking about it. You think about upcoming trips. You think about places that you want to travel to. But at the same time, you’re constantly juggling it with thoughts of how you can make your travel as good and as smooth as possible – and that inevitably brings you around to thinking about money. It’s a constant juggling act: there are items you can purchase that’ll make your journeys just that little bit more perfect – but if you buy them, does that affect your travel budget? You can have the suitcase of your dreams, but does that mean you’ll miss out on a day trip abroad?

And sometimes, it’s about fitting in. If you’re headed off on a cruise, or flying first class, do you really want to be the person with battered belongings? It might not be right, but sometimes you know you’re going to be judged by your fellow travelers. If you’re headed off to a luxury resort for a honeymoon, you want to feel like you belong there.

And that’s why a luxury travel gift is so appreciated. It can mean that a budget traveler gets that little slice of comfort without having to miss out on travel experiences. It can mean a couple feeling more comfortable on their honeymoon. And it can mean that you can darn well treat yourself if you’re traveling, without having to wait for holiday season!

The best luxury travel gifts for her!

Okay – let’s look at the ten best luxury travel gifts that you can purchase! Something that’s going to make her feel like a million dollars, without paying quite that much. 

Remember: a luxury travel gift doesn’t have to cost thousands. What you want is something well-made, with a touch of glam; something that gives you a little shiver down the spine. Yeah, you know that little shiver I’m talkin’ about!

Timeless, elegant quality. Have that as your watchword, and you’ll pick the perfect gift!

A classy watch

A watch? I hear you wondering. But I have a mobile phone to tell me the time! And that’s exactly why high-quality watches have become must-have items for the luxury traveler. Everyone has a mobile phone. But is pulling a phone out of your pocket half as classy as checking an elegant wristwatch? Nope!

Watches are now valued as highly for their design as much as for their function. It’s not enough to just tell the time; these days, you need something with a striking look that’ll catch the eye, something with simple, natural flow that decorates your wrist like a piece of jewelry. And as the proud owner of a Nordgreen watch, I can assure you that beautiful design and quality timekeeping go hand in hand. Based in Denmark, their range has been created by top Scandi design guru Jakob Wagner, and they pride themselves on providing quality watches whilst giving back to the community.

Check out their initiatives, which allow you to choose a good cause around the world. For each purchase, Nordgreen will donate towards providing clean water to communities in Africa, educating youngsters in India, or preserve 50 square metres of rainforest – it’s your choice, and using a code provided with your watch, you can actually track what happens!

I’d been looking for a travel watch for some time when Nordgreen offered me the chance to try one out, and I’ve been so, so impressed. The sturdy, rose gold stainless steel case fits snugly against my wrist (I don’t even notice it’s there half the time), and the pale grey leather strap is soft as butter, giving it the look and feel of luxury.

Nordgreen gave me my watch, but my opinions are (as always!) my own and I wouldn’t recommend them if I didn’t truly love it. I’ve received so many compliments since I’ve been wearing it – it truly has that luxe look, with a clean face and rose gold highlights. Interchangeable straps mean that you can change its looks on a whim, and with a wide range of watches available to choose, the perfect travel companion is within your reach!

A luggage set

Luggage sets are the perfect gifts for friends going traveling. After all, you just have to pick something awesome: you don’t need to worry about sizes or styles, as you would with clothing. And you’re truly getting them something they can take around the world!

As with everything else in life, you get what you pay for. My boyfriend purchased a cheap suitcase in Krakow on a trip, thanks to his previous case deciding to self-destruct in our hotel room, and we thought that he’d get many years of use out of it. Oh, how wrong I was. Want to know how long it lasted? A grand total of… two months. Literally, on its second trip, the wheels got damaged beyond repair, and the whole case was a write-off. I cannot emphasize how frustrating it was, and how suitcases are totally something that are worth putting extra investment into.

However, if you buy these beautiful Kenneth Cole Reactions suitcases, you’re never going to have a problem with destroyed suitcases. I’ve owned a Kenneth Cole case for fifteen years: it has been slung all over Europe, plus quite literally been thrown down steps on the London Underground, and it is completely indestructible. These rose gold suitcases (is there a color more luxurious than rose gold? she said rhetorically)  follow the exact same design, with sturdy wheels that will never get snagged, firm fastenings, and secure sides that can take a beating whilst standing out at the baggage carousel.

Grab these gorgeous cases, pair them up with the best packing cubes money can buy, and you’ll not only look like a pro luxury traveler… you’ll actually be one. And if hand luggage/backpacks are more your thing, there’s a whole host of glam vegan backpacks which will look perfect no matter your destination!

Sunglasses

Sunglasses are a travel necessity. No matter whether you’re going in the summer or winter, you’ll want to block the worst of the sun’s rays hitting you square in the eyes – after all, headaches aren’t very luxury travel, are they?

Plus, you want to look a little bit stylish too! Nothing says “I’m an off-duty celeb, and I can totally buy this entire hotel” like a pair of sunglasses. They’ve been the epitome of cool of decades, beloved and made fashionable from everyone from Audrey Hepburn to Jackie Kennedy. Nothing makes you feel more in control, professional, and like a member of the international jetset as a pair of quality sunglasses – nothing. You’ll be wanting something with a sleek design, and all the UV protection you can get.

Look no further than these gorgeous Ray-Ban sunglasses, which I’m totally in love with! The round frames evoke Hollywood glamour, and they’re designed to be just as eye-catching (if you’ll pardon the expression) as the outfit you’re wearing. They’ll perfectly match anything you wear, whether that’s a chic swimsuit as you lounge around a turquoise pool, or your best party dress when you hit New York in the evening. And because they’re Ray-Bans, you get full, 100% protection from UV rays. Style and sun safety; you can’t argue with that!

A quality pair of sunglasses are a must-have item for any traveler, and you’re doing yourself a favor by getting the very best – both for the health of your eyes, and for your fashion style!

A camera

Want one of the best luxury travel gifts for her? Treat her, or yourself, and get a camera. Friends don’t let friends take their precious vacation snaps on a phone, with their thumb over the lens!

A camera is a perfect travel gift: once you’re home, and your fabulous travels are all over, it’s your photos which really make the memories live on. The better the quality of camera, the more distinct those memories stay. Imagine being able to recall exactly how the light looked in your sparkling hotel room, or the way the colors were on that tropical beach? On lower grade cameras, details like that get lost – rooms are dark, and colors all blend into each other. You want to see every aspect, remember them and cherish them forever.

You can devote entire gift guides to buying cameras, and which one you decide to buy will depend on the needs of the recipient (do they want something with a million options, or something more point-and-click? Is weight or portability an issue?), but there’s a few cameras which I thoroughly recommend for being all-round workhorses. First up is the Canon EOS Rebel T7, which is an ideal starter DSLR camera, and one which I’ve used myself! You can use it straight out of the box with no having to learn complicated techniques until you’re ready, and this bundle comes with everything you’ll need to take it abroad. Carry case, SD cards, alternate lenses, and a tripod are all included.

Want to take it up a notch? Try the Fujifilm X-H1, which I’ve seen recommended by many travel photographers, and which is going to be my next camera purchase. There’s a few more options to learn, but the picture quality is truly outstanding, whilst keeping the compact size and lighter weight that Fujifilm is renowned for. Check out the reviews, and you’ll see that this is a seriously well-regarded camera with a crisp picture quality – perfect for capturing every treasured moment!

Lightroom presets

You can have the perfect camera, and take a gorgeous photo – but is there a way to kick them up a notch when you get home?

Sure is! Look at any beautiful photo online, whether it’s a travel blog or a magazine’s website – and you can almost guarantee that it’s been edited in Adobe’s Lightroom software. There’s no trickery or faking: the software simple enhances the raw data of the original photo, and brings it to its absolute best. Greens can become more lush, seas become a deeper shade of blue, yellows pop off the screen. No matter how good your camera is, it’ll never capture a scene exactly as you see it – Lightroom simply returns a photo to how it should look.

But… there’s no denying that Lightroom has a learning curve. You need to be a bit of an expert to know how to enhance your photos to their best – and that’s where Lightroom presets come in! Purchase these, easily add them to Lightroom, and you can edit your photos with the click of a button. It’s like having your own professional photo editor on hand, and all you need to do is summon them with a single click, making the most of all their expertise. 

By far the best presets I’ve ever used are made by The Blonde Abroad. Aside from having one of the best travel blogs in the world (seriously; check her out!), she really knows her stuff when it comes to photography. Her pictures are achingly gorgeous, and she’s made her mobile and desktop Lightroom presets available to all for a very reasonable price. Sure, you can buy presets cheaper elsewhere – but they won’t be as good as these. Trust me; I bought those cheaper presets, and then instantly regretted it as soon as I tried the ones from TBA!

 

Personalized luggage tags

Remember how I said that not every luxury travel gift needs to cost hundred, or thousands? If you’re looking for that gift which looks expensive, but actually costs under 10 bucks, this is the one for you!

Personalized travel gifts are always a wonderful idea – you can’t beat some monogrammed initials when it comes to giving something a bit of class – and it proves that you’ve bought a gift with your favorite traveler specifically in mind. Who doesn’t love that? And trust me, nothing is more important when traveling than personalizing your luggage. When you pick up your bags from a baggage carousel, you’re faced with an endless march of identical cases. Having something that stands out isn’t just fancy; it’s essential!

I love these distressed leather luggage tags! They look super-expensive, and with the option to have either initials or a travel quote of your choice engraved into them, there’s no way that your loved one’s luggage is going to be mistaken for someone else’s. They’re available in an array of exotic-sounding colors (Indian Summer, Parisian Blossom, and Sicilian Brown? Oh yes please!), and have that perfect hint of glamorous, vintage travel. They’re totally the kind of thing you’d have when sipping champagne on the Orient Express.

Get an expensive-looking, personalized gift that’s genuinely useful… all for under 10 dollars? That’s a bargain you just can’t miss out on!

A cashmere travel wrap

Want to know one item I never travel without? A cashmere travel wrap. It’s a total necessity, and useful in so many ways – you can cover up if you’re exploring a church, or keep warm if you’re dining out in the evening (you don’t really want to put a hoodie on in a nice restaurant, do you?). You can keep it in your bag and wrap valuables up in it, keeping it safe from prying hands. You can wear it on your head, and keep your hair nice in the wind. They’re so perfect in so many ways!

And my favorite place to buy said wrap is Novica. You might not be familiar with the name, but I absolutely love everything they stand for. Novica is a global marketplace – they source quality items from artisans around the world, and sell it on their site for a price that’s fair to everyone. You get high-quality, handcrafted items from some of the most wonderful places in the world – everywhere from India to Peru to West Africa – and the artisan communities of the world make a good wage, allowing them to continue their craft. If you love shopping abroad, it’s going to be exactly your kind of thing!

This is my favorite cashmere travel wrap on the entire site. It’s pure Indian cashmere, created by a master of the craft, and it’s just the most beautiful color I’ve ever seen. It’s so fresh and vibrant, and perfect with pastels of any color! Imagine yourself strolling down the streets of Capri in spring, wearing a pale pink dress paired up with this – it’s so delicate and lovely. It also comes with gift wrap, so you won’t even have to do the hard work of finding something yourself!

If the color isn’t your thing, browse through the other offerings from this seller – trust me, you won’t find a better cashmere wrap anywhere in the world!

Travel-inspired jewelry

You simply can’t have a list of the best luxury travel gifts without some jewelry. That would be like listing the most beautiful places in the world, and not including Paris. It’s just not cool, guys.

I love buying travel-inspired jewelry, both for friends and for myself! They’re thoughtful gifts, invoking the favorite places of the recipient. If your loved one is a fan of traveling in Bali (and who isn’t?), what could be more perfect than a necklace with a local pearl, reminding them of their travels until they can go back again? It’s like carrying a little piece of your favorite place around with you, all the time. Plus they make great conversation starters, allowing you to connect with fellow travelers!

Fortunately, I’ve got an absolutely beautiful example – and once again, it’s from my favorite place for luxury gifts, Novica. Check out this beautiful brass and lapis lazuli bracelet, made in Thailand by local artisan Tiraphan Hasub – it’s handcrafted, and absolutely stunning! The artist lives in Chiang Mai, and is determined to make life better for her and her family through her art – she’s a passionate believer in empowering women to make their own way in life. When you buy one of her bracelets, you’re not only getting something fabulous for yourself, but helping her and other women achieve their dreams.

This is one of those situations where everyone’s a winner – and if this particular bracelet isn’t what you had in mind, check out the HUGE collection of jewelry on Novica’s site! You’ll genuinely be helping to make a difference!

Noise cancelling headphones

Look on any list of travel tips these days, and noise cancelling headphones will be listed on there as an absolute essential for travelers. After all, your flight might not be in first class – but these will help you feel like you are!

Let’s be honest: flights are noisy af. If it’s not the thundering hum of engine noise, it’s other passengers chatting in your ear, or a screaming child a couple of rows back (I was once on a night flight with a small child who was teething – obviously he couldn’t help it, but a fun time was not had by all). Traveling can be stressful enough, especially if you suffer from flight or airport anxiety – so how about just cutting all of that noise out? How about sitting back, relaxing, maybe even dozing off, because all of that noise has been blissfully muted?

Everyone immediately thinks of Bose and Sony when it comes to noise-cancelling headphones, and they’re certainly a luxury product. But what if I told you that you can buy something that has the same quality of Bose, but with a lighter construction (meaning less pressure on your head)… for half the price? Oh, and they’re on Amazon, meaning that you don’t even have to go to a confusing, specialist headphones site for them? If that all sounds too good to be true, check out the Cowin SE8, and discover that it’s all true!

Have a look at the reviews – it actually gets better ratings than Bose and Sony. With 30 hours battery life, hybrid digital noise cancellation, and Bluetooth, this is the solution for everyone who’s been wanting quality noise cancelling headphones for a cheaper price!

A Kindle

We’ve come to the last entry on our luxury travel gift list – and this is the perfect gift for anyone who likes to read!

Whether you’re on a flight, a luxury cruise, or just chilling at your resort, having the time to relax and catch up with all those books you’ve been meaning to read is one of travel’s little pleasures. Is there honestly anything more satisfying than relaxing on a balcony as the sun goes down, feet up, feeling the sun’s warmth as you transport yourself into another world? It’s pretty doubtful. But there’s one drawback: books are hella heavy, and if you’re a voracious reader when you’re abroad, that adds up to a fair bit of weight.

Enter the Kindle! I’m sure I don’t need to explain them too much – the tablet-like devices, which hook up seamlessly to your Amazon account and allow you to download books directly on to it – have been around for a while now. But I really can’t overstate how thoughtful they are as a present, and why they’re one of the best luxury travel gifts out there. The Kindle Paperwhite is perfect for everyone’s needs, with a superb battery life, and backlit screen which imitates reading on an actual page. They’re ideal for low-level lighting! You can also choose how much storage space you need, allowing you to really load it up if you’re headed off on a long journey.

Buy your loved one a Kindle, and they’ll never get bored on a flight, or on a quiet evening. You’ll be giving them the gift of pure relaxation!

 

Share this guide to the best travel accessories for women!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this list of the best luxury travel gifts for her! They really are the best travel accessories for women you can get – luxurious and stylish, whilst being useful for any traveler!

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Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this; let me know in the comments which one you’ll be buying first!



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