Avid travelers prize experiences over stuff, which makes them really, really hard to shop for. Forget the travel gadgets — most jetsetters have enough luggage tags and carry-on bags. And no one needs another novelty coffee mug. We’re here to help with five ideas for gifts that speak to a traveler’s soul.

1. Send Them on a Surprise Getaway

Is it extravagant? A little. Unforgettable? Definitely. The perfect gift for the spontaneous traveler, Pack Up + Go is a service that arranges a three-day weekend trip to a surprise city. Enter your budget, travel dates and preferences, and Pack Up + Go makes the arrangements for travel and accommodations. Your recipient gets an envelope in the mail with all the details, to be opened on the day of departure.

Options range from a group road trip (starting at $400 per person) to a solo traveler plane/train/bus getaway (starting at $800). If that’s too much of a splurge, you can purchase gift cards starting at $100.

2. Mail Them a Global-Themed Subscription Box

If you can’t send your favorite traveler on a trip, do the next best thing: send the world to them. The Artisan Box from GlobeIn is a hand-picked assortment of pretty and practical fair-trade goods from around the world, such as a Turkish towel, a Sri Lankan travel journal, or a mini tagine dish from Tunisia.

Try the World sends boxes with gourmet foods, snacks and spices from a different country each month. Well-known chefs choose the ingredients for each mailing, which includes a Culture Guide with recipes and stories.

Or, find your inspiration in a specific travel destination. Fans of Japanese culture will squee at the Kawaii Box, a selection of the cutest Japanese and Korean candy, trinkets and collectibles. For Francophiles, the Bon Appetit Box holds French treats like fleur de sel caramels and gourmet jams.

3. Donate to a Charity that Serves Their Favorite Destination

More than most people, travelers are acutely aware of the world’s tremendous disparities in wealth. Consider making a donation to a charity that deepens the connection between your loved one and a country they love.

Heifer International is a 70-year-old organization that donates livestock to families in poverty, helping them become self-reliant. Not only that, but each recipient passes on the first female offspring of their livestock to another family in need. It’s a fun gift, too — your recipient gets to say, “I got an alpaca for my birthday!” Prices range from $10 for a share in a goat to $5,000 for a Gift Ark, with two water buffalos, two cows, two sheep and two goats, plus bees, chicks, rabbits and more.

For $33 per month, you can give the gift of sponsoring a child through ChildFund. This nonprofit, founded in 1938, allows sponsors to help pay for a child’s education and care as they communicate with them through letters or email. ChildFund works in more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas, and can even help arrange a visit between sponsor and child.

4. Treat Them to an Ethnic Cooking Class

The next best thing to sampling street food in Bangkok? Learning how to make it yourself. Foodie travelers will savor the chance to explore their favorite cuisines under the guidance of a chef. And a class is so much better than a cookbook; as culinary supply store Sur La Table says, “great cooking isn't about recipes—it's about techniques.”

One of Sur La Table’s most popular cooking classes is “Thai Restaurant Favorites,” which covers larb gai lettuce wraps, pad thai noodles and panang coconut curry. Or try “Passport to Paris,” with tarragon chicken and a caramel-pear pot de crème.

5. Brighten Their Cruise with a Shipboard Surprise

Is your favorite traveler planning a cruise this year? Make the trip even more memorable with a surprise gift they’ll receive on board. If you’re not sure what to order, a shipboard credit is always a good idea. Don’t wait until the last minute, though. Most cruise lines say to place the order at least three days before the ship sets sail.

• Carnival’s The Fun Shops lets you buy gifts for cruisers like chocolate-covered strawberries, beach towels, plush robes and champagne.
• Disney Cruise Line’s onboard gift selection targets kids (and adults who are kids at heart) with themed room decorations, a chocolate pirate ship, “Frozen” cookies and even tiny, decorated Christmas trees.
• The luxury Crystal Cruise line offers some extravagant shipboard gifts, like six bottles of wine for $450 or a caviar and champagne package for $625.

Planning to give the gift of travel? Don’t forget travel insurance. Allianz Global Assistance offers plans for every budget and destination, with key benefits like trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical and travel delay. Find your plan today, and travel happy!

Richmond-based travel writer Muriel Barrett has a terrible sense of direction, and has spent many happy hours getting lost in Barcelona, Venice and Jerusalem. Her favorite travel memories all involve wildlife: watching sea turtles nest in Costa Rica, kayaking with seals in Vancouver and meeting a pink tarantula in Martinique.

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