Travel Gift Ideas - No Matter Who's On Your List

Are you struggling with trying to find a unique and appreciated gift this season?

Do you have everyone from bookworms to adrenaline junkies on your gift list? Everybody has a special interest or hobby and travel is a great gift to acknowledge that activity, provide a new and unique way to enjoy that pursuit, and create lifetime memories.

While major milestones are often celebrated with bucket list vacations, you don’t need a momentous occasion to give the gift of travel. Here is a sampling of a few travel experiences sure to be loved and remembered that might not come immediately to mind when constructing your shopping list:

• Animal Lovers - visit the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in Malawi; volunteer for Sea Turtle Conservation in Costa Rica
• Adventure Junkies – bungee jump off the Victoria Falls Bridge; live in a yurt on the Mongolian plain
• Book Lovers – Da Vinci Code tour; Literary Pub Crawl in Dublin; tour the Alexandria Library
• Culinary Fans – truffle hunting in Italy; cooking class with Michelin star chef in Mexico
• Dance Enthusiasts – enjoy Tango lessons in Buenos Aires; Salsa clubbing in Havana; learn to Waltz in Vienna
• Fun Seekers – Zipline thru the Rainforest;  race rickshaws through the streets of Siem Reap; drive a dog sled in Alaska
• Sports Enthusiasts – golf at St. Andrews; ski the French Alps; learn to scuba dive off the Great Barrier Reef
• Speed Demons – drive a Ferrari racing car on a track in Italy; participate in an America’s Cup style race in New Zealand
• Theater Fans – see a production at the Globe Theatre in London; a play at the Odeon in Athens; opera in Venice.
• Well-being Enthusiasts – learnTai Chi in Beijing; practice yoga with a guru in India
• Wine Lovers – learn to blend in Provence; harvest grapes in Chile; tour the Australian Wine Country

The list of unique experiences available while traveling is limitless. And, the memories will last a lifetime, unlike most of the “stuff” that we buy?

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European River Wine Cruises

Cruising, whether ocean or river, is becoming more and more niche based.

The niche size varies from huge demographic groups (think family targeted mass-market cruising such as Carnival or Royal Caribbean) to very specific such as yachting the Galapagos Islands. Some niches are voyage or itinerary specific, such as the Christmas Markets or Tulip river cruises.

Today I’d like to focus on European River Wine Cruises. The combination of medieval Europe exploration with the history and atmosphere of European wine-making is captivating. This growing specialty of river cruising is increasing in popularity and appeals to all levels of wine “connoisseurs”.

I mean, really. How expert do you need to be to enjoy biking through French vineyards, going on a “truffle treasure hunt”, or learning the ideal pairing of French chocolate and a Bordeaux wine at a chocolatier's shop? Just a few examples of some of the activities available with these wine focused river cruises.

But, on the other hand, if you are a wine aficionado, imagine sampling Bordeaux wines in a wine cellar in Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux or a Moselle wine while admiring the turrets of a Rhineland castle?!

And it’s not just the traditional wine regions of France and Germany that have wine focused agendas. Cruise the Douro River and enjoy Spanish and Portuguese wines, as well as learning more about Port making in Porto. Or navigate the Po River from Venice to Bologna while indulging in Italian wines and delicacies.

Some wine cruises are itinerary specific such as cruising thru Burgundy from Avignon to Lyon or exploring the Bordeaux region winding along three different rivers in the valley. Alternatively, traditional itineraries with an added wine and culinary focus and including a guest expert such as a winery owner vineyard manager on board are also available.

These specialized wine cruises are fabulous for small to medium groups. Whether your group is expert or a new-to-wine experiment, these are a great way to experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of old-world Europe.