Honestly, I travel for the food. I love being outdoors hiking, or immersing in local culture. I have a blast at music festivals abroad and reading a great book on the beach too. But really, I dream of al fresco restaurants with delectable tasting menus, cooking demonstrations suing only the freshest local ingredients, and night markets filled with tasty curiosities.

My traveling friends and I have put together some of our most coveted treats at home that inspire our wanderings and keep us motivated to expand our palettes. There’s also some interesting ideas for gift that enhance your best food and drinks, keep you hydrated, and even keep the single-use plastics to a minimum.

Alongside our traditional gift guides, we have one this year just based on experiences to gift your loved ones, so make sure you check that one out too. Giveaways are happening to say THANK YOU to all our readers, so bookmark our giveaway page and follow us on Instagram for a chance at more then $500 worth of prizes! -Eileen

Melissa Coppel chocolates

Finding a high quality, unique and delicious assortment of chocolate is never easy. Finding a colorful and tempting vegan version is hitting all five numbers on that lottery ticket stuck in your wallet. As luck has it, we’ve found them for you. Melissa Coppels’ Vegan Bonbon Box satiated every craving we had. This beautiful spread twisted flavors into a two-bite euphoria. Each bite was a voyage discovering tastes such as Lime Caramel Black Sesame Duja that left us with only one thing. An empty box. 

Retail: $48

• Jake and Olive

PATH Water

Kids (and adults!) need to stay hydrated, especially when they spend long hours in a plane. Sometimes it’s a slog to get little humans to sip on water while we’re traveling. I don’t want to buy single use bottles of water at the airport for the cost and the environment, so we’ve started to use PATH water. It comes in reusable aluminum bottles and features some fun characters in special editions, like Spongebob and Ninja Turtles. For the adults, they have a variety of flavors of sparkling water.

PATH bottles can be customizable too, which would be a really fun addition to a destination bachelorette or family reunion. They’re our new go-to on the road for a great alternative to plastics.

Retail: $48

• Eileen

Sakura Japanese treats box

Japan was a transformative trip. Visiting this amazing country was intense, beautiful and captivating in so many ways, but mostly because everything felt so different from what I’ve always known. It’s tough tor recapture that feeling of wonder, but one way is through keeping those tangible memory senses alive. I love getting the Sakura box full of Japanese treats to relive some of the fun and flavors of one of my favorite destinations. Nt only did the box come with lots of sweet and savory nibbles, mine included a delicate tea cup that was welcomed, because one would have never made it home on the plane from my trip!

Retail: about $35/month

• Eileen 

Vinarmour Travel Wine Carrier

My discerning palette has definitely evolved over the years. Especially now when I’m fortunate enough to travel to iconic wine destinations like France, Australia, and Italy, I’m able to indulge in so many wonderful sips of smooth, robust, and fresh wines. When I find the perfect bottle and want to take it home, I certainly don’t want to worry about it being damaged or broken at any point. 

This luxe wine carrier is a beautiful splurge gift for the wine lover in your life from Vinarmour. Besides its incredible leak-proof, puncture-proof design that also folds up compactly, it’s absolutely beautiful on the outside. They’ve utilized materials such as Kevlar (!) and Dyneema, the world’s strongest fabric. The carrier has a lifetime guarantee, eliminating the need to buy disposable bubble carrier that aren’t great for the environment. Proceeds of each sale support the Napa Green Initiative that empowers California wine makers to set standards for climate action and positive change. 

Retail: $298

• Eileen

Shaker & Spoon cocktails mixer box

Although I appreciate a complex, flavorful cocktail when I’m traveling, I tend to stick to something simple at home. But that can get bland, especially during the festive season. I also don’t want to commit to a full bottle of bitters or aromatics if I don’t know what I’ll like at first.

My husband dove head first into our Shaker and Spoon box; he was a bartender for almost a decade and was excited to make some new creations at home. We opted for the Ballad of Irish Whiskey box that came with all the floral, sweet, bitter, and bold ingredients needed (minus the liquor) to make the perfect, sippable drinks. You can get a monthly subscription or gift a specific box from the vault you think looks good.

PS: We’re giving away a prize box from Shaker and Spoon on the giveaway page and on Instagram soon, stay tuned!

Retail: $60/month

• Eileen

Sweet Chaos drizzled popcorn

The snack of choice in our house and on the road is popcorn. My preschooler is finally old enough to enjoy the popcorn train my spouse and I are fully onboard of all year round. I’m definitely filling their stockings (and plane snackle boxes) with popcorn from Sweet Chaos. They have super fun savory flavors like Jalapeno blue cheese, and lots of ‘drizzled’ choices, such as gingerbread or peppermint for the holidays.

Retail: Buy locally or purchase via Amazon, $6-10

• Eileen

Matter Compostables

We’re slowly moving away from single-use plastics in our home. It’s much tricker than I thought! But we get a little better everyday: it’s not perfect, but most of our groceries and single-use kitchenware is all recyclable or compostable. We’re also moving into supporting this change while traveling too.

Matter compostables makes it simple to switch from plastics. I even bring utensils with me sometimes on road trips and my own business trips to make sure we have some in a pinch for snacks and meals on the go. I bring the kids sandwich bags for snacks wherever we travel, as well as the straws for restaurants so we can say no thanks when offered the standard plastic ones while out eating. This is a thoughtful and practical gift idea for anyone looking to reduce thier impact while traveling.

Retail: Varies, food storage bag variety pack $24.99

• Christian

Delight Naturals

Somehow I always have chapped lips year round. Delight Naturals lip balms have helped me remedy my plight! I love their jumbo lip balms for home and travel. Larger than a standard lip balm, they last for looonnngggg time feature minimal and natural ingredients. The packaging is also 100% recyclable. Obviously you shouldn’t eat your lip balm, but many of the flavors smell so good it’s tempting!

I keep one in my car, one on my nightstand and one in my travel kit. Within a week of using Delight Naturals lip balm, I noticed a considerable difference in my lips. Delight Naturals products make great stocking stuffers as well! 

Retail: $3.99 for regular, $12.99 for jumbo

• Jeannine