A souvenir is a token of remembrance that you bring something back home from your travels and adventures. Travel souvenirs are an important part of the experience. They are tokens meant to make you fondly recollect some of your precious moments. Travel souvenirs reserve a place in your heart that allows you to cherish your travel experiences for a lifetime. Whether they’re trinkets from a market, keepsake magnets, or keychains from an amusement park, they can remind you of the places you’ve been and what you’ve done there.
While there is no shortage of travel souvenirs to choose from, they’re often impractical for daily use and tend to quickly fall apart after a few weeks. Moreover, shopping for these memorabilia tends to take up a lot of space and over time buying & storing them becomes an expensive task rather than a fond activity.
However, there are practical and meaningful souvenirs that can last a lifetime!
For people who do not want to rummage through junk, and ensure that their backpack doesn’t get crowded, you are in the right place. The following is a list of the best travel souvenirs that’ll last forever. Most importantly, these are true capsules that can encompass the moments that you never want to forget.
Best & Unique Travel Souvenir Ideas
Table of Contents
Postcards
A postcard is a unique and personal souvenir that can be found in any country. Pen down the essence of the trip in a postcard while your memories are fresh. Write what you did in that city or country, what you feel in that moment, your favorites in the city, a picture of yourself, or anything that inspires you. Write it from the country or place you wish to remember and mail it home to yourself.
Postcards are cheap and you put a lot of details into a small space. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about carrying them around with you on your trip. It might seem like a glorified piece of paper, but trust us it is one of the more reliable souvenirs you can have. It also fits easily in your travel journal.
As an added perk, you get a Stamp! Another travel souvenir to cherish. You also get to experience the postal system of another country.
Currencies
The idea of a souvenir is to help you immediately recollect the place that you have been to. What better souvenir than the country’s currency? A currency is a genuine artifact representing the country, making it the most ideal souvenir. All you have to do is keep aside the signature coins and currency notes that you have exchanged for your needs while you were there, and you have a souvenir that is meaningful, cool to look at, showcase, and easily carry & store.
You can even create your own collection as these valuable colorful pieces are informative and educational. Every penny that is collected awakens curiosity and interest in you. There is also the added benefit of them being valued a lot in the distant future.
Trivia: A person who collects and studies coins or currency notes is called a numismatist.
Tattoos
Get inked to truly ensure that you get to relive every moment of your special time. Tattoos are very personal and permanent so ensure you are committed to your decision. A symbol or sign in the local language, a meaningful word, or a design of your choice will make you self-express or share your faith. Most importantly, please do your research and ensure you pick a safe and clean tattoo parlor. Get to know about the ink they use as it might be sensitive to your skin.
Remember, this souvenir remains on you forever!! So, choose wisely.
Learn Skills
Traveling is about introducing yourself to new experiences. What better way of ensuring that your time has been spent productively than by picking up a skill? Learning a skill makes you more confident. Picking up a skill in a new country or place ensures that you get to mingle with the locals, and understand more about the place, while also learning something new & useful.
The certificates or brochures that you earn from the skill could be considered the best travel souvenir. While some skills can be learned online, some mandate a physical presence. Learn to cook their traditional meal, dance the regional dance, take a painting class, make pottery, learn the local language, or for those seeking the adrenaline rush and looking to truly get out of their comfort zones, try any adventure sports like scuba diving, skydiving, or skiing. This is also a great way to check some items off of hopefully a much-crowded bucket list and make a lasting memory.
Google search “Cheap places to learn <skill name>” or “Skills to learn in <place name>”. It will list a handful of options to learn and ace a skill in whatever destination you choose.
Tip: Find a way to share the values or skills that you have learned.
Useful Accessories
Your host country can have a different taste in fashion than at home. Take inspiration from the native people and buy practical and simple functional items like earrings, hairpins, watches, or clothes that you use in everyday life. You can also buy local sweets, pickles, powdered flavors, spices, or any food items that you can utilize back at home for cooking. Moreover, these don’t take up much space.
You need not visit a store to buy these items; instead, they’re often found in street shops or local vendors in the tourist spots.
You have to admit that the material souvenirs that are kept in the corner of your home or the showcase don’t last long. They lose their meaning over time, as they collect dust mites in the corner. These souvenirs will truly help you capture and easily recollect that life-changing trip you took. The things listed above will greatly aid you in commemorating your time.
Buy things that add value to your life or anything that would be beneficial to you when you are back home, as opposed to the empty coasters and t-shirts you dump around your place.
Hope these help you in changing the perspective of bringing meaningful souvenirs from your travels. For more travel tips and useful information such as this, subscribe to our newsletter right away!
