Sazia Sharmin tells you what to bring back from your vacations
What did you bring back from your last travel? Wonderful memories and a few blisters on your feet? Thousands of pictures on your camera and phone? Yet another shot glass or a fridge magnet? If you love to travel, it means you like exploring the new and unknown. Your travels take you beyond the boundaries of your physical home and mental comfort zone. The souvenirs you bring back can be meaningful additions to your home and thoughtful gifts for loved ones. Perhaps you’ll find these pointers useful in refining your souvenir shopping:
1. Buy something that combines utility with intrigue. If you can get something you can actually use, you will value it more than a plastic replica of a famous structure that soon becomes visual clutter in your home. A traditional piece of clothing that you can actually wear in your home town is always a hit.
2. Find what the place you are visiting is known for, best if something hand-made. Hand-made jewellery or Yak-wool blankets from Nepal are gifts your friends will truly thank you for.
3. Bring back a taste of your destination: local chocolate, cheese, any dry non-perishable food items such as dried fruits and nuts, even cookies. Stay away from bringing back fresh fruits and vegetables as they may introduce harmful pathogens to local plants and animals.
4. Focus on cultural objects rather than generic factory-produced souvenirs. Often you can create a collection of similar objects from different parts of the world, for example, handmade dolls or prayer instruments.
5. Whatever you bring back, make sure it is small and portable. If you’re getting it for your home make sure you actually have a place for it. Otherwise it only becomes a dust-gathering burden you feel guilty to get rid of.
6. Travel souvenirs don’t have always have to be of the cool and cute variety, they can be Intelligent and educational. Buy a good book or a poster that will help you learn more about your destination.
7. Find or collect something natural. One of the coolest ideas for kids is to collect shells and sand from different beaches and make a collection in glass containers.
8. Ask yourself if this is something that can actually be bought somewhere for less. Tourist shops are often overpriced. Try to shop where locals shop if language and conditions permit.
9. If you are in a major urban centre, take the opportunity to shop for your next trip! Buy a foldable lightweight bag for taking back your newly acquired items. Buy comfortable walking shoes that will serve you on that and future trips.
10. Buy nothing at all! Save your ticket stubs and brochures, print a family picture taken on your trip and put them together for a one-of-a-kind souvenir.