In the 10 years since we broke free of “regular jobs” and had lifestyle freedom, we’ve taken A LOT of trips. Here are the 15 most formative ones, from exotic fast travel around the globe to chilling out in a hot tub in Breckenridge.
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Every year, for the past seven years, we’ve scoured the globe to find the most unique, most useful, and best gifts for travelers on the planet (tough life, I know).
And in those past seven years, our annual “best gifts for travelers” guide has become one of the most popular travel gift guides in the world!
So if you’re struggling with what to get the traveler in your life, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered again this year.
From less than $5 to over $1,000, and with gifts ranging from backpacks to books and from cashmere to coffee, there’s something here for everyone. Here are the best gifts for travelers – so start shopping, and happy holidays!
Do you have travel questions for Trav about travel or travel hacking? Tweet us @packofpeanuts or Instagram with #askepop to @packofpeanuts, or even on Facebook! Anywhere you can find us!
Oliver Gee, a former Australian journalist, can teach you fake french in 1:07 seconds, give you the most amazing insights into local life in Paris, and he just completed an 8-week, 2500 mile trip around France on a little red scooter, going 30 miles per hour (max) with his new wife on the back and somehow found the time to join us on today’s episode. He is the man behind TheEarfulTower.com, The Earful Tower Podcast, and he makes tons of videos all highlighting the beauty and mysteries of Paris while constantly striving to discover more about his adopted hometown.
Today’s episode has been sponsored by our friends at Tortuga Backpacks & the amazing guys over at Bluffworks!
Do you have travel questions for Trav about travel or travel hacking? Tweet us @packofpeanuts or Instagram with #askepop to @extrapackofpeanuts, or even on Facebook! Anywhere you can find us!
In This Episode
04:30 Why Do You Love Travel?
06:10 Differences Between Aussies & Americans In Travel
12:34 Why France & Why Then?
14:50 Connection To Europe
17:00 Loving The Parisian Charm
19:58 Tips On Living & Visiting Inexpensively In Paris
After spending over 3 weeks in Vancouver, Heather and Trav are well versed in the best things to do in this beautiful city. Discover how many breweries Trav went to in 21 days (hint: it’s a lot!), Heather’s favorite pizza and coffee spots, and the activity that they both say you “can’t miss” when visiting Van.
Go Fish – The best fish and chips in the world, according to one expert (Heather). Go, and you’ll see why.
The Fish Counter – A close second, the Fish Counter on Main Street is also an amazing choice with lots of different seafood options.
Carp – Awesome poke and sushi place tucked into a small shop in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.
Pacific Poke – A decent poke shop located right downtown
Railtown Cafe – Big, delicious sandwiches on Main Street.
Via Tevere – Some of Heather’s favorite pizza ever.
Sal y Limon – A quick, fast, fairly cheap, and casual taco spot with lots of good choices.
Tacofino – The Vancouver outpost of this crazy popular taco truck originally started in Tofino.
The Flying Pig – And upscale dining option in Gastown for Italian fare.
Fable Diner – Incredible brunches make the inevitable hour-long wait on weekends worth it.
Cartem’s Donuts – Conveniently located on Main Street, this donut place has an ever-rotating selection of eclectic flavor choices, including Heather’s favorite, earl grey.
Ice Cream:
Rain or Shine – My favorite ice cream in Vancouver. Big portions, nice people, and fantastic flavors. What more could an ice cream lover want?
Rooster Ice Cream – A small, new place that not only has good ice cream but makes a mean ice cream cookie sandwich!
Earnest – With 4 locations in Vancouver, Earnest gets recognized by many as Vancouver’s best ice cream. While I personally think Rain or Shine narrowly edges it out, you can’t go wrong by trying it out for yourself!
La Casa Gelato – Quantity over quality, this gelato shop has the most flavors of anywhere in the world – 238 at any given time! The spectacle itself is worth going for, even if the gelato is just average.
Bella Gelateria – You know a gelato place is good when it’s won an international award from real, Italian judges in Florence!
33 Acres – The best brewery in Vancouver, this place ticks all the boxes – great beer, friendly staff, and a beautiful interior. Go early, because it gets packed (for good reason).
Brassneck – After hitting 33 Acres and then Cartem’s Donuts, wander over to his fantastic brewery. Our second favorite brewery in the Main Street area, it shouldn’t be missed.
Faculty – A small brewery with only 4-5 beers on tap, it’s worth the visit, especially if you’re biking by on the Ontario Street bike path.
R&B Brewing – The atmosphere here is like being in your friend’s basement (in a good way) and the pizza is pretty decent too. Unfortunately, the beer left a bit to be desired.
Main Street Brewing – Nothing fancy or exciting here, but hey, it’s another brewery to stop at if you’re trying to hit them all!
“Yeast Van” Area
Strangefellows – Unique beer selection, good bar snacks, and a cool vibe make this one of Vancouver’s top breweries.
Luppolo – A relative newcomer, their hazy IPA was my favorite of the entire trip.
Callister – With 3 rotating guest breweries plus Callister itself all brewing under the same roof, coming here means you can try 4 completely different breweries all at once, which is a great concept.
Storm – Vancouver’s oldest, and certainly most unique, craft brewery, Storm is a must-visit for the “ambiance” alone. Enter the no-frill “tasting room” through the loading door and be treated to some of the most eclectic beers you’ll ever find.
Other Breweries
Steamworks – This huge brewery and sports bar is found right on the water in Gastown. With good food and good beer, this is whatever large brewpub should strive for.
Coast Mountain – Found up north in Whistler, this tiny tasting room is exactly what you’d expect in a ski town – crowded, lively, and fun with fantastic beer to boot! A personal favorite.
Superflux Beer Company – A gypsy brewery with no tasting room, if you can find their cans at the craft bottle shops in Vancouver, buy them. This brewery is setting the standard for hazy IPA’s in Vancouver…and beyond.
Coffee:
Matchstick – Heather’s favorite coffee in Vancouver, this quaint coffee shop tucked away in Mount Pleasant is a must for coffee aficionados.
49th Parallel – This big, comfy cafe with good coffee is a great place to come, hang out, and relax (especially if you snag one of their overstuffed leather chairs)!
Revolver – Want good coffee in Gastown? This is your spot!
Prado – If you find yourself in the Commercial Drive area, this is the place to head for great coffee!
Accommodations:
One of the best parts of Vancouver is the neighborhoods, which is why we recommend finding a fun AirBnB in any of the following neighborhoods if you’re staying for more than 2 days (click here to create an AirBnB account and get $40 credit)
Mount Pleasant
Kitsilano
West End
HI Hostel Central – A decent choice if you’re really on a budget. But if you can afford it, we recommend you head elsewhere.
English Bay Beach – Located in Stanley Park, this is one of the more lively beaches in Vancouver and a great place to spend the afternoon.
Granville Island – Fantastic views of the city and great indoor markets.
Drive to Whistler – Rent a car, get out of Vancouver, and take the beautiful drive up through Squamish to Whistler.
Dude Chilling Park – Is it the best park in the world? No way. But does it have the best name? You bet.
Wreck Beach – Head here if you’ve got a hankering for a bit of adventure. 300+ stairs down to the beach keep it pretty isolated, which is a good thing because once you get down, you’ll realize it’s clothing-optional (but discouraged).
Jericho Beach – One of Vancouver’s best beaches, especially for sunsets.
Sea to Sky Gondola – At $40 CAD, it’s a bit pricey, but if you’re driving to Whistler, it’s worth it if you like gondolas, suspension bridges, and want to hike around for a few hours.
Capilano Suspension Bridge – Like Sea to Sky, at $42 CAD it’s a bit pricier than it should be, but it’s also every little kid’s dream. Walk along a huge suspension bridge and then a bunch of smaller ones that take you through the treetops.
Shopping on Main Street – Lots of neat shops to poke your head in between eating and drinking along this great stretch of the city.
2015 was a crazy year of travel, one which saw us crisscross the globe, hit a few new countries and states, and even settle down in our own house for the first time in 5 years.
And while the year was incredible as a whole, there are some instances that stick out as the best – and ones that we will remember forever.
From hot air balloon rides over ancient temples to self-guided food tours of back alley stalls, here are our top 24 experiences of 2015 – including a few that will surprise you!
