It can be hard to shop for a minimalist, but travel gifts are a great way to please those who don’t want or need more stuff. Rather than gifting another gadget that’ll take up space on the kitchen counter, let your loved ones revel in new experiences, soaking up the local scene in a far-flung destination. Here are a few ideas for giving the gift of travel this holiday season.

Travel gifts for the foodie

Osaka, Japan

Osaka is often lauded as Japan’s kitchen. It’s a place where people love to eat, and with gusto. Your favorite foodie will delight in sampling tasty morsels, perusing interesting ingredients and browsing for kitchen utensils in one of the city’s markets like Kuromon Ichiba, a seafood-centric market with some 150 stalls.

A stroll through Dotonbori or Shinsekai neighborhoods will yield a dizzying array of restaurants, including plenty of places to try some of the city’s famous street food like takoyaki (grilled spheres of savory batter studded with pieces of octopus) or kushikatsu (battered and deep-fried chunks of meat and vegetables laced on skewers). Spirit fans will love a tour of the Daimon Brewery where they can enjoy some well-earned sake after learning how it’s made.

To celebrate the trip, gift a stay at Conrad Osaka and suggest a sumptuous teppanyaki dinner in a private dining room at Kura. Afterward, they should head to the 40 Sky Bar and Lounge for a craft cocktail and views of Osaka’s glittering Nakanoshima District. This eagle’s lair offers live music and afternoon tea, Japanese-style, too. The next day, the concierge can arrange a bespoke itinerary through the city’s markets or to nearby Osaka Castle.

For the soul searchers

Algarve, Portugal

Sometimes the best gift is the gift of down time, and Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost region right on the Atlantic, is the perfect destination to slow down, relax and come back to center. Self-care is easy when there are beautiful beaches to surf, swim or sunbathe. The most popular beaches like Praia da Falésia and Praia do Camilo are less than an hour from Conrad Algarve, and the property also offers a quick shuttle ride to a resort-exclusive stretch of Vale do Lobo Beach. For more active relaxation, sublime hiking awaits on the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail with its glimpses across sheer cliffs and into hidden coves along the coast.

Golfing is another excellent opportunity to practice mindfulness, and there are six courses within a couple miles of the hotel. Plus, the golf concierge can help arrange the day from transportation to tee time reservations and private lessons with a PGA-qualified pro. Back at the resort, your loved one can divide their time between lounging at one of the three on-site swimming pools and partaking in customized spa treatments like a rose quartz facial, a shiatsu massage or a hydrating skin scrub. They’re sure to feel both mentally and physically rejuvenated by the end of their trip.

Golfing is another excellent opportunity to practice mindfulness, and there are six courses within a couple miles of the hotel. Plus, the PGA-certified golf concierge can help arrange the day. Back at the resort, they can divide their time between lounging at one of the three on-site swimming pools and partaking in customized spa treatments like oxygen infusion and inhalation therapies, couples massage and all-over body scrubs. They’re sure to feel both mentally and physically rejuvenated by the end of their trip.

Travel gifts for culture cravers

Cairo, Egypt

With more than 1,000 –years of history, Cairo has more than its share of fascinating culture for the loved one who craves new environments. The Great Pyramid of Giza, next to the inscrutable Sphinx, is the only one of the original Seven Great Wonders of the World that still stands today, and it’s only about 30 minutes away from the city center.

The Grand Egyptian Museum has the largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities on the planet. You could easily spend a whole day examining sarcophagi and imagining the lives of these ancient kings and queens.

Your loved ones can shop for artisan-made crafts and souvenirs at the famous Khan El-Khalili bazaar, established in the 1300s. It has a maze of antique shops, trade goods, coffee houses and restaurants. Conrad Cairo, with its perch on the Nile River, is the ideal base for exploration. The onsite, 24/7 concierge can create custom itineraries for all the above spots. They can also arrange plenty of ways to rest for those feeling weary after a full day’s exploration. This downtown hotel features an outdoor swimming pool, spa and wellness center, along with six restaurants, some offering prime seats overlooking this storied river.

Selena Nonagase is a writer based in Tokyo. Bylines include BBC Travel, CNN Travel, The Atlantic, The Guardian, etc. She can usually be found drinking coffee in Tokyo cafes and bathing in hot springs in rural Japan.