Extraordinary travel gift ideas with Epic
This holiday season, give them a story to tell and memories which will last a lifetime. Four extraordinary ideas worth travelling for.
There’s something to be said for the belief that true value lies in what we’ve done and experienced in the world, rather than the things we’ve accumulated along the way. Travel has a wonderful way of proving that. Years later, we might forget what we received for a particular birthday or holiday, but we’ll still remember the places we discovered, the people we met and the adventures we shared.
And when it comes to giving gifts, there’s something special about choosing an experience that reflects someone’s passions, curiosity or perhaps a desperate need for some proper downtime.
How about four nights at an exclusive Moroccan kasbah, with private dining beneath the desert stars? A few days discovering the flavours of Fes alongside a chef who knows its kitchens and markets intimately? Or, for the more adventurous, a chance to experience Portugal’s legendary surf culture, from shaping a board to getting closer to the magnificent waves of Nazaré?
At Epic, we love the idea of giving someone an experience they might never have thought to arrange for themselves. Something that introduces them to extraordinary people, takes them somewhere wonderful and gives them stories to bring home and share. With the holiday season approaching, we’ve gathered a few of our favourite experience gift ideas for the people in your life who could appreciate a little adventure, a thoughtful surprise or the pleasure of discovering somewhere new.
For someone in need of a real off-grid escape
Dar Ahlam – a dreamlike retreat near the Moroccan Sahara
Imagine arriving at a beautiful traditional kasbah hidden among the palm groves of Skoura, with the High Atlas Mountains rising in the distance. Dar Ahlam is one of the most exclusive experiences you can have in Morocco, and everything is perfectly tailored to you; there are no fixed dining times, no reception desk, and there is something wonderful for you to discover every day.
Welcome to Dar Ahlam, meaning House of Dreams.
This extraordinary retreat takes a very personal approach to hospitality. One evening, dinner might be waiting in a secluded garden. Another evening could find you surrounded by lanterns beneath an open sky. Each day unfolds according to your interests, with the team arranging experiences around the property and across the surrounding countryside.
Explore the palm groves with a local guide, meet craftspeople in nearby villages or discover the ancient traditions that have existed in this part of Morocco for centuries. You might spend an afternoon in the hammam, learn about traditional bread-making or venture out into the dramatic Valley of Roses.
For a truly exceptional gift idea, Epic is working with Dar Ahlam to create a serene four-night escape, combining three nights at the kasbah with one night at its luxury desert camp.
It’s a chance to switch off completely, enjoy the beautiful surroundings and leave the planning to someone else. Epic’s close relationship with Dar Ahlam means we can work with the team to shape each stay around the interests and preferences of the person travelling.
For someone who values privacy, appreciates extraordinary places and could really do with a few days away from it all, this would make a wonderful gift.
ENQUIRE ABOUT A DAR AHLAM ESCAPE →
For the person with a passion for food
A culinary adventure through Fes
Fes, Morocco
![[IMAGE: Moroccan cooking experience or Fes food market]](https://epic.travel/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/image-4-1024x499.png)
Some people return from their travels with souvenirs, but others come home with recipes, stories about incredible meals and a determination to recreate something they tasted in a tiny local restaurant.
For those people, we’d recommend Fes.
The city’s culinary traditions are among Morocco’s richest, with recipes passed through generations and dishes that reveal the influence of royal kitchens, family celebrations and centuries of trade. At the wonderful Courtyard Kitchen at Dar Namir, guests can discover this fascinating food culture alongside British chef and food journalist Tara Stevens and her local collaborators.
Start among the market stalls, meeting vendors and choosing ingredients before heading back to the kitchen to prepare a Moroccan feast. Learn to balance fragrant spices, fold delicate briouats or make a traditional tagine. For something more off the beaten track, travel into the foothills of the Middle Atlas to a small organic goat farm. Here, lunch begins outdoors, with bread baking in a wood-fired oven, lamb kefta grilling over charcoal and fresh goat’s cheese finding its way into the day’s dishes.
Or spend an evening enjoying private dining in a restored courtyard house, where a mother-and-daughter team prepares a generous Moroccan meal.
These are wonderful experience gift ideas for adults who love food, enjoy meeting people and are happiest discovering a country through its kitchen. And the lovely thing about a culinary experience? The memories often make their way home in the form of a new favourite dish.
For the endlessly curious
Spend a day in someone else’s world
Have you ever wondered what your life might look like if you’d grown up somewhere completely different? Perhaps your mornings would begin tending animals on a remote mountain plateau, preparing meals over an open fire or heading out to sea with fishermen whose families have worked the same coastline for generations.
Epic’s Day-in-the-Life experiences offer an opportunity to discover the daily routines, traditions and skills of rural communities in Morocco and Portugal. Some of these ways of living are gradually disappearing, making the chance to learn from the people preserving them all the more fascinating.
With the help of local guides and community hosts, guests can spend time getting to know the people behind these traditions, hearing their stories and discovering how generations of knowledge continue to shape life today.
A day with Morocco’s nomadic communities
In Morocco, that could mean travelling into the Atlas Mountains to learn about the lives of Amazigh shepherds, farming communities and nomadic families. With the help of local guides who know these communities personally, guests can learn about their customs, livelihoods, society and relationship with the landscape.
There are opportunities to share food, discover traditional skills and hear stories about the challenges and pleasures of rural life. You could also witness evidence of ancient Nomadic life in the rock etchings left by ancestors.
The experience is shaped around the people involved, with an emphasis on respectful encounters and genuine cultural exchange. You might spend a full day exploring the area, with a hike and picnic lunch along the way, or extend the experience with an overnight camping adventure.
It’s a particularly thoughtful gift for someone who loves learning, meeting people and discovering how others live. Sometimes the most memorable part of a journey is a conversation you never expected to have.
Discover life along Portugal’s fishing coast
Alentejo coast, Portugal
Portugal’s fishing communities have spent generations living and working alongside the Atlantic. For travellers interested in the people behind a destination, Epic’s Day-in-the-Life concept can open up a different side of the Portuguese coast.
Explore the coastline and wetlands with expert local guide Silvestre before visiting a traditional fishing village to discover the routines, knowledge and skills that shape life by the sea. You might even see the handmade keepsakes local fishermen create while waiting for their next catch.
With the right local introductions, it’s an opportunity to hear stories from people who know the coastline intimately and gain a deeper appreciation of a way of life that visitors often see only from a distance.
The day can include beautiful coastal hiking trails, lunch and time spent with the local community, with the details arranged around the people involved and their availability.
For anyone interested in culture or photography, it’s a wonderful opportunity to understand the traditions behind the scenes they’re capturing, with the guidance and permission of the people who live there.
For surf lovers and ocean adventurers
Get closer to the legendary waves of Nazaré
For surf enthusiasts, Nazaré is one of those places that needs little introduction. Its enormous Atlantic waves have made it famous around the world, drawing some of the sport’s bravest surfers to Portugal’s coastline.
Epic has developed an exciting way to experience this legendary surf destination, with a coastal jet ski adventure led by experienced local operators who work with professional big-wave surfers. Guests can explore the coastline at speed from the water and speak to the team about the stories behind Nazaré’s famous waves and surfing triumphs.
And for those who love surf culture, there’s plenty more to discover further down the coast in Ericeira, another celebrated Portuguese surf destination with impressive waves and a thriving community of surfers and board-makers.
Here, Epic guests can explore the craft of surfboard-making, learning how a board takes shape before working with a local artist to personalise it with their own design. There’s even the possibility of taking their creation out onto the waves.
Add a surf lesson, time exploring the coastline and a few of Epic’s favourite local stops, and you have the makings of an unforgettable Portuguese adventure.
For someone who loves the ocean, adventure and trying something completely new, this is a gift with plenty of character. Just imagine coming home with a surfboard you’ve helped create, along with a few brilliant stories from the Atlantic.
The best gifts are the ones that feel personal
There’s a reason certain vacations stay with us forever.
It might be the dinner that appeared in the most unexpected setting. The chef who shared a family recipe. The guide who introduced you to someone fascinating. Or the moment you realised you’d spent an entire afternoon doing something you never imagined trying.
Those are the stories that get told around the table long after the trip is over. And they’re the moments we love creating at Epic. Our local teams know the places, people and possibilities behind each destination. We work closely with trusted guides, hosts, artisans and accommodation partners to create journeys that reflect the interests and personalities of the people travelling.
Perhaps you’re planning a surprise for your partner, celebrating a milestone birthday or gathering the family for a holiday everyone will remember. We’ll help you find the perfect experience and work out the details, from where to stay to the little touches that make it special.