As most of your know, I love to travel. I've got the "bug". My primary motivation is exploring new cultures, new ways of doing things, new ways of thinking about the world around us. When I look around my house, I have over 250 mementos of my travels abroad. Some of them are cheap, and some are priceless to me. The priceless ones were created by another human being, a real person who hand crafted something specifically from his or her region, bringing all their skill to bear.
So, I thought in this my first post I would gather up the most meaningful travel souvenirs in my house and look at what I could recommend to others to search out and find while on a trip. Most of these cost a modest 20 pounds or so. My favorite is the personalized our family ornaments collection I've got, some of which were hand blown glass ornaments. You can easily find a London ornament of Parliament, monuments in Bangladesh, the White House in the US, etc. However, I prefer the more personal ornament designs. Something that truly speaks to you, as well as the local culture.
When traveling, I always recommend seeking out or asking the local concierge where the local art district is. In remote locations, you may find a crafts person market that's open all year, or it might be a once-a-week affair. The locals will know, and I'm always finding surprising things by asking around.
In addition to a family ornament for the Christmas tree, you might also look for something else that can be personalized just for you. A monogram on a sweater, an imprinted photo—many times the locals can be quite creative in terms of what they can make into an extra special souvenir. We have a picture of our family that's been screen printed onto a pillow that has the Taj Mahal in the background. I just love that pillow, and it always reminds me of the special times we spent as a family while traveling to India.
In closing, finding something of local materials and design will help bring back the wonderful memories of the moment. Ask around and have fun exploring the local culture.