Cape Churchill, Canada
This is the Polar Bear Capital of the World. The animals outnumber the few hundred human residents. Close-up encounters with ice bears are common but not coveted. Not surprisingly, the post office at Manitoba provides souvenir rubber stamps featuring a polar bear, date and location. Definitely safer memorabilia than bear hugs.
Antarctica
Ice melts. You can’t bring back penguins (and they can be quite noisy). And the frozen continent has no souvenir stores. Instead, get a special handstamped postmark featuring a penguin at the world’s southernmost post office, at Port Lockroy on the British base. At most nations’ scientific research stations, there are rubber stamps for your travel diary.
Ecuador
It’s literally the middle of the world, neatly bisecting the northern and southern hemispheres. Get your scrapbook stamped at the Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) monument near Quito. Most souvenir shops in this tourist complex, commemorating the Equator. Some designs also let you fill in your name and the date of your visit: A stamp with Latitude 00°. How’s that for a flex?
Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Wales
If you’re at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch village, you’ll need more than a mouthful of syllables for a souvenir. The gift shops at the local train station have stamps with the town’s full name (all 58 letters, bent into a circle shape to fit). Nicknamed Llanfair PG, the name translates to two churches and their locations in Anglesey Island.
Galicia, Spain
Depending on where you start, the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain can be anything from 118km to 900km. Those who complete the walk are awarded a certificate. But even along the picturesque journey, pilgrims and tourists can collect stamps from hostels, churches, shops and cafes. Devotees call them Credencials, crucial proof for the certificate.
Across Japan
Souvenir hunters have been known to make elaborate rail journeys only to get their travel journals stamped at the country’s most out-of-the-way eki or train stations. Each spot has a different theme, a different style, sometimes even changing with the seasons. There’s a bonus level. You can also collect Goshuin stamps with calligraphy from Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, on a dedicated goshuincho book for Goshuin stamps) as a mark of respect.
Republic of Užupis, Lithuania
Not a real country, just a self-proclaimed one. It celebrates its Independence Day on April Fools’ Day and its currency is linked to the price of beer. It symbolises a free, creative spirit, and is governed by volunteer ‘ministers.’ Get a visa stamp as you cross the border and enter (no passport needed) and just have fun.
National parks, USA
Almost every one of America’s 63 national parks allows visitors to stamp their journals with the park’s logo, location and date. They’re colour-coded by region, feature the natural landmarks, geology and wildlife of the park, and have special cancellation stamps on special occasions. This year’s special: A stamp commemorating the 250th anniversary of the USA.
Cook Islands, Oceania
No visit to the self-governing Cook Islands near New Zealand is complete without a cruise to the One Foot Island (Tapuaetahi). Apart from the turquoise waters of Aitutaki Lagoon and the pristine beaches, the island post office is the big draw. Visitors can get a single footprint-shaped stamp on their scrapbook. Legend has it that a father carried his son to conceal one set of footprints on the island to escape attackers.
Machu Picchu, Peru
At the lost city of the Incas, there’s a small office near the entrance to the famous ruins. Here, ink your scrapbook with a rubber stamp of the 15th century landmark. It’s proof that you really hiked all that way up, in case you ever lose your phone photos. And if you take an aerial tour of the Nazca lines, there’s a stamp for that too.
