The gift of travel: news flash: all the e-mails and text messages in the world can't replace quality face time. Why not road-trip off the retail route this gift-giving season and deliver a present that promises serious bonding opportunities? We're willing to bet that the resulting travel memories won't ever go out of style.

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* Out in Africa Gay2Afrika, part of New York-based travel company 2Afrika, custom-designs safaris for LGBT travelers and their families, including gorilla treks in Rwanda, private game lodges within South Africa's Kruger National Park, and east Africa's "great migration"--the sight of over 1 million wildebeest streaming across the plains might just wipe those angst-ridden coming-out years from your parents' memory banks. (866) GO-2-AFRIKA or [phone]; Gay2Afrika.com; from $2,595; children's discounts available

Sail away Skip the party boats for a cruise gift that promises inclusiveness and big-time bragging rights: Join a small gay and lesbian Above and Beyond Tours group on board a luxurious Crystal Cruises trip from Singapore to Dubai (via Phuket, Thailand, and Mumbai, India) or Valparaiso, Chile, to Buenos Aires via the glacial floes of Antarctica. [phone] or [phone]; AboveBeyondTours.com; from $5,335

Dive into adventureFor the adrenaline-loving partner with the overstuffed passport, start working on the two thirds of the earth that's underwater. Undersea Expeditions' gay and lesbian scuba trip to Heron Island on Australia's outer Great Barrier Reef brings divers into the haven of loggerhead turtles, eagle rays, and white-tip sharks. Bonus option: a Sydney gay Mardi Gras excursion. [phone] or [phone]; UnderseaX.com; from $1,399

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Weekend escape Have only a few days off? Ditch the workaholic tendencies at gay-owned Rancho de San Juan, a boutique property in the northern New Mexico desert only 38 miles from Santa Fe. Local diversions include hiking through Georgia O'Keeffe country, lingering over global cuisine in the on-site restaurant, and lengthy in-room massages. [phone]; RanchoDeSanJuan.com

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* Beyond the well-worn Eurail routeWave buh-bye to familiar Europe and plan a couple's escape to Croatia. After taking in the care scene of bustling Zagreb, home to an annual queer festival (QueerZagreb.org), make a beeline for the island of Hvar and trendy, minimalist, yet luxe Adriana hotel (SuncaniHvar.com/Adriana), where the gay beach on Jerolim Island is a 10-minute boat ride away.