Social Farewell Gift
Some goodbye gift ideas include:
Private joke gifts These can be small gifts associated with an anecdote or history that people share. Really the sky is the limit, just as long as the person going away 'gets' it. These gifts are really good when they are part of a speech or presentation.
Once presented a game of Hungry Hungry Hippo to a touch football coach, after telling the crowd that now the season was over she could still look forward to a blood sport. It got big laughs. Photoshopped colleague's head onto a Cheech and Chong picture (don't ask, but it's not what you think!), which was presented after telling the story. Colleague absolutely cracked up. Gave a Mount Isa vacation-work student-geologist a baby t-shirt (size 0) that said "I'm a mini miner from Mount Isa". For someone going away to or graduating from college - created a poster that headlines "Things they don't teach you at college". The poster had some very patronising advice about putting socks on first, and other advice that was related to some shenanigans in our past.
Nostalgic giftsPhotos! A photo album or framed group photo is a very sentimental gift and can be a real tear-jerker. If the person or family is moving town, include photos of local places. Include captions for photos to really make it special. A gift like this is useful for the person leaving: they can show new friends who they are and where they're from (a 'brag' book). Similarly a scrapbook, signed t-shirt, or a card with messages from everyone are highly appreciated gifts. Variations on the photo:
Don't forget to sign the back of the frame or include captions in the album.A nostalgic goodbye present can be more in the range of souvenirs - to remember the place by, such as a snowdome if you've lived in the Alps. For a really special farewell gift, create an advent calendar system (if you are away travelling and want to leave something behind). For example, every week that you're away, someone special gets to read a letter or note with a chocolate or photo or something small. The note can tell them what you will miss about them, or can describe an anniversary event or memory that you shared. You can give a box of these notes, or create a mobile of tiny packets, or hang the packets from an indoor shrub, or hide them around the house (where each packet gives a clue to the next packet location and the date to open it).
These are gifts that are small, easy to pack and useful, such as maps (with everyone's high-lighted touches on them), taped messages/playlists for long rides, books (maybe a group of you could write one for the leaver, using anecdotes etc) and blank notebooks/diaries also with messages from people. 
If you don't want to weigh someone down with extra stuff that they probably don't need, sew something personal onto their rucksack/daypack or a small token, like the Blue Peter as a pin (sailing flag hoisted when a ship is ready to sail), or anything that would have a travel blessing associated with it, like a tiny tiny bible or an image/icon of Saint Christopher (patron saint of travellers), is a good idea.
Donate charity dollars to "buy" a donkey/well/brick-in-a-mental-hospital, in the country the person is visiting, then write on the charity note/card that they have to pick up "their" farewell gift over there. Of course useful things like a phone card, adapters, money belts etc are not personal but would still be appreciated. But think of how you could personalise them to make them more interesting. Blessings and spiritual best wishes For a more spiritual or otherwise earthy type of person or going away gift, consider things like the Saint Christopher suggested above, or Tibetan prayer flags, worry stones or other such comfort or spiritually-laden objects. Tibetan prayer flags with extra flags of your own messages are bright, colourful and sweet. Worry stones can also have a blessing carved into them. An ornament for the front door of your leaver's new home (like a smiling sun, or something that will remind them of your town) that will greet them every day with your best wishes is a thoughtful farewell gift. Of course jewellery,watches and other metallic items are great going away gifts that can have blessings and best wishes engraved into them. 
For the person with everything, and the giver with no clueIf you are really stuck for a farewell gift and every other good bye gift suggestion in this website doesn't cut it, well then we are in a pickle! A good suggestion is to not compete with their other material possessions, or their own acquisitional taste. You can give them something random that reflects YOU, or you can make sure they have a fantastic party organized for them - make the theme something fun and activity based, like a black-tie casino party at home. Or you can organize activities in their new place to help them settle in and meet people - like getting a membership to the local toastmasters or gardening club, or classes in the local theatre group, or a guided tour of their new city - depending on their interests. You can give the gift of time, so any company such as Dial an Angel that can help with activities for busy people, or consultation with a professional organizer are some ideas. Still stuck?
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