About Us
Authenticity /ɔːθɛnˈtɪsɪti/
Our Philosophy
We Love Old Neighbourhoods.
where the spirit of the city is most alive.
We Treasure Authenticity.
it is what makes these places unique.
We Strive to keep Heritage Alive.
we bring explorers to lesser-known sites and family-run businesses.
We Believe in Responsible Travel.
we connect visitors with urban communities.
In many historic districts, family-run businesses and long-time residents are struggling to survive, while at the same time, travellers are looking for an authentic experience. So, why not tap into locals' insider knowledge to find these special places and put them on a map? iDiscover packages community intelligence into handcrafted neighbourhood walking itineraries for the most curious of travellers.
iDiscover helped us to uncover a culturally complex city in the throes of change. We learnt that if you take the time to walk Yangon, the city will talk back to you.
Our Mission
The historic streetscape of Asian cities is vanishing before our eyes. Entire neighbourhoods and streets are being bulldozed to make way for skyscrapers. With the buildings also disappear the stories and the memories of place. Our mission is to help locals preserve and celebrate their heritage; ... before it’s too late.
Our Clients & Partners
Since 2015 we have worked with over 200 NGOs, community organisations and residents in more than 80 districts across Asia and connected them to a digital audience of nearly half a million users across Southeast Asia. We amplify their voice, help them to map what matters in their city and create beautiful maps, insightful stories and inclusive events to help them get their message across. Some sample projects are mapping cultural diversity for an NGO in Yangon, a resident-led neighbourhood mapping exercise as part of a developer's placemaking initiative in Hong Kong and mapping Chiang Mai's creative community for an artist collective in that city.
We run mapping projects for schools and universities as an exciting real-life digital skill-building exercise and an opportunity for learning outside of the classroom. We have even hosted dedicated field schools and summer camps in heritage cities that make for an immersive cultural learning experience that fosters camaraderie, creativity, and compassion and fuels independent inquiry.
We also frequently partner with international agencies, embassies and cultural organisations for dedicated community mapping projects. We can help to create maps to advocate for different agendas in old city neighbourhoods, like walkability, public safety, social integration, cultural tourism and responsible travel.
iDiscover encourages visitors to make their own stories and tread their own path. This connects them directly with the actual residents.
App & Map
We created iDiscover for travellers and explorers who want to see cities through the lens of locals, travel responsibly and respectfully, and give something back to the communities they visit. Our self-guided city walks show hidden gems, hole-in-the-walls and heritage hotspots and help to support authentic local businesses.
Our award-winning city walks are accessible 100% free and come with a beautifully illustrated, downloadable paper map. Easy and intuitive to use, travellers can access curated stories in exact locations using their own device, without having to download an app. Each walk is available in both English and the local language, with a choice of audio, video, photo or story tours.
Created by Locals . Powered by Locals
iDiscover is a meeting point for residents, businesses and travellers. All of our walking routes are curated by locals. That means that each itinerary is handcrafted by a local business, NGO or community group and each map is illustrated by a local designer; an artistic ode to their neighbourhood.
Our Team
Based across Hong Kong, Bangkok and Amsterdam, iDiscover is a team of editors, writers, graphic designers and translators who know how to do a city proud. We have developed easy-to-use templates to create a walking itinerary or neighbourhood guide in six simple steps. We can even work with you to facilitate a community mapping project, design a customised map or create a branded interactive website.
Create your own City Walk
You know what makes your hood special. Create your own journey and encourage others to follow in your footsteps. We can make your content work for our community of nearly half a million users across Southeast Asia. Once your itinerary is live, you get a dedicated QR code that brings people straight to your curated city walk.
We offer our platform for free to:
- NGOs . Non-Profits . Community Projects
- Airbnb Hosts . Urban Photographers . Writers & Wanderers
We have dedicated packages for:
- Placemakers . Planners . Property Developers
- Boutique Hotels . Co-working Spaces
- Street Festivals . Urban Events
- Schools . Universities . Cultural Organisations
Get an idea of our past projects :
Non-profit
iDiscover started in 2015 as a passion project of Urban Discovery Ltd., a boutique consulting firm specialising in urban regeneration. Wherever we travelled, we met local residents who told us they wanted their voice to be heard but didn’t have the platform. So, we created a digital portal to amplify the voice of locals in Asia's historic districts for them to gain agency in their urban future.
Today, iDiscover is an independent non-profit working across Southeast Asia. We help locals map what matters to them. It has been an inspirational journey. We walked over a million steps, distributed over 100,000 neighbourhood maps, featured thousands of local residents and shops, made them proud and had lots of fun on the way!
Our Award-Winning Journey
We love what we do, and we’re delighted there is a community out there that values our work. We even managed to pick up some awards on the way. No matter how big or small, each of these accomplishments marks another step in our journey. It means the world to us and the people we work with. Together, we strive to keep heritage alive.
The mapping technology and a digital publication platform offer an accessible, practical, and inexpensive IT solution for more inclusive management and branding of World Heritage cities.
What iDiscover is doing is like making an archive of Hong Kong history – through the eyes of locals.
Travel Good
We believe the future of travel is responsible travel.
We meet locals, and we learn what they love.
We like getting lost.
Walk with us.
#GetLostWithoutGettingLost
#KeepHeritageAlive
#iDiscoverApp