Founder:
Shreyas Danappa
I'm a Bengaluru-based traveler with a deep passion for the art of exploration. I enjoy interweaving exciting landscapes with cultures that pique my curiosity.
Initially conceived as a YouTube channel to document my unfiltered travel vlogs, 'Map My Stories' has since transformed into a niche project dedicated to curating unique travel experiences with meaning.
With a sense of exhaustion and sadness stemming from the current state of tourism, I decided to rebuild 'Map My Stories' with a focus on slow, immersive, and mindful exploration. The goal is to share my love for this planet, as well as the local communities that make them unique, through my thoughtfully curated journeys and DIY itineraries.
How is 'Map My Stories' Different?
Socially Responsible
Local Communities and Climate Consciousness are at the heart of my projects.
Exclusivity
I operate in fragile locations away from tourist crowds. A strong request is made to keep locations a secret for the same reason.
FAQ About 'Map My Stories'?
Is 'Map My Stories' a travel company?
Not really. It's a personal passion project that I'm sharing with my friends in Sikkim & Arunachal. Journeys that I haven't personally been impacted by aren't on my website. We're intentionally small with no ambitions to scale. It is true - we are not a non-profit but efforts are made to prioritise people & the planet over profits, having initiated several projects to bring in quality>quantity tourism to the places and communities I deeply care about.
If 'Map My Stories' isn't a travel company why are you charging a service fee or earning a profit?
After personally exploring and vetting locations for quality and safety, initiating impact-driven projects, training my local friends to facilitate these projects and marketing these projects to responsible travellers, I believe it is fair for me to receive some financial compensation. The money supports me in starting similar projects in other locations.
Why are locations kept a secret?
When popular tourist locations are revealed on platforms like Instagram and blogs, it attracts a large influx of tourists. Unfortunately, this increased attention often leads to negative consequences. Governments and big corporations quickly take advantage of the situation by constructing infrastructure like roads, ticket counters, and hotels, resulting in environmental degradation. This degradation can occur much faster than we anticipate.
When we geo-tag or post locations on social media, we have no control over who sees our content, and one irresponsible post is all it takes for a loaction to get destroyed. While I believe that travel should be accessible to all, we must question the cost associated with it.