For the past decade, our work has taken us through 100+ countries — not as checklist tourists, but as people who linger. We’ve eaten in family kitchens, shopped in tiny artisan workshops, and become regulars at cafés hidden down side streets with no English sign in sight.

In that time, we’ve watched something heartbreaking happen: the small family businesses, neighborhood institutions, and slightly-cracked-but-beloved local spots are disappearing. Every year, more of them get replaced by glossy replicas built for the global algorithm — the same avocado toast, the same neon signs, the same “Instagrammable” corners, whether you’re next to the Vatican or in the backstreets of Bangkok.

We started Unnamed Traveler as a quiet rebellion against that. We’re a small, independent travel outfit obsessed with slower, more thoughtful trips. No “must-see” checklists. No TikTok trend-chasing. Just honest, time-tested guides that lead you to the bowls of soup, street stalls, and neighborhood spots that actually change how you feel about a place — and help you get to know the city the way locals do.

For years, when any of us landed somewhere new, we’d text each other for the good stuff — the spots that don’t show up on the first page of Google, the dishes you’d never know to order, the exact time of day a place feels magic. After a decade of gatekeeping, we realized the best way to help preserve these places is to send more of the right people to them.

The Unnamed Traveler is our way of opening that circle. Not just telling you where to go, but showing you how to experience these spots at their best — with enough context, respect, and curiosity that you become part of the reason they’re still around when you come back.