IDiscover Maps

IDiscover Maps Honest and authentic neighbourhood guides created by locals. Be inspired and ! iDiscover Maps is about the spirit of place.

Learn as you walk, support local businesses, communicate with cultural confidence, and explore Asian cities like a true local. We work with locals who show us their favourite places and tell us their stories. We put them in a handy map to create honest and authentic routes in Asia’s most captivating neighbourhoods. Our mission is to keep heritage alive for a vibrant and viable urban future. That’s

why our walking routes are created by locals, designed by locals and powered by locals… with a little help from iDiscover. Is your favourite neighbourhood not on the list? Don’t worry; we are always working on new routes! Do you want to create a walking itinerary with us? Get in touch! :)
[email protected]

📍🇭🇰 Vigorous, fast-paced, and ever-changing — Central has always been the beating heart of Hong Kong’s business world. L...
25/04/2025

📍🇭🇰 Vigorous, fast-paced, and ever-changing — Central has always been the beating heart of Hong Kong’s business world. Long before the shophouses were replaced by skyscrapers, it was a buzzing maze of markets and trade: fabrics, herbal teas, chops, noodles. Today, traces of Old Central live on in its street names, timeless shops, and historic architecture — if you know where to look…

Curious to take a step back in time? Discover Hong Kong’s ‘Old Central’ with our Neighbourhood Guide (in English and Chinese!) — packed with hidden gems, local favourites, fun facts, and forgotten stories, curated by people who call Hong Kong home.

🗺️ Head to our website (link in bio!) to explore with our free interactive maps — and don’t forget to save this post for your next walk through Central!

   

📍🇱🇰 It’s the people that make Galle Fort in Sri Lanka so unique. It’s a place that celebrates unity in diversity; a glor...
25/02/2025

📍🇱🇰 It’s the people that make Galle Fort in Sri Lanka so unique. It’s a place that celebrates unity in diversity; a glorious multicultural potpourri with a cosmopolitan vibe. We spent time with the folks who call the Fort home—some whose roots go back generations, others who came and never left. They share what makes life here so unique, from playing on the ramparts to the peace and quiet at night. Swipe to discover the soul of this incredible community.

💬 Want to hear more stories about the Fort, told by the people who live here? Head top our website for the ‘People of Galle Fort’ self-guided walk by following the link in our bio or story highlights!

📸:
🖊️:

📍🇱🇰 Coming soon: a brand-new illustrated map that brings Sri Lanka’s historic fort cities to life! This map will be avai...
18/02/2025

📍🇱🇰 Coming soon: a brand-new illustrated map that brings Sri Lanka’s historic fort cities to life! This map will be available for download on our website, along with a print version available for purchase! For now, do have a look at these gorgeous details…

🗺️ The incredibly talented Devni (.artisan) drew inspiration from the ‘Eiylandt Ceylon’ map, crafted by Dutch cartographer Baltus Jacobsz van Lier in 1702. These were the days of the Dutch east India Company (VOC), when the Indian Ocean was swarming with sea voyagers, pearl fishers and mythical sea creatures.

🏰 A bit of history:
Forts in Sri Lanka date back thousands of years. Sri Lankan kings constructed many fortresses and walled cities in the heart of the country. In the colonial era, the European colonists built Western-style forts, mostly along the coast of the island. First came the Portuguese who stayed for 153 years till the Dutch took over, captured and expanded their infrastructure and operations for the next 150 years, after which the British came along and occupied these regions for the next 133 years. 
The European forts — always located at strategic points near harbours or inland along main roads and rivers — functioned as a base of operations for military, economic and administrative activities. The larger forts in Colombo and Galle were equipped with warehouses, hospitals, administrative buildings, houses and churches. The smaller fortifications were used as watch-posts and garrisons.

🖋Reimagining this layered past, Devni’s map for highlights 11 coastal fort cities that still stand as silent watchers of time. It’s part of our larger storytelling and neighbourhood mapping project, where history meets contemporary exploration and we with local residents.

🖼️ We first unveiled the map at the Galle Literary Festival 2025 earlier this month, where our full collection of Sri Lanka maps took center stage in a special pop-up exhibition at a very fitting and scenic spot: the Galle Maritime Museum.

👉 Swipe through to explore the map and our pop-up exhibition!

📍🇱🇰 On Sri Lanka’s southern coast stands Galle Fort, a UNESCO Living Heritage Site where history, culture, and architect...
07/02/2025

📍🇱🇰 On Sri Lanka’s southern coast stands Galle Fort, a UNESCO Living Heritage Site where history, culture, and architecture form a distinctive rhythm of exceptional beauty. Built and shaped by Sinhalese settlers, Muslim and Chinese traders, and Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonists, the Fort’s eclectic facades hold centuries of stories. 🏛

Beyond its picturesque streets lies deeper narratives, some of which architecture students from the University of Moratuwa set out to uncover. Armed with pencils and ink, these students explored Galle’s historic dwellings. They selected 12 archetypical properties and meticulously sketched verandas, inner courtyards, fanlights, and street grids. Their hand-drawn studies reveal the fusion of Dutch-Ceylon, British, Art Deco, and post-colonial styles, peeling back layers of time to capture the essence of this living fortress. 🖌️

The final result is so much more than a collection of technical drawings; it’s a tribute to the multicultural mix of communities who have called this place home for over 400 years. As tourism transforms the Fort, these unique sketches serve as a reminder of its vibrant past and the importance of preserving its soul.

Go behind the facades of Galle Fort:
📖 Read the full story on our website 
🗺️ Find the places in the sketches with our city walk 
— links in bio! 

x | Join us from February 6-9 for a journey through maps, (hi)stories, and creativity 🔍🗺️ We’ve made a special festiv...
06/02/2025

x | Join us from February 6-9 for a journey through maps, (hi)stories, and creativity 🔍

🗺️ We’ve made a special festival map (designed by the talented .artisan!) and an exciting scavenger hunt to guide you through Galle Fort’s hidden gems (make sure to join our photo challenge for a chance to win exciting prizes!).

🖼️ Plus, don’t miss our pop-up exhibition featuring stunning illustrated neighbourhood and city maps created by 100+ students from Sri Lanka and the Netherlands—part of a youth-led mapping project (2020-2024) nurtured by local mentors and iDiscoverMaps. We’re also unveiling a brand new map of the island or Sri Lanka… so do stop by!

🎨🖋Two of these talented mentors, Devni Jayakody (.artisan) and Nadeesha Paulis (), will also host creative workshops to help you bring your stories and visions to life!

🤝iDiscoverMaps is the proud Session & Creative Sponsor of the Galle Literary Festival 2025 in Sri Lanka.

Programme Highlights:

Pop-Up Exhibition: The Story of the Maps 
📅 Feb 6 - Feb 9 | 📍 Maritime Museum

Scavenger Hunt & Photo Challenge
📅 Feb 6 - Feb 9 | 📍 Galle Fort

Creative Workshops:
Urban Illustration by Devni Jayakody
📅 Thurs, Feb 6 | 🕑 14:00 - 16:00 | 📍 Fort Printers

Creative Writing by Nadeesha Paulis
📅 Sun, Feb 9 | 🕥 10:15 - 12:15 | 📍 The Merchant

📢 Tag us in your festival adventures!

x | Join us from February 6-9 for a journey through maps, (hi)stories, and creativity 🔍 🗺️ We’ve made a special festi...
06/02/2025

x | Join us from February 6-9 for a journey through maps, (hi)stories, and creativity 🔍

🗺️ We’ve made a special festival map (designed by the talented .artisan!) and an exciting scavenger hunt to guide you through Galle Fort’s hidden gems (make sure to join our photo challenge for a chance to win exciting prizes!).

🖼️ Plus, don’t miss our pop-up exhibition featuring stunning illustrated neighbourhood and city maps created by 100+ students from Sri Lanka and the Netherlands—part of a youth-led mapping project (2020-2024) nurtured by local mentors and iDiscoverMaps. We’re also unveiling a beautiful brand new map of the island or Sri Lanka… so do stop by!

🎨🖋Two of these talented mentors, Devni Jayakody (.artisan) and Nadeesha Paulis (), will also host creative workshops to help you bring your stories and visions to life!

🤝 We’re proud to be the Session & Creative Sponsor of the Galle Literary Festival 2025 in Sri Lanka!

Programme Highlights:

Pop-Up Exhibition: Illustrated Maps of Sri Lanka
📅 Feb 6 - Feb 9 | 📍 Maritime Museum

Scavenger Hunt & Photo Challenge
📅 Feb 6 - Feb 9 | 📍 Galle Fort

Creative Workshops:
Urban Illustration by Devni Jayakody
📅 Thurs, Feb 6 | 🕑 14:00 - 16:00 | 📍 Fort Printers

Creative Writing by Nadeesha Paulis
📅 Sun, Feb 9 | 🕥 10:15 - 12:15 | 📍 The Merchant

📢 Tag us in your festival adventures!

22/01/2025

📍🇭🇰 “The art of paper making is limitless. It all depends on your skills and creativity.”

Mr Ha, the son of a lion dance master, has been perfecting his craft for over 40 years. 🐲 Starting with lion heads, he expanded into paper offerings, lanterns, and flower arrangements. Today, Tin Bo Lau is proudly in its 3rd generation of artisans.

In 2017, Mr Ha and his team made history by creating the largest hanging lantern in the world—over five metres wide and nine metres high!—breaking a Guinness World Record! 🏮

🎥 Watch the video to discover more about this family-run workshop in Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong, and their dedication to preserving and reinventing traditional paper crafts.

📍Tin Bo Lau (天寶樓扎作) | Shop C, Basement, Tung Cheung Building, 1-11 Second St, Sai Ying Pun

🔗 head to our YouTube channel for more videos on Hong Kong's traditional shops in Sai Ying Pun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulYyC62y4yw&list=PLSzEgnGVqgBxfv96IIgb99G3lhFsfpPFD

┅

#香港 #香港文化 #文化 #文化遺產 #香港製造 #香港特色 #香港人

📍🇭🇰 Explore the disappearing traditional trades of Hong Kong and meet the remarkable individuals who keep these crafts a...
20/01/2025

📍🇭🇰 Explore the disappearing traditional trades of Hong Kong and meet the remarkable individuals who keep these crafts alive.

Based on Lindsay Varty’s () book ‘Sunset Survivors’ (), with stunning photography by Gary Jones (), this walking route takes you on a journey through the city’s cultural roots. It’s a heartfelt tribute to those who persevere against the tide of foreign imports and fierce competition and a celebration of Hong Kong’s unique heritage. Preserving the stories of these resilient tradespeople, this book—and itinerary—offers both visitors and locals a deeper understanding of the foundations on which the city was built.

🔗Click the link in our bio to find out more!

   

“We are all roots of the same tree.” Elizaveta (‘Liza’ for friends) is one of the 12 students from the Netherlands who j...
03/12/2024

“We are all roots of the same tree.”

Elizaveta (‘Liza’ for friends) is one of the 12 students from the Netherlands who jumped on the opportunity to join the iDiscover cultural mapping field school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Working hand in hand with 15 local students and guided by a team of four local mentors, they created their own interactive heritage trails for 🗺️🇱🇰

The field school turned out to be a life-changing experience for Liza. Much more than an academic pursuit, for her, it was a journey of self-discovery, cultural exchange, navigating language barriers, and deep connections. 💫

👉Click the link in our bio/story highlights to find out more about Liza’s experiences and the life-long souvenirs she brought back home.

       

📸:

Address

Central & Western District

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when IDiscover Maps posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to IDiscover Maps:

Shortcuts

Share

Category