Hey! We’re Alex & Maya
Hey, I’m Maya. This is Alex.
We’re a designer–engineer duo who accidentally turned “let’s travel a bit” into living in 7 countries and 28 cities.
Wherever we go, we slow down — we make friends, eat where locals eat, get lost on purpose, and somehow Alex always finds the one tiny shop that becomes our spot.
And the more we traveled, the more we realized something big:
The real magic of a place isn’t in guidebooks — it’s in the stories locals share.
So we started teaming up with the friends we’ve met — chefs, students, artists, moms, retirees — people who generously show us the real version of their home.
Together, we create maps that reveal the lived-in, everyday magic of a city:
where locals actually eat, which routes skip the crowds, when the light hits just right, and the tiny tips that make travel feel effortless.
If you love exploring a little deeper, stay with us. Let us show you around!

Meet Your Local Scout
Passionate Explorers
Every Unfold map is shaped by a Local Scout:
a resident who knows the city not through itineraries or rankings, but through footsteps, routines, and daily accidents.

Yiling Sun
@ Shanghai, born and raised
data scientist
three rescue cats at home, I’m never allowed to sleep past 7am.

Grandpa Wen
@ Shanghai, 54 years
retired engineer
If old guys are playing cards inside, the food is always good
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David Kim
@ Shanghai, 3 years
PhD student
checks every café within 800m “just in case one is quieter.”

Chenyu Lin
@ Hangzhou, born and raised
photographer
plays WoW; goes out for lat night noodles when insomnia hits

Yiwen Zhou
@ Hangzhou, 8 years
fashion blogger
came to Hangzhou for a 6-month internship. That was 8 years ago. Still here. Still eating.
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Tao Xie
@ Hangzhou, born and raised
gocery store owner
still eat the same breakfast at the same stall since high school.

Yiwen Zhou
@ Chengdu, 12 years
UX designer
My grandma still calls to ask if I’ve eaten enough vegetables today.

Antie Wu
@ Chengdu, 32 years
high school teacher
Good noodle place? listen for loud slurping inside.



