Everplaces - Save and share places you love

& the next big destination for adventurers is ... says Lonely Planet founder

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:19:05 -0400

Last night we had the pleasure of meeting Tony Wheeler, the founder of Lonely Planet. Tony is currently promoting his new book, Tony Wheeler’s Dark Lands, an account of traveling in the world’s least hospitable places, and if you’re lucky enough you might be able to meet him too.

On behalf of all the adventurous souls using Everplaces, we wanted to pick Tony’s brains and hear his thoughts on the next big off-the-beaten-track destination. A professional traveller for over 40 years and with over 150 countries under his belt, Tony has the finger on the pulse of the wild and unusual. And so, here it is:

Congo and Gorillas!

The border between Congo and Rwanda is one of the last places on the planet that you can see gorillas in their natural habitat, and deep inside the wild rainforests of Odzala-Kokoua National Park you can observe them in the splendor they call home.

“It is while walking and kayaking through the untouched Congo Basin, with parrots squawking, chimpanzees screeching, orchids lighting up the muggy greenery with vibrant pink hues, that you’re reminded of the real treat: of the privilege, in our crowded planet, of exploring such a beautiful, ancient virgin space” said The Telegraph’s Lisa Grainger after visiting.

Congo has a rough reputation so receives hardly any visitors, and you’ll encounter few foreigners, if any. Come to think of it, you probably won’t meet many locals either, since the country is sparsely populated and few chose to live in the humid tropical jungle area.

Sleep on the rim of an active volcano

While you’re in Congo, how about a hike up Mount Nyamulagira, in the Virunga National Park? This active volcano has recently been opened for treks and over night stays.

On the northern side of the volcano, you can watch lava spew out of the Earth directly from your camping group. It’s only 1.5 kilometers away from the action, but has been deemed safe by a volcanologist. Might want to sleep with your fingers crossed!

Image credits, in order of apperance: Michael Nichols of National Geographic, skyscrapercity.com, gocongo.com, enjoycongo.info

Hipster markets, neighborhood cafes and laidback bars. From dawn to dusk in Amsterdam

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:51:00 -0400

Planning a city-break to Amsterdam? Everplaces teamster & Amsterdam native, Sophie describes her perfect day in the city with this awesome dawn to dusk Amsterdam collection.

My perfect day would be during spring or summer because the city feels alive and everyone is enjoying the sun on one of the many terraces, city beaches, in the parks or on their boats. If you can rent a bike for the duration of your stay, you really should as it’s the best way to explore the city. And if you really want to feel like a local you can rent a ‘sloep’ boat.

Local markets

If you are in Amsterdam on a Monday go (in the early morning) to the Noordermarkt Fleamarket, a small but very cool and hip flea market, where you can feel the real ‘Jordaan’ atmosphere. Next to the market there is a place called Winkel 43, where they serve some of the best Dutch apple pies.

If you’re in to markets, the famous IJhallen flea market is also recommended. Located on the cool NDSM werf, you need to take a ferry to get there but it’s worth the trip. The market is held on the first or second weekend of every month and is a great place for treasure-hunting. After strolling around, sit down and relax at cafe Noorderlicht or Pllek.

Urban areas

Westerpark is one of my favorites places to visit. This used to be the site of Amsterdam gasworks and there is always something special going on here and with markets, summer concerts, congresses and festivals, it’s a great place for young and old. There are a few restaurants, cafes, bars and a cinema too. In the summer everyone is having a picnic or having a bbq in the park. Definitely don’t miss this place when you’re in Amsterdam!

Panoramic views

Climb the Westertoren for a great view of the city. If you’re not into climbing (& who is?) but you want a good view of Amsterdam, go to Canvas at the 7th. Here you can relax and enjoy the view in the former canteen of Dutch Newspaper, Volkskrant.

Shopping streets

The best places to go shopping is off the main streets in The Nine Streets area. Here you’ll find lots of small boutiques in between the canals & spread over nine little streets. There is a great mix of art galleries, book stores, designer shops, furniture shops, antiques shops, vintages clothes, and a lot of cool and creative clothing stores.

Photo lovers

Amsterdam has a lot of interesting museums, and my personal favourite is photography museum Foam. A beautiful museum with eclectic exhibitions. It’s not too big and not too crowded, perfect in my opinion.

Coffee shops

To get the best coffee in town you have to go to Coffee Bru, a warm neighborhood cafe in Amsterdam Oost. They serve the best coffee and they have good breakfast, lunch and delicious cakes. And if you want to eat some really really good chocolate (who doesn’t?) go to Puccini Bomboni.

Crazy nights

End the night at one of these cool spots or go to both of them. Start at Hannekes Boom, a bar with a beach feeling and a lot of cool hangout spots outside - and for extra style points arrive by boat! If you don’t want to go home yet, try it’s sister-bar Bloemenbar. This bar is more centrally located and also has a fun crowd.

This post is part of the initiative “100 cities to home swap in before you die” from Knok.com. You can check out and save Sophie’s Amsterdam collection on Everplaces. Collections are a great way to share your favourite places on Everplaces, or create mini-guides for visiting friends & family.

Originally from the Netherlands, Sophie Mulder is a photographer & Everplaces guest blogger living in Copenhagen. She loves hunting for treasures, discovering new places and a good cup of coffee.

Hot new destination: Slovenia. The top 5 places to see in Ljubljana

Wed, 01 May 2013 10:22:00 -0400

Surrounded by beautiful nature, Ljubljana is popular for skiing in the winter & walking, climbing and cycling in the summer. It was not without good reason that they shot scenes for the film The Chronicles of Narnia here.

Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia (with just 280,000 citizens) is one of the smallest capitals in Europe, but weight for weight is filled with things to see and do that will satisfy students, hipsters, art & culture lovers alike - not to mention it’s really easy to get around.

Uroš Čringoj is a local. He has created a great Everplaces collection of things to see in his wonderful city. Here are some highlights:

The Castle of Ljubljana

Perched on top of the hill, the castle is the symbol of the city, and for those without strong legs it can also be reached by the funicular railway.

Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova

A beautiful museum with an extensive collection of work by Eastern European artists. The museum features often unseen art from behind the Iron Curtain as well as todays’ key works.

Neboticnik Skyscraper

Drink, dine or dance the night away with beautiful views at one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks.

Central Market

Located on the waterside, this market offers all kinds of locally produced food, fruit, vegetables, art and crafts. Open daily except Sundays.

Tivoli Park

The green heart of the city. Roughly five square kilometres criss-crossed by three grand horse chestnut tree-lined avenues.

Uros works for Ljubljana Tourism, a website for travelers visiting Ljubljana. Here you can find all you need to know about the sights worth seeing.

Everplaces for Business can turn your collections or content into beautiful branded travel guide apps. To have the right mobile guides ready for summer visit Everplaces Business new mini-site or get in touch.

STUCK IN A PAPER WORLD: Travel companies are missing out on mobile marketing opportunities

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:26:00 -0400

By Tine Thygesen, CEO Everplaces. This post was also published as a popular guest post on travel tech site news site Tnooz.

….

In the recent month Everplaces went to a two traditional consumer travel shows, Herning Travel Show and ITB in Berlin, to see how travel companies promote their destinations. The shows were massive and included all the major destinations, airlines and travel companies in Northern Europe.

Many had used small fortunes on their stands, which did look impressive. But when it came to thinking creatively about marketing, we were disappointed, there was practically no digital touch to any of the marketing materials.

The goal for having a stand is to meet people, look them in the eyes, build a connection and get them to select you when they finally book their next travel in some months time. A highly competitive situation, so it I was surprised everyone opted for same traditional paper brochures, since they are notoriously ineffective for long term effect.

That fact is that 34% of people now book travel from their mobile, and 40% use their mobiles to find information*. This is a major opportunity for marketeers. * IBT World Travel Monitor

All exhibitors had a wealth of physical brochures, all beautiful colorful materials which would be a great marketing if it wasn’t because most people throw them away before they ever read them.

A big advantage to digital marketing over physical marketing is longevity.

Once a potential costumer has downloaded information about you and your offerings onto their phone they can find you again. This small detail is crucial because:

With such similar offerings, it’s hard for the costumer to remember who offered what. This is both after a big trade show and after browsing the web
Most people will book months after they’ve met you. By then they’ve forgotten who had the deal or the destination, maybe even your company name
People loose brochures, or throw them away, but
Up to 80% of people never delete an app once its on their phone

Digital marketing trumps when it comes to flexibility and cost savings.

Instead of producing expensive brochures that become outdated, or fail to hit the sweet spot, an app is flexible. (ok, perhaps not all apps, but an app made with Everplaces is). The app can be updated with new content to keep it up to date, or have the contents replaced if the existing content isn’t effective. This allows the marketing manager to test different material and different segments. Long term it offers serious financial savings for printing, because an app can be distributed over and over again.

As an alternative to big catalogues (which people are loath to carry around) I’d suggest a tiny little brochure in the shape of an app which encourages people to download the app in their own time. You’re much more likely they will take this tiny brochure than a big catalogue, yet it allows you to present as much information.

Once you have an app on people’s phone, you have the first foot in the door to start building a connection. That’s a whole other story which we’ll cover in another blog post.

Looking at the piles of paper brochures at the trade show I couldn’t help think how much rainforest we could have saved, and how much better results the travel companies would have got if they’d promoted downloads of branded apps with information and offers instead. After all our apps only cost $7500. You don’t get many brochures for that!

Tine Thygesen

CEO, Everplaces.
See more on everplaces.com/business

Urban Adventures launch their own city guide series in partnership with Everplaces

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:24:00 -0400

Everplaces are super stoked to announce the launch of a new series of city guides in partnership with global tour company Urban Adventures.

The city guides feature the favourite local spots and insider know-how from the Urban Adventures team, who are located in the cities covered. The guides are built on Everplaces self-publishing app technology.

City guides to Amsterdam, Toronto, Berlin & Melbourne are already available to download in the App Store & more will follow soon. The series is planned to include at least 15 destinations.

Using branded apps to connect with customers

Urban Adventures is a global day tour company with a liking for digital technology. When they wanted to create something special to give to their customers, traditional printed material just didn’t cut it.

Using the Everplaces platform, Urban Adventures started creating city guides so their customers could have local advice with them throughout their trip, also after the official tour was over.

“Most of our customers stay on in their chosen city for an extra 2-4 days so we wanted to find an interesting & innovative way to help guide them through the rest of their stay. Everplaces helped us to create a series of stunning travel apps that our customers love.”

Tony Carne, General Manager, www.urbanadventures.com

The app also makes for a memento of the trip afterwards, and makes it easy to connect with Urban Adventures again when you visit one of their other 82 destinations.

Urban Adventures chose to curate their own content, having local staff in all the cities. With Everplaces’ platform the content can be easily updated and adjusted going forward.

To download the free guides search “Urban Everplaces” in iTunes.

Urban Adventures is a global day tour company offering small group day tours in over 80 locations in six continents. It’s a part of Intrepid Travel.

Everplaces for Business is a new app building service for hotels and companies in travel. It allows brands to build beautiful mobile brochures and city guides in a matter of hours. For further information visit Everplaces Business new mini-site or get in touch.

24 hours in New York

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:15:00 -0400

Visiting New York this spring? Everplaces guest blogger and NYC resident Nimurak gives us the low-down with her personalized 24 hour guide to New York.

24 hours in NYC is almost an oxymoron. It’s impossible to see all of Manhattan, let alone New York City in limited time. There are tons of guides that point out the major landmarks. However, it’s the numerous shops, restaurants, great spaces and people that make New York City the incredible city that it is.

To make the most of your 24 hours, wake up early, grab a cup of coffee and head down to the South Street Seaport to walk along the cobblestone streets and catch the best view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn. I recommend grabbing breakfast at my Sunday morning favorite, Made Fresh Daily. The intimate eatery provides magazines and books to read in your leisure, as you eat or sip on an endless cup of coffee.

Next, you can cab or walk over easily to Chinatown, one of the most culturally distinct neighborhoods in NYC. While tourists typically visit this area to purchase faux designer goods, the true experience lies in the side streets. If you want to blend in, order a Bubble Tea or grab a cone from Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.

If you’re traveling with any female friends/family, it’s necessary to do a bit of shopping in Soho. Spend a couple hours exploring Soho, ensuring to explore the little boutiques. One of my favorite stores is called Kiosk that curates unique items from around the world. It’s one of those stores that you won’t find anywhere else. For lunch, I recommend Balthazar, a NYC classic. Felix is another great option (that will be kinder to your wallet), and a popular spot to people watch.

After refueling, it’s time to do a bit more walking around, so head over to the Highline. The park is fairly new (open to the public in 2009) and therefore, often disregarded in most guides. The Highline preserves New York history through old railroad track structures from decades past. Sit among the green plants above the rushing streams of traffic and enjoy the peaceful, yet ironic experience.

If you’re like most visitors, you’ll want to walk through Central Park. Head uptown and explore the different trails, and paths. At some point, you’ll begin to wonder what’s for dinner. (Don’t all trips revolve around when and where to eat?) Stop at the Museum of Modern Art to dine at The Modern. The NYT recently gave the restaurant 3 stars (as of March 2013). Plus, if you have time to walk through the museum before dinner, experience some of the best modern art collections. There are millions of other great restaurants, so feel free to browse through my other Everplaces collections, if you’re looking for something else.

Boys and girls, 24 hours in NYC hasn’t ended yet. I meant the full 24 hours because nightlife is a vibrant part of this city. For drinks and nightlife, it really depends on what you’re looking for. For the best bespoke cocktail, I recommend going to Little Italy and checking out the Mulberry Project. Or you can snag a cannoli and sit at a café. If you’re looking for a lively night, head to the meatpacking area to the Standard Biergarten for a beer. Once you’re in this area, there are plenty of clubs nearby. Or if you’re looking for something a bit more low-key, cab down to the Lower East Side, abundant with bars. Either way, it will be very easy to extend your 24 hours into the early morning.

Nicole Murakami is a digital strategist & Everplaces guest blogger living in New York. She loves social media, discovering new places and grilled cheese.

Collections are a great way to share your favourite places on Everplaces, or create mini-guides for visiting friends & family. Got a collection that you’d like to share with us? Send a mail to tom[at]everplaces.com.

Photo credit: nebulux76

Michael Palin spills the truth to Everplaces

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:22:55 -0400

Michael Palin, English comedian, actor & author has famously written his way around the globe. His travels have taken him to Eastern Europe, the Himalayas, the Sahara Dessert, both the North & South Poles, and most recently Brazil.

Everplaces were lucky enough to talk to Michael about his travel experiences, and his new novel The Truth; a tale of a luckless writer who travels to India in search of environmental corruption, his principles and the truth.

In Around the World in 80 Days you travelled through some 20 (I think) countries over land and sea; whereas your most recent series, Brazil, looks deeper into just one country.

Some people like to race around collecting stamps on their passports, while others prefer to get a deeper feel of a culture. Where do you sit? Has this changed with experience?

I’ve never been interested in tick-box travelling. For me the essential value of travel is to make a personal connection with the place you are in and the people you meet. This requires more than just an overnight visit and I’ve been very lucky with my BBC travels to have time to get to know people and experience the country a little more deeply. But never enough time!

In The Truth, the protagonist travels to some rich, far-flung locations (& some mundane ones too). How did you research the locations, are they drawn from personal experience, and how much is fiction?

In The Truth, I needed to find out about potential environmental hot spots. I had read an Amnesty International report on what was happening with the aluminium plant in the Nyamgiri Hills in India and I spent a week out there researching this particular story. It had all the elements that I really wanted to incorporate in the book, but as ever with a work of fiction, not everything happened as it does in the book.

Your novel touches on the effects of globalisation and progress, where tribesmen use laptops and westerners pen & paper. When you travel are you a pen & paper man, or what technology could you not do without?

I’m very much a pen-and-paper man when I travel. I always take a notebook – made by a company in Glasgow – with me, and make all my notes by hand. I add to these notes with some entries on a personal voice recorder.

I admire those societies who can make a lot out of very little and don’t like being dependent on electricity or digital communication. But things like Satnavs and smartphones have become tools which you can’t really ignore.

Technology has undeniably made travel easier and the world smaller, and smartphones have put a map and phrasebook in everyone’s pocket. Is this a good thing, and does this make stumbling upon that rare tourist-free secret harder?

I think the most important thing about travelling is to have some unique personal experience. Some of the most unforgettable moments in my travels have not been programmed or set-up, or found on a website, they are the accidental encounters, the surprises, the unplanned moments, strange foods, unusual landscapes, unfamiliar music. Yes, stumbling into experiences you’d never expected is very important to me.

You’re a man of many talents. What plans do you have for the future?

In the spirit of spontaneity I never plan too far ahead. I want to keep working, exploring, discovering new places and new things. There is no App that does this for me, I just have to keep a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world and try and do something fresh each time.

Michael Palin’s second novel, The Truth / Sandheden is out now. If you’re lucky enough to live in Denmark, Michael will be speaking on the 22^rd March at the Royal Library, and you can sign up to the event here.

We have created a short collection of Michael’s favourite places from his travels which you can view here.

Thanks to Keith Bergman @ Hetland Books for helping to set this up.

Photo credit: Basil Pao

Proud to be nominated for design award It’s probably no...

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 05:57:00 -0500

Proud to be nominated for design award

It’s probably no surprise to most of you that Everplaces loves good design. Everything we do, build and share is considered a part of our brand, that’s why UX and design have such high priority for us.

We believe that user experience and the feel of a product is just as important as the functionality of it. And that it’s becoming increasingly more important.

Our co-founder Angelica Vargas is a designer and oversees the design processes both on the development and marketing side. She deserves most of the credit when we’re looking sharp.

Today we’re nominated for Best Design at TheNextWeb’s startup awards. We’re very proud to be in that exact category.

Image courtesy of designyoutrust.com

WE LOVE VISITS! At Everplaces we love meeting our users, and we...

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 07:40:00 -0500

WE LOVE VISITS!

At Everplaces we love meeting our users, and we often get such nice visits from all over the world.

Today we got to meet with Sarah Lambersky, the winner of our Valentine’s competition.

Sarah is originally from Canada, and is passionate about travelling and, as we discovered, tea. She has been living in China and the Czech Republic and has just relocated to Copenhagen.

You can follow Sarah on Everplaces for inspiration for your future travels.

User vote: Here’s the most romantic place in the world! In...

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 05:42:00 -0500

User vote: Here’s the most romantic place in the world!

In connection with Valentine’s day Everplaces has been asking the community about best romantic places. With such a wonderfully selective community we had some wonderful entries, and now we’ve chosen a winner:

CHATEAU LES CARRASSES, Languedoc, France

Château Les Carrasses is a 19th Century Wine Domaine in the Languedoc, South of France, extensively restored as a luxury self-catering estate and boutique winery.

Facilities include a magnificent infinity pool, floodlit claytennis, boulodrome and barbecue area, conservatory, orchard and olive grove. The bistro and bar serve elegant Mediterranean cuisine alongside the best regional wines and classic cocktails – to be enjoyed around the pool, in the salon, the tasting rooms, or on any one of several terraces.

Luxury self-catering accommodation consists of 28 suites, apartments and villas, many with panoramic views, private gardens and pool, and all fashioned from the original 19th Century buildings. Furnished in elegant French style, the properties suit parties up to 8 people.

The winning entry came from Sarah Lambersky, a food loving Canadian living in Prague, Czech Republic. Sarah has a bottle of champagne coming her way.

See more tips on wonderful places to visit in France (and many other countries) from Sarah here

Images courtesy of the hotel

Don’t want to look too eager? Here’s the place to...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 05:41:31 -0500

Don’t want to look too eager? Here’s the place to take your date for Valentines.

By guest blogger Nicole Murakami, NYC.

You’ve never messed up Valentine’s Day before.

And you don’t want this year to be the first. But you’ve got your eye on someone special and you’ve only been dating a couple of weeks. So where do you take her to dinner on Valentine’s Day without seeming overwhelming?

Here’s the trick. Ask her to dinner at Red Farm. Tell her that you’d like to try this intimate, small restaurant in the West Village, and they don’t take reservations so you can plan to meet there. Smooth.

The cozy restaurant is casual; yet the hanging candles, plants and wooden tables transport one to a fancy, romantic barn dinner. Oh and on top of it all, the food’s great too. The small plates are fresh takes on traditional dim sum, and are ideal for sharing. (Remember, sharing is caring.) With great ambiance and food, RedFarm strikes the perfect balance for a causal Valentine’s Day dinner.

One last tip: call at 5pm to put your name on a wait-list to minimize the wait when you arrive.

You’re welcome.

Nicole Murakami is a digital strategist in NYC. She loves social media, discovering new places and grilled cheese.

The 8 most romantic cities in the world

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:33:00 -0500

In this sweet week of Valentine everyone is looking for the perfect romantic gesture. If you have the time and budget, then travel is perfect! Exploring somewhere new together is one of the most special and romantic experiences around.

Here are the most romantic destinations in the world.

1. Lisbon, Portugal

Why visit: Lisbon has an arty, romantic old soul. You can feel it clearly as you explore the old cobbled streets, dilapidated colonial palaces and wander by the river from which the conquistadores sailed out to discover the new world. The narrow streets have a distinct latin touch with tiny music venues, inexpensive cocktails bars and Mediterranean restaurants.

What to see: http://bit.ly/RomanticLisbon
Image credits: Mela Mörtenbäck

2. Buenos Aires, Argentina

Why visit: The city of tango, roses and wine offers a modern and romantic South American experience. Visit the tomb of Evita at Cementerio de la Recoleta, learn to tango or sit and talk until sunrise in little bars while enjoying world-class Argentinian red wine.

What to see: http://bit.ly/RomanticBuenosAires
Image credits: Emilie Holmgaard

3. Cape Town, South Africa

Why visit: Cape Town’s location near Stellenbosch, the wine district, is one of the big reasons it has made it to the top of the list. The area is filled with independent vineyards, many of which with beautiful gardens and sumptuous restaurants. The Cape Town vicinity is particularly charming if you visit the small villages dotted along the coastline, in general the landscape is perfect for romantic road trips with its mountainous roads along bays, small towns and perfect blue sea.

What to see: http://bit.ly/RomanticCapeTown
Image credits: Francois Botha

4. Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Why visit: The much loved Mediterranean island of Mallorca has seen a revival in and is once again among the hippest locations in Europe. Palma is the capital and oozes of European sophistication with design hotels, medieval old squares where you sip cold wine and fine dining opportunities for the evening. Because of the limited size of Mallorca you’re never far from a quiet corner, whether you prefer old fincas or secluded bays.

What to see: http://bit.ly/RomanticPalma
Image credits: John Deveraux

5. Marrakesh, Morocco

Why visit: Morocco is a classic when it comes to romantic spots, and Marrakesh is more spectacular than Casablanca where Bogart famously loved Bergman. Treat yourself to stay in an old Riad, a classic Moroccan villa with inside gardens, many are turned into the most beautiful hotels. Their calm interior is a good contrast to the vibrant, noisy world outside the gates. The medina is a must-visit and a world heritage site, come prepared to haggle!

What to see: http://bit.ly/RomanticMarrakesh
Image credits: Chris Kaalund

6. Wellington, New Zealand

Why visit: New Zealand’s capital is beautifully situated on the steep ridges of the harbor, with quaint wooden houses dotted in the lush green bush. The charming old houses, often painted in bright colors, house many great cafes as the locals are crazy about coffee. A visit to the Cook Straight where you can feel the antarctic winds and to a Maori site is a great way to get appetite for a dinner of New Zealand roast lamb accompanied by some of the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc, produced just across the straight.

What to see: http://bit.ly/RomanticWellington
Image credits: Alaina Lockowandt

7. Sausalito, United States

Why visit: Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and you immediately leave the hustle and bustle of San Francisco behind you. Instead, you’re surrounded by green hills and lush marinas filled with the white yachts of the dotcom jet set. The ambiance here is calm and restful and there are many cafes and restaurants perfect for romantic dinners. The views in the area fantastic so alternatively pack a picnic basket and go for a road trip up and down the green hills.

What to see: http://bit.ly/RomanticSausalito
Image credits: Maury Postal

8. Dubrovnik, Croatia

Why visit: Ancient Dubrovnik is built around the harbor and the combination of water and old buildings is a part of its special magic. Lord Byron called it “the pearl of the Adriatic”, perhaps because of the town’s finely carved stone facades and sunny squares, or maybe because of the blue waters and fine beaches nearby.

What to see: http://bit.ly/RomanticDubrovnik
Image credits: Kimberley Chan

9. Your favorite?

Tell us your favorite romantic place and win a bottle of champagne to share with your loved one at a romantic occasion.

How to enter: Save the place on your Everplaces profile and share it on Facebook.com/Everplaces or on Twitter @everplaces.

The winner will be announced on Valentines day.

News: Everplaces launch “create-your-own-app”...

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:15:00 -0500

News: Everplaces launch “create-your-own-app” technology

Today Everplaces is launching a new technology aimed at companies and professional bloggers. It enables companies and individuals to create their own mobile marketing apps, downloadable in the App Store.

The new product work in synergy with Everplaces, since the legwork for the apps is made in your Everplaces account, where any collection can now be turned into an independent app.

In this connection it’s important for me to underline that the content used in these apps is from the companies themselves, so rest assured none of your Everplaces data will ever be used in these apps.

Building relations with customers on mobile is big priority for many companies. This has been both cumbersome and expensive in the past, but now that has changed with Everplaces’ make-your-own-app technology. We’re happy to power that democratization.

The shift to mobile in travel has happened astonishingly quickly. 34% of people already make travel bookings from their mobile, and 40% already use them to get destination information, according to ITB World Travel Monitor.

There are two versions, a fully branded option for companies which costs $7500 a year and a cheaper co-branded version aimed for bloggers and individuals. So far we’ve published 34 co-branded guide apps made by bloggers and four apps by companies.

If you’re company that needs an app for mobile marketing, please be in touch. Maybe we can help.

Have a great day!

Tine
CEO, Everplaces

Proud moment; Everplaces is shortlisted for prestigious The Europas awards.

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 10:14:00 -0500

Of all the awards in Europe that celebrate innovation, startups or technology The Europas is the most prestigious. Therefore we’re very honored to be shortlisted.

Everplaces is shortlisted in the category ‘Social, Mobile or App’. Given the nature of digital products and consumer web, this category is perhaps both the largest and toughest - so we’re keeping our fingers crossed. The shortlist, which was announced today, is made from an initial pool of thousands of the best startups in Europe and the UK.

Shortlisted for Best Social, Mobile or Apps Startup:

Conversocial Datahug Everplaces EyeEm Infogr.am Jolicloud
Qubulus Scandit SocialBro Swiftkey Zeebox

The Europas was started by TechCrunch’s Mike Butcher, who last year made a dramatic entry on a Harley. Rock’n’roll!

Wow! This year has been a very eventful year for Everplaces. We have 73 wonderful ambassadors...

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:59:07 -0500

Wow! This year has been a very eventful year for Everplaces. We have 73 wonderful ambassadors around the world and active users in more than 90 countries.

Due to this amazing development Everplaces has evolved a lot. We exchanged our beta with the brand new and improved Everplaces 2.0. It embraces so many new features. We hope you have taken as much pleasure in using it as we have.

With so much user love and great ambassadors around the world, we feel very grateful. It’s the most wonderfully holy time of the year and we want to thank all of our users for supporting us and sharing your love and wonderful feedback with us.

Are you travelling somewhere for the holiday season or just want to save that cosy café in your hometown? We have made it very easy to save places to your Everplaces account.

Here is how:

SAVE PLACES ON THE FLY

Have you checked out the new Everplaces iOS app yet? It has become much faster and easier to add a new place.

Are you stumbling upon cool places on the go that you would like to remember but are in a hurry to stop? Easy, simply click on the big orange button in the lower middle of the screen and snap a photo.

We will magically know your location, so you will get a list of nearby places to select from. Tap save and you’re all set! Your new place has been saved. Now you get both image and location in one go.

Later you can edit the place to add more details, such as description. Surely you had something on your mind when you discovered it. Perhaps it was the breathtaking view, the delicious food or the coolest _______? Transfer your impressions to the app, for you to remember and for your friends to be inspired by.

In addition to the description you can assign a category, add tags, contact info and add the place to a collection. All done!

ADD PLACES FROM CAMERA ROLL

Have you just returned from a memorable trip to Berlin loaded with tons of photos and places to remember? You can easily turn your photos from your phone into places. When adding a place click the small button to the left of the orange shutter button. It will direct you to your camera roll where you can select the image you want. We’ll know the location where the photo was taken, so all you need to do is spice it up with a category and put words on what you felt when you discovered the place.

Enjoy the new experience.

Have a wonderful Christmas and see you in 2013!
Team Everplaces

We created this little video to represent what Everplaces is...

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 06:18:00 -0500

We created this little video to represent what Everplaces is about - in motion. Wonderful places, memorable times, sharing experiences… because it’s not a lonely planet.

Special thanks to brilliant Ashley Ludaescher for helping us to make this happen, and huge thanks to our amazing ambassadors Kristin, Patrick, Lindsey, Anne, Thea + Bryan and Andreas. You rock!

A brand new version of Everplaces has been launched, not just an...

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:33:55 -0500

A brand new version of Everplaces has been launched, not just an update or an optimization, but a full redesign, packed with new features and improvements. It’s designed for iPhone but you can also use it on iPad and iPod Touch.

Get Everplaces from the App Store.

We’d like to mention we know that some people want to keep track of their favorite places just for themselves, and of course that is still possible. You can continue to use Everplaces for personal use and keep your places private (only visible to you).

NEW STREAM KEEPS YOU AUTOMATICALLY UPDATED

The new Home screen is a beautiful, visual stream, which is constantly updated with the places saved by you and people you follow. To give you a good start, you automatically follow Everplaces and four inspirational users. You can unfollow if you prefer, but we promise it’s amazing places.

SAVE PLACES ON THE FLY

This is a major improvement. Now it’s easier and super fast. Just click the big orange button in the middle, snap a picture, and we’ll save the place based on this. We magically know the location, so you get both image and location on one go. If you want to add more info (like tags, contact or comments) you can do that later. Really handy for when you stumble upon something cool and you’re in a hurry.

SAVE PLACES AFTER YOUR TRIP, DIRECTLY FROM PHOTO ROLL

One of the best new features is the ability to create places directly from photos in your phone. Just select a photo from your photo roll when you’re adding a new place and the app will know where it was taken. This means you can save your best holiday spots when you’re back home. And your friends can then take advantage of your tips in the future.

FOLLOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO KEEP YOURSELF UP TO DATE

The ‘People’ tab shows which people you follow. You can tap on their profiles to see their full collections. If you click in the ‘+ Add people’ button in the upper corner you can see which of your Facebook and Twitter friends already use Everplaces, and follow some. You can also invite people to use it via email, it connects to your contacts in your phone so it’s easy.

Pro Tip: it’s even easier adding people, and inviting directly from Facebook, using your computer. Invite your friends.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING NEARBY RIGHT NOW

The ‘Nearby’ tab on your phone now has a filter which shows all places near your current location that are saved by you and people you follow. By default you can see all categories from both you and your and friends. But if you tap the ‘Filter’ button in the top right corner, you can select which categories to see and choose between ‘Only me’ and ‘Me & Friends’

If you’re just looking for a restaurant, or shops you can set the filter to only show places from those categories. Enjoy!

Pro Tip: If you move the map around with your fingers, it will show your friends places anywhere. Just hit the ‘Search here’ button once you selected a new area to check out.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR TIPS FOR A SPECIFIC DESTINATION

The ‘People’ tab is useful for finding specific information. For example, if you’re going to NYC and you follow people who’ve been there a lot, then click into their profiles and see all their places in NYC. From there you easily bookmark the places you’d like and get these in your collection too.

Pro Tip: Follow Suggested Users for great insider tips in some of the world’s most exciting cities. Go to People tab, click ‘+ Add people‘ button, and scroll through Suggested Users.

QUICKLY SAVE TIPS FROM OTHERS

Whenever you see a recommendation you’d like to keep for later, just click on the ‘Save’ button. This will then save it into your personal collection, where you can edit if you’d like.

Pro tip: Many users use a special collection for things they havent tried yet but would like to. You have one too called ‘To Try’.

GET HELP ANY TIME

We’re here to help, if you have a problem, a question or a suggestion. We try to reply super fast so try us on:

Email: welovefeedback@everplaces.com
Twitter: @everplaces
Facebook: facebook.com/everplaces
Or you can email Ani, our Community Manager, directly on ani@everplaces.com

We hope you enjoy using the new Everplaces!

Angie, Chris, Karlo, Mark, Jacob, Ani, Emilie, Katie and Tine

…

PS: All popular features from the previous version still work, such as:

Use Everplaces offline

All the places you’ve saved are available without data connection. So save places ahead of your trip to have everything available once you’re there.

Pro tip: If you cache the maps in your phone in advance, they will also work without data connection. See more here.

Import your Google MyMaps

Import all your maps from Google MyMaps. Then they’re mobile, pretty and handy.

You know how an image says more than a thousand words? With your...

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 09:02:00 -0500

You know how an image says more than a thousand words? With your Everplaces collection this is more true than ever.

Next week, Everplaces 2.0 will be released with loads of social features, which is likely to bring more people over to look at your collection. Here’s how you can make it more attractive, more communicative and say more about who you are as a person.

1) Use images for all your places
This makes a huge difference. You can quickly add any photo via our web interface, or from your phone (photo roll or take a new) if you’re on your mobile. You can also find a suitable image on the web and save to the place.

Done that? Now refresh and see how beautiful your page looks!

For inspiration check out food lover Charmaine’s collection.

2) Make your images look like a pro’s
Running your photos through a filter can give them a glow and an artistic look. It’s easy to do this in Instagram with the photos from your phone. Save a new copy with a filter and save this version on Everplaces.

If you don’t like Instagram, there are several mobile alternatives. These services can all make your photos look vintage, arty or show the colors and contrast more clearly. If you prefer to do your editing on your computer, here’s a list of photo filter and editing services on web. They are a quick way to spruce up the look of your photos.

For inspiration check out our designer Angelica’s collection.

2) Make sure your profile shows who you are

People will come to your page to see who you are and what kind of places you’re into. Give them a nice welcome by detailing what you like, so people with similar interests know they should follow you for tips. And a picture of course, one that says something about you. You can also link to your blog if you have one.

For inspiration check out urbanite Peter’s page

3) Make interesting collections
You can organize your places into collections if that makes sense. Personally I love wine bars, so I’ve made a list of wine bars in my own city, so I can keep track of new ones and quickly suggest a good place on nights when me and my friends are choosing where to go.

You can also do a collection with research for a particular vacation, like ‘Lake District’ or interest such as ‘great modern architecture’.

For inspiration check out Seattle coffee lover Katie Palmer’s many collections

I hope you have a lot of fun prettifying your collection!

Tine
CEO
www.everplaces.com/tine

Featured Collection: Kai and his international pedestrian...

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:39:14 -0500

Featured Collection: Kai and his international pedestrian malls

We love to see people using Everplaces in creative ways. This week we are happy to introduce Kai, from Oregon, USA.

I am a graduate student in urban planning and have been studying pedestrian malls for my Masters Project. As a part of this project, I wanted to have a list of all of the pedestrian malls throughout the world. I know that there are hundreds. But at least I wanted to have the most important ones listed. So, I was really happy to discover the Everplaces app for my iPhone earlier this year. It’s an excellent tool to list and share your favorite places.

For my purposes, it’s extremely easy to add a pedestrian mall to my list. And, I love that I can have an exact map location and photos for each one. I also love that I can easily share my favorites via Twitter and e-mail. I have encouraged many fellow urban planners, urban designers, architects, and landscape architects that I know to use the app. So, I hope the user base continues to grow!

I look forward to adding dozens of more pedestrian malls to my Everplaces list in the future. And, I’m excited to see what other great features they come up with.

Check out Kai’s collection on Everplaces.

GREAT TIMES TO SHARE

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 06:39:00 -0400

Updated 8 Nov

What a wonderful week

When good things happen we can’t wait to share them with all you lovely people that use Everplaces. You were first to spot the potential of this product and we owe everything to you.

Everplaces has been nominated for no less than two separate awards this week. Firstly a tech award called Beep Awards where we are nominated for best App. The ceremony will take place at a big gadget conference later this month and we look forward to demo’ing Everplaces’ usefulness to even more foodies, travelers and list-writers out there.

Apart from this, we nominated twice for the danish part of Nordic Startup Awards. Cofounder Angelica Vargas is nominated for Best Designer. We love design and consider it a core part of our DNA so we’re very pleased about this nomination. Personally I am nominated for Founder of the Year which is also a great honor.

This week we were bestowed an even greater honor by the royal family of Denmark who threw a dinner to celebrate entrepreneurs. I was so very lucky to be be invited, and even more so, to be seated next to Mary, the Crown Princess of Denmark at the dinner (image). I later had the pleasure of Prince Joakim’s company too. A must humbling experience and we are honored by the royal attention and grateful they support startups and technologies. We all want to be a part of building new services that make people’s lives easier or better.

Thank you!

Tine
CEO

…

We seem to have hit a storm of wonderful prizes and nominations recently, and we wanted to share the good news with you.

Apart from the big QPrize, where we took home €100k from Qualcomm for being the best mobile startup in Western Europe, we’ve been nominated for the Danish App of the Year by BT — one of the biggest newspapers in our home country of Denmark.

We were also announced as one of the winners of White Bull Awards 2012 in Barcelona, based on potential for growth, and Berlin’s VentureVillage just listed us as Top 5 Startups to Watch in Denmark.

Perhaps not surprisingly, this has spurred a mass of incoming interest from investors, corporations and partners. We hope to make the most of all interest and use it to fulfill the vision of Everplaces even sooner: To facilitate the best access to reliable, beautiful and personally relevant travel information.

Thanks for all the support,

Tine,
CEO