Hong Kong – Urban Discovery Ltd has today launched its iDiscover Sanur cycling route, with partners Yayasan Pembangunan Sanur, BPPI, Bali Kuna Heritage Society, Eco Sanur and Rumar Sanur, showing travellers there is more to Bali than beaches. iDiscover CityWalks is a free, socially responsible travel app with community curated neighbourhood walks in Asia’s most historic cities. iDiscover Sanur walk and cycling route contain 30 sites bringing local cultural heritage to life by showcasing untold stories and urban legends, supported by detailed photography. For easy navigation and site selection the sites are divided into five iDiscover categories: iSee, iDrink, iEat, iShop and iSurprise.

This special Sanur Village Festival Edition was officially launched by Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism, Mr Arief Yahya at the Festival opening ceremony, and is supplemented by a free, handy printed map (the App & Map) that is available from selected hotels, cafes and restaurants in Sanur.

With an intuitive user interface, the iDiscover app encourages users to:
* Explore: authentic neighbourhoods where the city’s spirit thrives, at their own pace without worrying about expensive roaming costs.

* Discover: hidden gems handpicked by passionate locals. Community partners curate every walk, in English and the local language. They keep the walks updated, as neighbourhood businesses come and go, to provide accurate information for users.

* Wander: with easy to follow, off-line GPS enabled maps. Download the free app on iOS or Android and start exploring with a complimentary walk.

* Give Back: to keep heritage alive. Shop locally and support traditional businesses. Buy more walks in-app for an affordable US$1.99. All proceeds go back our local partners; the heritage communities who curate the walks.

“The iDiscover City Walks app was developed in response to a growing interest from travellers to see and experience the ‘real’ city and feel like a local rather than a tourist,” said Urban Discovery founder Ester van Steekelenburg. “We want to facilitate and empower local partners, such as NGOs and community organisations, to showcase the uniqueness of their neighbourhood as a destination and share their valuable local knowledge with a new audience using modern technology. We also aim to promote local businesses and traditional trades that define the authenticity and vibrancy of older neighbourhoods to help them survive in the 21st century.”

“We are proud to partner with Yayasan Pembangunan Sanur, BPPI, Bali Kuna Heritage Society, Eco Sanur and Rumah Sanur for iDiscover Sanur, to show that there is more to the popular seaside village than just the beach. We want people to explore the unique heritage and discover the authentic living culture of Bali away from the tourist areas. It’s like having a knowledgeable local friend show you around an unfamiliar neighbourhood,” continued van Steekelenberg.

Located on the eastern side of Bali, Sanur has a relaxed coastal ambiance. “Sanur is a former fishing village that has maintained its wealth in arts and culture. We are excited to work with the iDiscover team to curate this neighbourhood cycling route, taking advantage of the wonderful paved beachfront cycle-path that stretches some 5 kilometres from south to north Sanur” explained A.A. Bagus Amertajaya from Eco Sanur.

“Having worked together for iDiscover Denpasar, we are glad to extend our partnership with iDiscover CityWalks, and feel it’s appropriate to launch iDiscover Sanur at the 11th annual Sanur Village Festival [from 24-28 August]. The app ties in nicely with our own objectives and also the festival’s theme of working collaboratively with the creative community to acknowledge and celebrate the ‘New Age of Heritage’ commented Diah Kardinal of Bali Kuna Heritage Society.

Special Sanur Village Festival Edition: The New Spirit of Heritage – Tat Twam Asi:
Every year the Sanur Village Festival celebrates the spirit of togetherness and sense of belonging of the beautiful coastal village. This 2016 edition highlights Sanur’s unique cultural and historical heritage: maintaining what has been inherited from their forefathers while challenging the young generation to give a new vigour in terms of creativity and modern development.

iDiscover City Walks is proudly powered by Urban Discovery: a social enterprise with a mission to keep heritage alive for a vibrant and viable urban future. We provide advisory services, train people and design creative and enjoyable learning tools to increase awareness of the economic value of heritage. Together with local communities, we also co-curate neighbourhood walks in Asia’s most authentic cities. We explore and celebrate Asia’s rich urban cultural heritage that is disappearing so fast.

Device Requirements:
* iPhone and iPad
* 32.0 MB

Pricing and Availability:
iDiscover CityWalks is free and available worldwide through the App Store in the Travel category. There is also an Android version available on Google Play. One walk per city is automatically included with the initial download. Additional walks are available for in-app purchase for a once-off cost of $1.99 each (USD), with all proceeds given back to the local community partners who curate the walks. Apart from Bali, iDiscover City Walks is available for Hong Kong, Yangon, Java and Macau. A Northern Thailand app is currently in production. Learn more about us via our website and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Headquartered in Hong Kong, Urban Discovery was established in 2013 by founder Ester van Steekelenburg (MSc Urban Planning, University of Amsterdam, PhD Urban Economics, University of Hong Kong), who has over 15 years of international experience in urban regeneration and heritage preservation. All Material and Software Copyright (C) 2016 Urban Discovery Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac OS X, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.