Wildsam

What Special travel guides that aim to capture a local sense of place

Description Wildsam was founded by Taylor Bruce in 2012 with a strong belief in the transformative power of wonder, particularly wonder captured through travel. In their own words, Wisdom seeks out “these real and rooted things, what’s truly authentic to a place.” Their guides read more as love stories dedicated to cities, rather than traditional travel guides. This is precisely why I love them.

Their local essays, quotes, and yes some guides, are infused with personality that define what it means to be from a place. They advise a reader not only on where to go, but what to listen for and observe.

Why I first discovered Wildsam while wandering the shops around Vince Beach during my early days in LA. At the time I was a brand strategist working on Airbnb. These books immediately resonated with all the research around a growing craving to see a place from a local’s point of view. For anyone, looking for a good read before they visit a new city this spring, I highly recommend these as pre-travel homework.