What is Going Places?

Imagine a place where all people are equal, where everyone has the right to self-determination.

Here, we center and celebrate Indigenous voices. Here, we build bridges, not walls.

Here, we remember one central truth: we are of the Earth. We are reminded that she is a sacred being, not an object from which to extract unlimited resources. 

In this place, we embrace curious, enriching, creative ways to live, travel, and be in community with others. 

Consider Going Places your guide to that place.

Stories have the power to help shape this reality and we do not take this responsibility lightly.

Our platform spotlights people, places, experiences, and ideas that help us imagine a better way to live, create, and travel. 

From Indigenous art collectives in Algeria to Quechua language guardians, our work expands the known:

Go places, together.

At Going Places, we believe in interdependency. We understand that our lives are bound together, whether we live in Amsterdam or Amman. 

That’s why, when we travel, we aim to connect to local communities, recognize their hopes and struggles, acknowledge their history and political context, and interrogate our impact as travelers wherever we go. 

We believe in journalism through an anti-oppression lens. We believe in decolonizing travel.

For people who want to engage with the world, we tell stories that build awareness, empathy, and solidarity with communities worldwide. 

Become a member

We are reader-supported.

Another reader-supported publication? Yes! 

Here are at least five reasons why you should join us: 

  1. We speak clearly. Independent journalism that explicitly names systems of power and oppression—and is not afraid to use terms like genocide and settler colonialism—is not common. We hope to be one of many new spaces in the travel and culture media that change the status quo. If you want to see more reporting like this—not less—support us here.
  2. We produce high-quality stories. Journalism is not free. It can take weeks to produce one story. That includes many hours of research, interviewing, assembling notes, developing ideas, writing, editing, and publishing. We believe in making a decent living and paying everyone fairly for their work. If you do too, consider supporting us.
  3. We’re 100% human-made. Reader-supported journalism resists the tech oligarchy of algorithms, AI, and many issues that come with it like increased energy load, decreasing attention spans, and tech-driven defense contracts. Instead of competing for eyeballs that turn into advertising revenues, we produce stories that matter to our readers. Our stories are human-made and carefully crafted. If you value quality, consider supporting us.
  4. We’re cultivating hope. We acknowledge the poly crises happening in our world, but Going Places, above all, is a hopeful place. We are creating a space where you can come for inspiration, imagination, and connection to people from vast corners of our world. If you’re craving this kind of connection, you should support us.
  5. We have one shareholder: you. What happens when coverage is dictated by corporations? Who will raise important issues, speak against harm and injustice, and ask critical questions when they risk losing partners, ad revenues, and the ability to pay the bills? Reader support means we are not beholden to brands and advertisers, we are beholden to you. We don’t publish content to cater to a Meta feed or to make money for a corporation. We publish the stories we want to see, read, and hear—for us and for you, our audience. If you want to see these stories, consider supporting this platform.
Become a member

You don’t have to be a paid member to be part of the Going Places community.

You can sign up for our free newsletter, share, like, or forward our stories to someone, or listen to our podcast. All of those actions go a long way in helping more people see our work (and that makes us so happy).

We have big plans for Going Places and we can’t wait to begin this journey with you!

About your host, Yulia Denisyuk

Who's behind this thing?

A Kaqchiquel Mayan healer once told Yulia in the highlands of Guatemala that her Nahual, a Mayan term for spiritual essence, was Tz’i, the coyote, a canine that thrives in the deserts and prairies.

In the Mayan tradition, the coyote is a just and loyal adventurer who guides people from this world to the next. The healer explained that Yulia’s path was to embrace this role.

At Going Places, we believe that this next world is already here.

It exists in our imagination, yes—and also in so many places across the globe where people work on important projects while caring for their communities, other living beings, and nature. 

As a journalist, photographer, writer, and filmmaker, Yulia has traveled the globe seeking out these stories, producing multimedia award-winning work for outlets like National Geographic, TIME, Conde Nast Traveler, AFAR, and many others. 

Today, she is heeding the call to be a guide to this realm. 

Learn more about Yulia here.

We produce award-winning stories

Going Places documentary, The Story of Abdul Raouf, won a Gold Telly Award in 2024, competing against 13,000 entries to join the ranks of winners like the creative powerhouses of Adobe, Netflix, National Geographic, LinkedIn, and others.

Watch the 5-min film on YouTube

What our colleagues say

Eliot Stein, Deputy Editor, BBC Travel:

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"Yulia is the rarest of journalists: a world-class photographer, an immaculate reporter, and a phenomenal storyteller. But what has always struck me most about her is the way she turns her gaze outward, shining a bright and generous light on others with clarity and compassion."

Sarah Khan, Contributing Editor, Condé Nast Traveler:

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"Yulia is a master at unearthing nuanced, culturally rich stories from far-flung corners of the world, and is a champion for bringing to light voices and perspectives that are often overlooked."

Ashlea Halpern, Contributing Editor, TIME:

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“​​Yulia has been in my orbit for nearly a decade. I've edited her work across multiple titles and platforms because she's the kind of storyteller that editors bring with them: intelligent, curious, thoughtful, compassionate, and fearless.”