Singapore-based experiential travel platform Seek Sophie has expanded into China, marking its first-time entry into the country.
The initial rollout features a curated collection of 25 authentic, community-led experiences based entirely in Yunnan province. Among them is a lesser-known hiking route in Tiger Leaping Gorge led by Nong Bu, a local Naxi guide whose grandfather was a Dongba priest. Disillusioned with shopping-led domestic tour groups, Nong Bu taught himself English to lead small groups deeper into Naxi heritage, medicinal plant lore, and the surrounding wilderness.
Travellers can also explore Yunnan’s speciality coffee movement through local hosts like Phoebe, a Seattle-educated returnee whose family has worked in local coffee since 1993. Rather than adopting higher-yielding trendy varietals, Phoebe focuses on traditional Yunnan coffee beans to educate visitors on local terroir.
In Shangri-La, the company offers a modern twist on the ancient Tea Horse Road via a 3D2N mountain caravan route led by local Tibetan guides, cooks, and mule handlers, paired with high-end glamping. Wildlife enthusiasts can also connect with former hunters turned forest rangers who track and protect the rare Yunnan snub-nosed monkey.
The decision to launch in China comes after prolonged interest from Seek Sophie’s traveller network. “We received so many requests from our community to enter China. People had been asking us for at least a year, so we took it seriously and started exploring it properly,” Jacinta Lim, co-founder and CEO of Seek Sophie, told TTG Asia.
While conventional sightseeing in China remains straightforward, uncovering off-the-beaten-path, ethical, and local-led experiences in English presents a hurdle due to a lack of online visibility for small, independent operators.
“There’s surprisingly little information online about these kinds of experiences, especially in English. And a lot of the smaller local businesses and guides we love just aren’t very visible online… Often, the most meaningful experiences come when you know someone who knows someone,” Lim shared.
To ensure listings met its standard for slow, immersive travel, the Seek Sophie team made three multi-week scouting trips to Yunnan before launching.
“We deliberately wanted to start with one region and understand it properly, rather than launch all over China at once,” Lim noted, adding that future cities on her radar include Sichuan, Chongqing, and Xinjiang.
The platform’s expansion strategy reflects its broader philosophy on destination stewardship and mitigating overtourism. Rather than avoiding popular destinations entirely, Seek Sophie works closely with local hosts to spread travellers out towards lesser-known routes, off-peak timing, and community-centric alternatives.
“I think genuine overtourism is when a place has become so crowded that neither locals nor travellers are having a good time anymore. By then, you’ve probably left it too late for meaningful intervention,” Lim said.
“For us, preventing overtourism is really about shaping tourism before a place gets overwhelmed. This means working with local people who know the destination best, spreading visitors more thoughtfully, and making sure the tourism coming in is actually benefiting the communities and environment.”
