About Gecko Routes

Independent travel guides, obsessively researched by our team. We help you figure out how to get from A to B — and show you the best places along the way.

Find out how to get to your next destination

Finding the best route to your next destination is often the biggest struggle when planning a trip. It was the first problem Gecko Routes wanted to solve and it's still how many travellers find our website today. But we didn't stop there.

Find inspiration and travel tips for the best places to visit

Over the years, we expanded our content with easy-to-follow travel guides. Packed with the best tips from our own travel experiences, extensive research and conversations with hundreds of other travellers, these guides can help you make your upcoming adventure even better.

What you'll find on Gecko Routes

Countries

500+

Routes

100+

Travel Guides

10+

Contributors

The origin story of Gecko Routes

“Which places should we visit? How long does it take to get to the next destination?”

These were the questions that came up times and times again when our founder, Maarten, was planning a 3-week holiday in Vietnam with his family. He had been travelling through Asia for several months but hadn't been restricted on time until now. With only three weeks to show his family the best spots in the country, the pressure was on.

After poring over travel blogs and forums, and asking friends and fellow travellers for advice, he created an itinerary in an Excel spreadsheet. Unfortunately, finding out how to travel between places wasn't any easier. It took hours of Google searching, visiting local websites and trying to unriddle the text with the help of Google translator. Often, only to find out that the information was out of date. Ouch.

How we research our routes

Extensively Researched

Cross-referenced from booking platforms, reviews, operator websites, and local sources.

Locally Verified

Confirmed directly with operators via WhatsApp, Facebook, or validated by our team on the ground.

Traveller Updated

Recently confirmed by travellers — our team or the community — with up-to-date prices and schedules.

We update routes based on traveller feedback, booking data, and our own return visits. If something changes — a ferry schedule, a new bus company, a price increase — we update the guide.

Team & Contributors

A small team of passionate travellers and the contributors who help keep our guides accurate.

Maarten Cox

Founder

Based in Bali, Maarten quit his job as a stock analyst in 2016 to travel. When he's not working on Gecko Routes, you'll find him surfing or exploring Indonesia.