About

I’m Chris Koucheki, the founder of Trevel. I work in tech, and I’m a sports and travel photographer. I live in Newport Beach, California, and I built Trevel because I wanted travel to feel a little more like exploring a world than checking places off a list.

Why Trevel exists

I wanted a map that remembered where I had been. One that starts dark and clears where you go, so your own travel has a shape you can actually look at.

The idea came from World of Warcraft, where the map starts obscured and reveals itself as you explore. Going somewhere new feels like it counts for something. The real world gives you nothing like that. You go, you come back, and the only record is a camera roll you never scroll.

So I built one.

Why every stamp is verified

Trevel could have worked on the honor system. You say you were somewhere, it believes you. I did not want to build that, because a list you can type into yourself does not prove much, and the whole appeal of a passport is that the stamps were hard to get.

So stamps are earned in person. Your phone confirms you are standing where you say you are, and the check runs on our servers rather than inside the app.

You can still import past trips from your camera roll. Those stamps are marked as self-reported and earn fewer points, so they help complete your passport without being treated the same as a place you stamped in person.

Why photos matter

Most of why Trevel cares so much about photos and places comes from the photography. You can add your own photos to the stamps you earn, so your passport looks the way your trips actually looked.

Trevel is still early

I’m building the travel app I always wished existed. If you try it and have an idea, complaint, or find something that just feels off, email me at chris@trevel.app. I read everything.