Hello Local Guides,
This is Anirban Chakrabarti
I am a street nomad from Kolkata, West Bengal, India
I use Google Maps for shortcuts and in search of new as well as unknown places near me and abroad. That is how I got into contributing to Google maps and eventually to local guides.
I depend on The reviews, feedback and ratings from Guides on different places, restaurants and Hotels before i make a choice. I know how important it is to know the full story about a place before you make a booking there. I have evaded many bad experiences just because of google reviews and i try to make my contributions as detailed and as informative as I can. I include as many pictures as I can about places I visit and find new in my locality. I try and include videos and be as straightforward as I can about my experience at a shop or place.
I would also include that my mom plays an important role for me being a local guide. Whenever we go to places to visit or for a trip, she is the one who helps me to find new as well as authentic heritage places to visit.
Let me share you a story. Last year we went to visit Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. And the main attraction of Varanasi is the Vishwanath Temple. The temple is situated on the banks of river Ganga. And the place is filled with numerous lanes within the place. Its a labyrinth. So unfortunately I along along with my family got misdirected and we were lost. But thanks to google maps and local guide, we somehow managed to crack the maze(that’s what I think of the place) and come out in the open. And to be very hones, it was a heck of experience and it’s one of my favorite place to visit. Also I have included the place in my map and suggested places where were stuck and the way how we got out.
That is what I urge everyone to do. Share our true experience at any place we visit. It will be helpful to someone like me, who is travelling from far far away and don’t know where to go visit or what to eat and where. Especially to get them to avoid known scams and cons the locals may be familiar with. So, I do this to return the favor. Keep up the good work Guides, Proud of this community.