“Why do I care about sharing on Google Maps?” There’s one major aspect of my own: creating mutual benefits. How come? I’ve got two personal life stories to tell:
1. Daily Lifesaver
As an Expat living in Saigon of Vietnam, I’m not capable of speaking conversational Vietnamese at the moment (I speak Chinese, English and French), therefore I rely heavily on GRAB service app (South East Asia’s version of UBER) helping me get to anywhere in Ho Chi Minh City.
One evening, I was with three colleagues doing groceries shopping in a mall, 10 min drive from our dorm apartment. I clicked on my frequent saved location in GRAB, little did I know it was changed to another strange place (nearly 20 min away from our dorm) due to some prank on Google Maps. Thankfully that time we were lucky to call another Grab Car as soon as we were left near an express way.
Only in two days from that horrid experience, I did two things: one, reported that fake location; two, added a new spot (a convenient store) right on the ground floor of our apartment building. From then on, my colleagues and I may use the correct place to ensure our daily out-going agendas. Google Maps help those who help themselves, doesn’t it?
2. Reliable Guide for City Explorations
I love exploring new places in every city I live and plan to visit, especially restaurants and hotels are my favourites. Being a Foodie Blogger (My Blog: Foodie Chicvé), it’s a must to discover authentic gourmets and accommodations. How am I supposed to find the right ones? That’s how Google Maps plays an essential role in my urban explorations.
Besides it provides locations to help me make route plans, it connects people around the world to share their reviews onto every spot. Those reviews really assist me so much most of the time! On the other hand, if I discover some new places yet to be added onto Google Maps, I’d add them myself to help others in the future, including basic store info such as opening hours and website links!
For instance, here’s the boutique hotel I visited in mid-February and the Room Tour Video I made for my Foodie Blog: Maison de Camille Boutique Hotel | Room Tour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3v54tGs9_4
This boutique hotel is located in a small lane near a highway, so I searched in advance on Google Maps and planned a perfect route to make sure that my trip would go very smoothly. And with the reviews I previewed, I could also have a clear picture of what I’d encounter (amazing breakfast, picturesque scenery, etc.) before actually staying there.
All the info gathering could be simply found on Google Maps, it’s a friendly and satisfying user experience. Plus, every time when I make my city exploration plans, I truly learn more and more about how to organize trips better. Sometimes, I could assist my family and friends to make suitable city tours. One day, when I become more seasoned with these travelling skills, then it’s probable for me to benefit more people in the whole wide world.
All in all, Google Maps is not only a reliable guide to explore cities, but also a lifelong learning companion for travelling abilities! And I’m happy to be a Local Guide and joining the big Google Maps family. Why do I care about sharing on Google Maps? Obviously, it’s already embedded deeply in my life!