If I’ve been there, I’ve reviewed it.
My reviewing preference doesn’t lie with a specific category - restaurants, hiking trails, etc - I just love to share as much valuable information as I can on every place I go to. I guess you could say I’m a bit of a review junkie. And, with all the awesome spots that Cape Town has to offer - it’s not difficult to get hooked.
For me, reviewing isn’t just about jotting down a couple of facts about a place, it’s about creating a little sensory teaser of the experience you can expect to have there - from the vibe of the staff, to the eye-catching decor and even the cool little details on how the bill is presented to you after a meal. It’s all in the detail.
I try to put myself in a tourist’s shoes and think, 'what information can I, as a local, share that they wouldn’t necessarily have been told by the hotel concierge. We locals hold a wealth of golden tips, a lot of which we often don’t realise are hugely helpful to someone visiting a place for the first time.
For example, when I first hiked up Platteklip Gorge, I went around 10am on a scorching Cape Town Summer morning. Not a good idea. On my review of Platteklip, I recommended that hikers start before sunrise in Summer and take about a litre of water and a snack per person. It’s scary how many people I still see starting the hike around midday in the middle of Summer, with little to no water and definitely not dressed for the occasion.
I feel like an experience is that much richer when shared, and being able to share my experience to such a wide audience on Google Maps, is nothing short of awesome.