It all started with a sweet tooth
My journey as a local guide started after I moved to Toronto in September 2018. I had no close relatives or friends when I first moved to the city. I spent most of my days trying to get a good job and trying the local cuisine. While the experience was fun in the beginning, in time, I had a craving for Indian food; Nostalgic for something familiar, something from back home in India. I looked up on Google Maps and found a great review for an Indian Restaurant. It had great reviews and a very high average rating. Many of the Canadian locals had praised it. Curious to try an Indian delicacy after so long, I reached the place and ordered my favorite ‘mithai’ (sweets) called ‘Cham-Cham’. I was very shocked to find that their authentic Indian flavor was nowhere close to the one I had enjoyed back in Delhi.
I realized that even with a bad rating, I wouldn’t change much for the restaurant. Its ratings would still be above 4.5 on an average. That is when I decided to narrate my experience in words so that other people who were looking to try a genuine Indian delicacy did not settle for something that I found to be sub-par.
People tend to rely on information provided by Google reviews. As a local guide I I believe I have a moral obligation to provide accurate detail about my experiences.
Virtual before Actual travel
There are over 7.5 billion people on Earth most of whom will never be able to travel to another country in their lifetime. The reviews can be their platform to see around the world and travel across the world through the experiences of others.
On the flip side, there are over 190 countries in the world and only the most affluent people can travel to over 90 countries. These reviews can be a great help to people to choose a destination among a myriad of choices and in helping them decide how to spend their limited time.
Across the States and back in five days
For instance, Last year I was in New Jersey to see my best friend after a long time and planned to stay for five days. With the help of other people’s reviews, I realized that it’s cheaper to travel in the States than I expected. Thereafter, we spontaneously made some bookings and ended up exploring parts of New York and Philadelphia in the first two days that we had always wanted to explore. Thanks to these reviews, we booked economical flight tickets and also managed to cross Vegas and Grand Canyon off my list within the span of my five day trip.
The Local Guide Community is growing to be my new passion. There is so much more to learn and explore. Together.
