Beautiful photo @Sid.the.explorer. I have been quite a long in Mumbai but never saw any such beach.
Hey Amit!
Thanks for your comment. Since it was an introduction post, I had followed the template and mentioned my location as Mumbai. I have updated the post to avoid any confusion 
The picture is actually from Kalapathar Beach at Havelock Island in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It’s a beautiful place and definitely worth visiting if you ever plan a trip there
Hello @Sid.the.explorer
Nice introduction and beautiful pics. Normally we have a thread for this. It’s here Introduce Yourself — March 2026.Am sure you don’t mind me merging it into that thread.
A welcome to connect hand is extended to you.. See you around.
Happy guiding
Cheers
Hey @SholaIB,
Thanks for your kind words! And yes, that’s absolutely fine. I actually had a bit of trouble locating the right thread and assumed I had posted it correctly.
Glad you were able to move it to the right place. Appreciate the help!
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Hi Tipper @Sunflower, it is so nice to read a little bit about you. Being a Local Guides match your life style. Hello from Detroit, Michigan.
@Ivi_Ge thank you for sharing this incredible Local Guide!
Hello everyone! It’s a pleasure to join the Local Guides community.
Since I was a child, I was that curious girl who spent hours following ants to learn about their world. I’ve always been fascinated by documentaries, especially National Geographic, which taught me to look at the world with attention and respect for the little details.
Today, that curiosity has turned into a hobby that brings me a lot of joy: exploring new corners of the world with Google Maps in my hand. I am very happy to be able to record, through my photos and reviews, a little bit of every place I visit. I hope these contributions help others discover special places just as much as I enjoy finding them.
I am very excited to be part of this team and to learn from all of you!
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A warm welcome to Local Guides Connect! @aicitel.kgs
We’re so happy to have you here. To get started, check out:
Please share a bit about yourself and get to know other fellows in Connect. You can visit our monthly section, where I will merge your post.
Hello everyone! 
Name: Maminul Islam Mollah
Location: Cumilla, Bangladesh
What I love sharing on Google Maps: Mosques, local businesses, and helpful photos.
Fun fact about me: I am a journalist and enjoy exploring new places and documenting them.
My favorite thing about being a Local Guide: Helping people find accurate information through Google Maps.
Greetings to all Local Guides around the world! 
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Hi everyone!
My name is Amro, and I am thrilled to finally join this amazing community! I am currently a Level 7 Local Guide based in Saudi Arabi.
I am passionate about photography and helping people find the best spots in the city. So far, I’ve traveled to several countries and made over 1,500 answers and shared nearly 1,000 photos with millions of views to help travelers and locals alike. My goal is to reach Level 8 soon and continue improving the map for everyone.
Looking forward to connecting with you all and learning more about how to be a better contributor!
Amro
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Hello everyone!
My name is Thanush, and I’m excited to join the Local Guides Connect community. I’m from Sri Lanka and I really enjoy exploring new places, especially restaurants, shopping malls, and local food spots. Sharing reviews and photos on Google Maps helps other people discover great places and have better experiences.
One of my favorite places I have reviewed so far is Astoria Mall. I like it because it has a great atmosphere, many shopping options, and good food places. It’s a nice place to spend time with friends and family.
I’m happy to be part of this community and I’m looking forward to learning from other Local Guides and sharing more of my experiences.
Thank you and happy exploring! #LocalGuides #GoogleMaps #SriLanka
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1. Name: Thanush
2. Location: Colombo Sri Lanka
3. What I love about being a Local Guide: After relying on Google Maps for years, I realized the value of community-contributed data and felt a responsibility to give back. I love knowing that my updates and authentic experiences help others find accurate information and navigate the world with more confidence.
4. My favorite thing to explore: I am passionate about uncovering natural landscapes and supporting local businesses. I specifically enjoy auditing place information—like checking if a small business has updated its hours—to ensure the map stays reliable for the next traveler.
5. Fun Fact about me: My friends call me the “Human GPS” because I’m always the one finding the best nearby spots. While they joke about what I’d do if the maps ever failed, that actually motivates me to make sure every single location is mapped perfectly
Hello @Thanush04 welcome to Connect! I also really love shopping malls, because they usually offer a lot of opportunities to make edits (my favorite type of contribution).
We like to keep things well organized here on Connect, so I have moved your post to the monthly thread where new contributors can introduce themselves.
[EDIT] while typing my reply, I noticed you discovered the monthly “introduce yourself” thread 
By the way, if you want to discover more about making edits in shopping malls, check out this podcast episode: Episode 17: Shopping Centers – LetsGuide Podcast
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Hi fellow Google Guides. I recently hit level 9 and wanted to connect up with other guides. It all started back in 2018, I took a nice photo of a park in Strasburg, VA and posted it to maps. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. A couple of months later I noticed it had over 60k views. That gave me a little thrill. I then decided to start posting my experiences on Google Maps. I wanted to help people find the best spots in my local community and during my travels. I’ve realized the impact small details have on travelers, and I’ve now reached over 31 Million total views purely through organic contributions. Fun fact about me…I don’t have an IG, a Tik Tok or a Facebook; however, I always make time to post my new experiences on Google Maps. My favorite things to post are from historic sites, from the huacas in Lima, Peru to The Woodrow Wilson Presidential library in Staunton, VA. I love to travel, mostly in the US; but, you will definitely find me in South America every so often. My 2026 goal is to hit level 10 and 50 million views! 
1. Name: Mayur Jani
2. Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
3. What I love about being a Local Guide: I love the power of a single photo or review to help someone find exactly what they are looking for. As a tech-savvy explorer, I enjoy documenting the evolution of my city and ensuring that local businesses—especially the small, authentic ones—get the recognition they deserve.
4. My favorite thing to explore: I am passionate about heritage sites and local eateries. Being an authentic Kathiyawadi, I am always on the hunt for the best pure vegetarian spots that serve traditional flavors. I also have a deep interest in wildlife photography, so I often visit nature reserves to capture the beauty of our local ecosystems.
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Hello @MayurJani and Welcome to Local Guides Connect.
I want to inform you that I’m merging your post to our monthly feature Introduce Yourself — March 2026 to you , where you can meet local guides from around the world.
I also wanted to recommend to you, check Read first! Connect community guidelines for more information on Connect redesign FAQ: Your questions answered!,
& You can also Visit Community guidelines page for in-depth resources on the Connect features.
and many more 
Hi everyone, I am a geologist but also I have been doing acting and casting since 2011. I do extreme sports such as mountaineering, rock climbing, caving, parachuting, sailing, scuba diving, surfing, windsurfing, kayaking… I play guitar.
I am traveling all Turkiye and then other countries with my caravan. I wanna add more reviews, photos and videos. But I am really tired of seeing that my posts are being removed, and lots of my posts are still pending. I think I wont post anything more. All the best, Ali
Hello Local Guides!
My name is Kotchami Ogougbe, and I’m proud to call Niamey, Niger home — a city full of history, culture, and hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
By day, I’m a teacher, so knowledge is truly at the heart of everything I do. I have a particular passion for places of learning — libraries, universities, research centers, and cultural spaces — because I believe that knowing where knowledge lives is just as important as the knowledge itself.
On Google Maps, I love contributing honest reviews and vivid photos that help locals and visitors alike find the places that truly matter: the quiet library with the best collection, the campus café where ideas are born, the community center making a difference.
What drives me? The simple joy of learning something new every day and passing it on. Whether it’s a hidden bookstore or a welcoming study space, if it enriches minds, I want to put it on the map.
I’m thrilled to join this incredible community of explorers and storytellers. I can’t wait to discover your cities through your eyes — and to share a little piece of Niamey with the world.
Warm greetings from the banks of the Niger River!
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Hi there welcome i am new here myself
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1. Name:
Ahmed Zisan
2. Location:
Mymensingh City, Bangladesh
3. What led you to become a Local Guide:
I contribute to Google Maps because I want people to get accurate information at the right time. Many times when I travel to unfamiliar places, I search on Google Maps but cannot always find complete or reliable information. That experience motivated me to start contributing so others do not face the same problem. I mainly share information about local places and businesses so that people can easily find what they need.
4. My favorite thing to explore:
I enjoy exploring and reviewing local shops and places related to daily necessities. These places are very important for the local community, and I like helping people discover them quickly and easily through Google Maps.
5. Fun fact about me:
I am a Diploma Engineering student with a strong interest in technology, especially the Internet of Things (IoT). I have always been curious about computers and technology, and at one time I dreamed of studying computer science.
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Hello im from Finland! I travel alot. Taking pics and review of places. Nothingh special. Just normal guy 39 old and happy to help Google Maps to be correct and up to date. 
1 Like