Local Guides – a program that even locals need to use. Using local guides is akin to seeing, hearing, tasting and feeling places / food / activities from the perspective of many others, be it internally (locals) or externally.
I first started using local guides & contributing to Google maps when my friend told me about “giving back to websites / apps” that we frequently use, especially when it’s free of charge. The first app that came to my mind was Google Maps since I use it every single day, even when I’m trying to navigate around my own neighborhood.
I started off posting lots of photos from my Korea trip & when my friends asked for my trip’s itinerary, I handed over the materials but I was missing out on one of the best family restaurants with friendly staff & prime cut beef. I tried googling for it but I just couldn’t pinpoint the location. That’s when I decided that I need to add it onto Google maps!
Premium Korean Beef served in Restaurant
Traditional premium beef BBQ restaurant with Korean shop title
I started exploring on how can I post & create content that would help others get the information they needed. For my case, reviews mean A LOT to me, be it negative or positive ones & usually, I would hope to see both sides of the coin. Another incident that prompted me was when I found out the best breakfast I had in Taiwan was NOT on google maps as well.
Crispy crepe with fish fillet
One issue was probably due to the different languages used in their countries (the shops’ names were in Korean/ Chinese) & hence I wanted to bridge the language gap by writing my own experiences & additional information that people might have missed out on a single platform.
Shopfront of traditional Taiwanese breakfast shop
Another point that got me hooked on / bent on using local guides is the numerous times my local Singaporean friends complained about how boring Singapore is! I just started out on film photography & I use google maps extensively to search for places to shoot & to my surprise, there were many places to explore in my own neighborhood! I began the journey with visiting the Central Sikh temple when I saw that there was a pool in the middle of the temple through the open roof on Google maps. For more than 20 years of my life, I didn’t have the courage to step into the temple nor know any of their rules/customs. After reading the reviews on how to dress & what to look out for in a Sikh temple on local guide, I finally stepped into the temple for the first time in 20 years.
Interior of Central Gurdwara Singapore
Exterior of Central Gurdwara Singapore
Local guides to me is like having seniors give you advices / tips & tricks on high school with their own stories but ultimately, you still got to go out there & explore. Only then you’ll have your own stories & legacy to pass down to your juniors! It encourages you to ask and to be inquisitive, it encourages you to interact, it encourages you to traverse the world, be it digitally or literally.
So anyway if you’re looking for a different type of travel in Singapore where you get exclusive & authentic local deals & tips, check out the “Live a day as a Singaporean millennial!” to-go list!