Ever since I became a Local Guide in 2017, I’ve always considered the Local Guide Program to be more than just a global community of people who share reviews and photos of various places around the world. Through each and every words that I’ve written in all of my reviews, I’ve tried to preserve the memorable moments that I got from visiting a certain place. Some people may have other ways to keep their memories alive, such as writing a journal or posting on social media. But instead of keeping it to myself or to my followers on social media, I’d rather share it to my fellow explorers in the Local Guide Community. I feel a great sense of satisfaction every time someone likes my review, knowing that I can help thousands of people out there by sharing my experience.
One of my most memorable moments is when I went to The Lodge Maribaya, a famous tourist attraction in West Java, with my best friends. There are a lot of instagrammable photo spots in The Lodge Maribaya and we planned on taking a group picture in all provided spots. Little did we know that we had to pay additional fees and get in a queue first if we wanted to take a photo in some of those photo spots, while some of my friends didn’t bring extra money for this unexpected fee. Then I decided to give a detailed information in Google Maps about which spots in Maribaya that are free of charge and which spots that required additional fee, in hopes that by reading my review, people can prepare their budget beforehand. The review has now reached more than 11.000 views.
Another review of mine that has many likes is the one for Bogor Botanical Gardens in West Java. I went there with my boyfriend since we both love going on outdoor dates. However, there’s a popular myth saying that if a couple goes on a date to the Bogor Botanical Gardens, they will sure to break up in the future. On the contrary, I became more intimate with my boyfriend even after we went there multiple times together. In fact, we are now happily married. So I wrote down in my review that the myth was proven wrong because I don’t want other couples to worry about having a date there. I also gave some tips on how to make the best out of their experience in the Botanical Gardens, such as bringing their own picnic mat so that they can enjoy the scenery better by lying on the mat while feeling the gentle touch of cool breeze on their face.
Sometimes when I got bored or when I’m not in a good mood, I will absently scroll through my contributions in Google Maps. It feels almost as if I’m rereading my diary from my cellphone. Somehow it makes me feel a lot better, remembering all the good times that I had with my loved ones while visiting each one of those places. That’s why The Local Guides Program means a lot to me. This program has made it possible for me not only to turn my traveling experience into an online journal, but to also turn it into a useful information for others in need.