WHAT DOES BEING A LOCAL GUIDE MEAN TO ME?
It means exploring —being curious about people and places, and then sharing the stories with the world.
One of my favorite things to do on Maps is add new places.
Adding new places benefits the local business and the Maps community. It is my way of showing appreciation of the business, and giving back to the Google Maps community.
An example of the adventure of adding new places can be experienced in this video, which documents the process from discovering a hidden gym, to taking photos and writing a review.
First step, get help from a local friend → the better advertised gym in Hanoi charges $25 USD per visit.
Whereas, some of the local gyms that are less-known, are more affordable at $2 USD per visit.
In this video we talk about:
Getting the help from a local guide to uncover hidden gems
Seeing local Hanoi culture 
Finding gyms in new cities
And, using Google Maps to help navigate cities - and contribute to Maps when a local business is missing.
What does being a Local Guide mean to me?
It provides a platform to share my stories and help others navigate destinations.
I enjoy reading the contributions from others, and being a part of a community of fellow adventurers and curiosity seekers.
WHO AM I?
My name is Philip James. I am curious about people and cultures. I enjoy sharing extraordinary stories about ordinary people, and exploring ways to promote wellbeing.
I am a Local Guide Level 8, Master Trailblazer and my photos have 10M views as of February 2020.
FIND ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA