Google Maps is my favourite app by a country mile – I remember as a teenager eagerly exploring AA roadmaps (which were essentially huge books), picking out a place and excitedly cycle off on my bike to explore around the area.
Then along came Google Maps and shortly after it, with the advent of smartphones, the Google Maps app. I swear had you been looking at me playing with Maps when I got my first smartphone, you would think I was a caveman who just discovered the wheel. It was great being able to plan trips and also see what the cafes, hotels, restaurants and other sights of interest were like before getting there – with the Local Guides it was as if you had a friend who’d already been there and was giving up all of the secrets. Where previously you’d essentially be relying on an old Michelin guide (or just plain gambling) when going on a trip down the country, now you just whip out your phone and check out a place while you’re right outside it.
That’s when I knew I wanted to contribute to the community as well – anywhere I had been it was essentially that I gave back and let other travellers and consumers know about my experience (be they good or bad). There are a few downsides to this – I’ve noticed some really great pubs and restaurants I frequent tend to get a little busier with good reviews – great for business but bad for my patience!
The Local Guides program has also surprised me – one time we got lost trying to find my wife’s parents’ graves which was in a very secluded and remote part of the country. It was nearly impossible to find. When we got there, it was almost a cliché – the sign on the entrance was overgrown with vines and moss. I naturally cleared it away and then took a few pictures of the gateway and landmarks near the gateway. A few months later I saw that the picture had been viewed 100s of times – I like to think these viewers didn’t have the same experience as me trying to find the place.
That’s what being a Local Guide is all about – shared experiences which can help others avoid bad ones, but repeat the good ones.