I have been actively contributing to google maps for over 4 years and recently surpassed the 20 million views of my image contributions mark a few months back. The main reason i contribute to connect and maps is to help people travel smarter. As an avid traveller i have visited over 100 countries and while the major countries in the americas, europe and asia are served with google maps a lot of the countries that i visit especially in africa are highly underserved due to the lack of connectivity, case in point is the wonderful limalimo eco lodge in ethiopia. (image above)
While trekking in the simien mountains affectionately known as the ‘roof of africa’ i decided to book a stay at limalimo for a few nights as locals had told me its the best place to stay in the area but to my surprise when i searched on google maps i found less than 20 reviews and only a few images.
the lodge is situated inside the simien national park perched near the top of one the mountains with what has to be one of the most spectacular views in the world (see image below)
from the moment i arrived i was made to feel welcome and the manger Meles told me how this place was conceived as it was made with local eco materials by locals but also staffed with locals helping the community prosper. they also levy a $10 per night fee that goes to the african wildlife fund for conservation work in the area. After being inspired by the story of the lodge i knew that i have to add a review and some beautiful images to google maps to showcase this lodge to the world it all its glory.
to my surprise after writing a comprehensive review and uploading my images to google maps one of my photo’s became the first photo you see when viewing the lodge on google maps. I was truly proud of the moment i found this out as i believe my images could help the lodge achieve more visitors by showcasing the true beauty of this place to the whole world.
This is truly one of many stories that i have as a local guide. I truly believe in helping businesses reach out to people and one of the best ways is through photography this is why i contribute and its a great feeling.
If you have the opportunity to contribute then make sure to focus on business that are truly great but may not have a presence online either by adding them on maps or taking great images to show the world.
I currently have over 23 million views of my images on google maps, i am at level 8 with a mission for level 9 by the end of 2020.