What I enjoy most about being a local guide are sharing are the places I’ve been and seen. Let’s face it, the bulk of us want to go out and have a great time that’s well spent with family and friends, or independent experiences. With the little time we often have, that doesn’t leave much wiggle room for error. I love to hit up the secret locations only locals know about and the most opportune time to visit them. I spend a lot of time researching the places I go (including reading other guide reviews if I need additional info to make a final decision), and good or bad it’s either a lesson learned, or an experience to share with others.
Being a guide helps you to think more objectively. Just because the experience may not be enjoyable for you, it could be for someone else. Keeping that in perspective goes into all my reviews including keeping facts simple and to the point.
I feel that too many places hear the bad more than the good, and being a guide and having this platform, is an excellent way to give a shout out to those businesses that really go the extra mile. Being truly authentic to your audience is critical, and honest to a place you’re reviewing I feel is the only way to be. Your reputation as a reliable resource of information has to be at the forefront when critiquing and those standards I’ve set for myself, has got me the credibility I earned on other travel websites.