My name is Sylvia J. Bahame and I’m a local guide from Dar es salaam, Tanzania. What I love sharing most on google maps is honest-to-God reviews about a particular place, service, product, organization, meal etc.
My journey as a local guide started quite by chance! I am a foodie by nature and I love to take pictures to capture the presentation of my dish before I dig in to explore the taste.
I believe at some point as I was meandering through the google maps app, I came across a section which asked if I’d like to join as a local guide. So without much thought or knowledge on the matter, I joined because in my mind I thought this would be a great way to share photography of my food experiences! That was the full extent of my local guide ambition at the time!
Initially, all my posts were to do with the places I frequented to eat; a short review on the place and the food itself accompanied by numerous pictures…after all a picture says a thousand words, right?
As I got more conversant with the app and more familiar with how other more experienced guides were handling their reviews, I found my reviews evolving into something more meaningful! It wasn’t just about pictures and 5 star ratings based on meal satisfaction but I began to comment on service, pricing and details such as hey guys if you’re looking to find a pool to cool off in this Dar es Salaam heat unfortunately you won’t find one here!
It got to a point where any and everything that could be reviewed, would be reviewed; the airports I arrived at, the malls I visited, the famous landmarks in that city and so forth. The reviewing options were limitless and as I racked up the points, my excitement and motivation to contribute soared.
As for having one specific thing that I love to share the most on google maps, unfortunately for me, my tastes much like my taste buds, keep shifting. Currently, I find myself inclined to share my passion for African art and culture and hopefully as my reviews become more refined the more google app users will be encouraged to not just visit and make their way around Tanzania but support our local artists as well.
I noticed that google maps awards more points for more detailed reviews which is a plus for me but primarily I want to give honest reviews so people in the community can make more informed decisions. Google maps has undoubtedly helped make life easier in countless ways for millions of app users across the globe.
People can ask questions about a place and get responses from various local guides in real time. If I know a place well enough to respond, I do not hesitate to offer helpful information. It always helps to know what to expect in terms of ambience, operating hours, Wi-Fi availability, cost, wheelchair accessibility, kids play area availability, air conditioned seating, indoor seating, the type of services offered, friendliness of the staff and the list goes on but arguably the most important is the integrity of the place; before you get there.
A prime example of the latter is when I wanted to change the date on my ticket to South Africa back in February. I called the airlines and was told I had to pay $25 for the change. They even gave me a personal phone number where I could send the money to yet I knew the airlines (Ethiopian), had a free first change policy. When I asked the agent about the policy he was like “oh, let me check on that”. Two minutes later he’s like “oh that’s right, we do have such a policy!”
Appalled does not even begin to cover the way I felt. To think of all the people who have been sending in their $25 straight into the agents pocket…uuuuurgh! I ended up only paying the difference in tax which amounted to a meagre $1.70!
And I know this was no simple mistake, I worked in the corporate world for a while and I know one of the things you need to do as a new employee is get acquainted with the company’s policies and during orientation and training they reiterate this fact. How can you be employed by the airlines and not know there’s a free first change policy??? When unsure, a simple “kindly hold ma’am while I check the eligibility of your ticket” is always best rather than providing untrue information.
Needless to say, this incident propelled my raw review writing style and I anticipate that in sharing my experiences on google maps through honest reviews, people can avoid certain mistakes or as in my case…certain scams!
I like your content and your foodie pics are freaking delicious