2022
NAMASTE!
I am Niraj Bhusal, a level 8 Local Guide (But Connect is still showing me level 7 because of sync issues) and a Google Street View Trusted Photographer from Nepal. I have been contributing as a Local Guide since December 2015 and it has been an absolutely amazing journey till now.
HOW I STARTED ?
I started contributing as a Local Guide since December 2015 and created Nepal Local Guides Community. Saroj Dhakal ( @Sarojdhakal), who is a former Google employee from Nepal helped me a lot creating Nepal Local Guides Community. I started expanding the community with Saroj Dhakal and Sovita Dahal ( @SovitaD). During the early days, we were only 3 in number and now I am so happy to say that, the small community has reached 429 members in Google Plus and 66 members in Hangouts group chat.
Later on, I helped Laxmi Gautam ( @LaxmiG1), Abhishek Pandey, and Abhishek Acharya to create Rapti Local Guides Community in Mid-Western Region of Nepal and I am sure they are doing great.
WHY I LOVE BEING A LOCAL GUIDE ?
I have always felt privileged to be a Local Guide as it makes me feel like I've been making an important impact on my community through Google Maps. I love traveling to new places and exploring new things about the places. Local Guides and Local Guides Connect has given me such an enormous platform to share my experiences with the fellow travelers all over the world. I believe that I have been able to spread some words around the world about my country. Also, I have learned so much about traveling and the places as well through this platform.
INTERESTING FACTS
During my initial days as a Local Guide, I used to carry a Motorola Moto G2 Android Phone and currently I have expanded it to a Oneplus 3T Android Phone, Canon EOS 80D DSLR Camera, and an LG 360 CAM. Now, I am Google Street View Trusted Photographer with more than a hundred and fifty 360 Photos and a Master Photographer with more than 1000 photos in Google Maps.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
As Local Guides is a global community, we get to be connected to millions of people around the world as a Local Guide. Being a Local Guide, I always have the urge to connect with Local Guides from my country and outside my country to expand my experiences. I was in contact with Pavel Sarwar ( @PavelSarwar), Local Guides from Bangladesh who is currently staying at Malaysia. He came to Nepal and we stayed together in my house with my family. After he returned from Nepal, he invited me to Bangladesh and for the first time, I had an International Flight to Bangladesh. I stayed with him and his family. I traveled to the popular destinations in Bangladesh with Pavel and his wife. Beside this, Bangladesh Local Guides Community ( @SoniaK) gave me warm welcome meeting there. I was also selected for attending local guides summit in 2017 but could not do so due to visa issues.
SWAGS OF NEPAL LOCAL GUIDES
The first swag of Nepal Local Guides community was a badge which I printed in Nepal while traveling to Bangladesh. During the visit to Bangladesh, I printed about 100 badges for my community members and brought it to Nepal. These badges were printed by me on my own effort and now we have a T-shirt of Nepal Local Guides community which was designed by Rupendra Neupane ( @RupendraNeupane )and we printed it collecting money.
GIFTS FROM GOOGLE
Being a moderator of Nepal Local Guides Community I got two Local Guides T-Shirts from Google. Also Saroj Dhakal and Sovita Dahal who attended Local Guides Summit 2017 from Nepal had brought some amazing swags.
GIFTS FROM LOCAL GUIDES
The first gift I got from other Local Guides Community was Stickers, Badge, and T- Shirt by @PavelSarwarr from Bangladesh(Mymensingh Local Guides Community). During my visit to Bangladesh I got a Tshirt, Badges, and stickers from Bangladesh Local Guides Community and later on, @ShafiulB and @Kamalhasnainee sent me a beautiful T-shirt of Comilla Local Guides Community.
MY FIRST LOCAL GUIDES MEETUP
I had hosted my first event on January 30, 2016, as a moderator of Nepal Local Guides Community.
Meetup Name: Nepal Local Guides Meetup
Meetup URL: https://plus.google.com/events/c1jncc77paulisukvlhq99uledk
SOME OF MY FAVORITE POSTS IN CONNECT
MY SUCCESSFUL MEETUPS
First Local Guides Meetup
Date: January 30, 2016 | Venue: Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Bhaktapur
Meetup Link: https://plus.google.com/events/c1jncc77paulisukvlhq99uledk
Patan Photo Walk
Date : August 6, 2016 | Venue : Patan, Lalitpur, Nepal
Meetup Link : https://bit.ly/2qHbLzE | https://bit.ly/2HcXi4v
Nepal Local Guides Meetup, Sanothimi Campus
Date : April 27, 2017 | Venue: Sanothimi Campus, Bhaktapur
Meetup Link : https://bit.ly/2HGhZqB
Basantapur Photo Walk
Date : July 15, 2017 | Venue : Basantapur, Kathmandu
Meetup Link : https://bit.ly/2qHnRZy RECAP: https://bit.ly/2EYfEod
Pashupatinath Meetup, Nepal
Date : November 4, 2017 | Venue : Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu
Meetup Link : https://bit.ly/2HIUQUx RECAP: https://bit.ly/2Hft5WU
Indra Sarovar Photo Walk
Date : March 24, 2018 | Venue : Patan Durbar Square
Meetup Link : https://bit.ly/2EYl4zx RECAP: https://bit.ly/2HKzAOc
First SVTP Meetup, Nepal
Date : March 24, 2018 | Venue : Patan Durbar Square
Meetup Link : https://bit.ly/2HJwMAS RECAP: https://bit.ly/2EZ9Nic
Namaste, Niraj
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From Local Guides program I get younger brother @NirajBhusal We are from different county, different language, different religion but Local Guides makes us brother.
