A local guide refers to a tour guide that is more like a friend or an acquaintance than any tour guide out there. This is because they are mostly individual contractors. You might have seen them but you don’t know where they are affiliated with. These guys are what most travel shows hire that accompanies their shows in order to show their host anywhere like the market, some good beaches, foods to eat and give a few good histories on the side.
These guys are the ones that make the place more interesting and more importantly keeps everyone safe. Its a different approach in becoming a tour guide and you got to admit its actually way better than what most people have expected. This is because they offer something that any tour companies can’t offer (which will further be discussed below). So if you plan to go on a holiday and you don’t know if you would hire a local guide or a company that does tours, then you better read further.
Local guides are not playing safe: Although There are things that they tell you, like caution you not to go to that place and don’t eat that food, for the most part, they don’t play safe just like any tour companies do. Most tour companies offer a standard tour for everyone, like stuffing everyone in a tour bus with a tour guide that has memorized his/her lines. The guide will show you the landmarks and will even tell you where you should point your camera. With a local guide, you’re on foot, for the most part, going to places that no tour companies will go to.
Why do tour companies don’t to tours just like locals does? One of the big reasons why tour companies don’t do tours just like locals is because big companies always try to standardize their practice. They don’t risk anything that is unpredictable. They don’t take risks and the lesser that you get exposed to blood stew, soup number 5, fried tarantula, a fugu fish sashimi and wasabi ice cream (just to name a few) is good for them because you’re safe.
Are local tours good for everybody? Sure, the standard tours are family-friendly, but local tours can be family friendly as well. Because local tours are so customized, it can be perfect for anybody. Local guides can easily take you to family-friendly places if that’s just your concern, They know where to go based on your preference, making them the perfect tour guide for almost any person there (unless you’re a weird person).
There’s a good reason why many travel shows that you see in video streaming sites and in your TV hire local tour guides. This is because local tour guides can go where any standard tour guides can’t go. If you think that it’s not perfect for you, you’re dead wrong because the service is highly customizable thus it can be perfect for anybody. They can take you to places, help you learn the ropes, discover the culture, taste unique foods, meet new people, get an exclusive look into the world that you only see in travel shows and many many more. Go check them out!