Who's in for this *unique* travel guiding idea?

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Rama
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Re: Who's in for this *unique* travel guiding idea?

Post by Rama »

Sounds very like Google Guides
https://www.google.com/local/guides/

But just with the ability to email (message/phone) the guide?
ElisPonce
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Re: Who's in for this *unique* travel guiding idea?

Post by ElisPonce »

TheGrinchSR wrote:
Rutiger wrote:
ElisPonce wrote: I totally respect your opinion. But for what it's worth, can you elaborate why you think this idea is not worth pursuing?
Asking for business advice on an internet forum is your first mistake. Don't let anyone try to persuade you about the value of your idea. The way i see it, you are trying to apply "the sharing-economy" business model to tour guides, just as Uber did it for car transport and airbnb did it for short term accommodation. I'm sure some people told those business founders their ideas were dumb too. "No one is ever going to rent their home out to total strangers!" blah blah blah. Those naysayers were wrong.

If you think you can do it, then make it happen. I say good luck to ya.
Yeah, but no. Poor analysis. Houses are pretty easy to standardize and rate, taxis too. Khmer tour guides over the internet? No, real infrastructure for them - lack of smartphones, internet in general, etc. No language skills (those with them are already working in hospitality etc. and won't have time to do this). And so on...

It could work in New York or London; it will never work in Cambodia. It also won't work in New York or London because of the amount of knowledge you'd need to do a good job. There's a reason tour guides in the UK have to pass the "blue badge" standard for the area they work in... and it's a fuck ton of work which commands a hefty wage premium when you're done.
We're looking at this as an alternative to trained and certified tour guides to do away with so high a professional fee. Think of it as paying a friendly local (or expats) to answer all of your questions in a real time fashion while youre on travel. Challenge is to find these knowledgeable peeps who would spare time. Yeah, we're thinking the communication infrastructure would be a challenge here esp that we plan to set the online app as their main platform of communication but offline means (e.g. SMS, calls) could work as well. We'll see.
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Re: Who's in for this *unique* travel guiding idea?

Post by ElisPonce »

Hotdigr wrote:Mate, I personally think it's a great idea. I had a mate who started a similar business on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland about 25 years ago. It was a hit. He took people to little known beaches for a day, they surfed, fished, went beach and bush driving in 4 wheel drives and then he finished up with a BBQ on the beach with some true locals at a beautiful secret spot near Noosa. They saw places and experienced things only a local could show them
I would have to bow down to the combined local knowledge and cynicism of our Destination "experts" The Grinch and Phuket Richard though. Neither of them live in the country, but they can both tell you all the reasons Thailand is better than Cambodia. If they say you are full of shit , then you must be.
Nah, seriously, ( shit .... I'm TRYING here General) they just think they know it all, yet in reality, know absolutely jackshit about this country.
I think your idea has a lot of potential. I'm basically currently doing exactly what you are suggesting, but not getting paid for it.I'm not the only one either. I know a number of people down here, both Khmer and Barang who would be very interested in showing people just how beautiful this place is.
Please Pm me,
Dave.
Awesome. Glad to know youre interested! We have people in our own network wanting to explore Cambodia and while they're preparing for it, they think they need help once theyre there. PM soon :)
ElisPonce
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Re: Who's in for this *unique* travel guiding idea?

Post by ElisPonce »

willyhilly wrote:Of course it can work, there are many expats who know the country and it's history better than the locals. The French guy who does the architecture tours is a case in point. Tour guides do have to be licenced officially, though
I am not sure why Phuketrichard gets shit here, envy I suppose. He would have driven his own car far more miles in Cambodia than anyone on this forum except for me. Unlike me he takes damn fine photos and he is the number one authority on Burma.
I know places in this country that most have never been and I have taken many visitors on trips that they have described as their best experience ever.
Those of us who speak Khmer have a huge advantage, I can think of the perfect barang guide on 440 who could lead war story tours, I myself could do the dead journo and dead Khmer singer tours. And the Takeo canals which is the best trip in the country if one likes both history and fast boats.
That previous bloke seems to have a problem, one of those monastery's where no one speaks would suit him better than an internet forum.
Will do due diligence about licensing *virtual* guides. Appreciate the insights!
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franzjaeger
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Re: Who's in for this *unique* travel guiding idea?

Post by franzjaeger »

I am out riding the streets of Phnom Penh, at least two times a week. If you all have any questions, I'd be glad to help out. I'd say the biggest change in Phnom Penh is the onslaught of building activity. You better hurry up if you want to catch the feel of yesteryears Thailand, cause this town will be looking like a mini version of modern day Bangkok/Saigon in less than a few.
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phuketrichard
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Re: Who's in for this *unique* travel guiding idea?

Post by phuketrichard »

ok;
1. ur up against TA. advisories, all Cambodian based forums;
websites that have tons of info on Cambodia, travel guides ( lonely planet.rough guides both online and in book form)
not to mention all the free publications that one can get in Cambodia

2. Will ur guides just wait around for a call? everyone need to work so they will not be available on the spot so to speak.
today's traveler, via his smart phone, can get instant info. ( new google trips) he also does more research BEFORE he arrives thna those of us that started to travel decades ago ( why? cause he can an for us there was nothing). Fuck even i now do research before heading out to places in Burma off the beaten track ( an still hardly any info)

3. A local Cambodian travel guide that speaks good English... nope . Maybe for Angkor, but there already guides there
A Barang... maybe would do it for a friend in town but a stranger.... not unless he is getting paid more than his teaching job.

4. if u were offering something that is not available elsewhere by other media,,,, great idea but.....

5. You have not even been to Cambodia an see what ur up against> who does a business plan without being on the ground?

Hotdigr, get off my ass, i know as much, if not more about ALL of Cambodia than you, I first went there in 1988, How many KR have u ever met or had a meal with?
and traveled there frequently since than
lived there 2008/09
been back at least 2 x /year and i don't just hang out in shv ( u may like it but...) I have seen more of the country than u in ur dreams.
get over it, I have my opinions, ( one of which Thailand, FOR ME and many others, is far better than Cambodia) you yours
live with it.

Attack the Post not the poster
Last edited by phuketrichard on Sun Mar 27, 2016 9:21 am, edited 2 times in total.
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
ElisPonce
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Re: Who's in for this *unique* travel guiding idea?

Post by ElisPonce »

Rama wrote:Sounds very like Google Guides
https://www.google.com/local/guides/

But just with the ability to email (message/phone) the guide?
I contribute to Google Local Guides! It is quite different because Local Guides is basically a crowd-sourced review site that helps travelers in planning and *maybe* in making decisions while on the trip. It is not designed to help out specifically in topics of your own context (e.g. you are stuck in a specific location, you want comparative opinion between two restos, you want to know the best transport strategy from pt A to Pt B given your situation, etc). Also, Local Guides does not provide real one-to-one interaction between the traveler and the guide. We think that being guided by an (assigned) reliable local while on travel (albeit remotely) has value in it :)
ElisPonce
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Re: Who's in for this *unique* travel guiding idea?

Post by ElisPonce »

franzjaeger wrote:I am out riding the streets of Phnom Penh, at least two times a week. If you all have any questions, I'd be glad to help out. I'd say the biggest change in Phnom Penh is the onslaught of building activity. You better hurry up if you want to catch the feel of yesteryears Thailand, cause this town will be looking like a mini version of modern day Bangkok/Saigon in less than a few.
Yeah, so I heard about the recent (and fast!) infrastructure development in Phnom Penh *sigh*

Thanks for the interest! You will hear from me soon :)
Rutiger
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Re: Who's in for this *unique* travel guiding idea?

Post by Rutiger »

phuketrichard wrote: How many KR have u ever met or had a meal with?
^A not very subtle way of bragging that you have. And you feel this is something to boast about....why, exactly? You may as well brag about having pleasantly dined with ISIL fighters.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Re: Who's in for this *unique* travel guiding idea?

Post by franzjaeger »

I'll be off for an extended trip to my family in the countryside this Khmer new year as well. It's a great place to get back in shape, cause everyone around you, young and old, are pretty much ribbed. My gf's family has a nice and long piece of land, that you can do your running and pushups/pullups on, so you avoid the hefty gym fees, fags and bullies etc. And it is still, and probably will be very different from any regular tourist area here in Cambodia. There is no English out there, except for a few teachers, and even a 50cent can of beer, is considered a luxury only for partys and holidays. They just got power and 3G in 2014, so of course things are changing there too, albeit at a different pace than in the city.

Cheers
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