An apparatus for locating a desired point of interest (106, 108, 110; 304; 404), said apparatus comprising a mobile device (102, 114; 200) associated with a user (302, 406), wherein the mobile device (114; 200) comprises: a processor; a radio transceiver (242, 244, 246); and a storage device, wherein a distance and direction from each of a plurality of points of interest to surrounding points of interest are stored as a simplified map and wherein the storage device comprises code to direct the processor to: join an ad-hoc wireless mesh network (300, 400), to which network both other users with respective mobile devices and said points of interest are connected, and within which said points of interest act like beacons by periodically broadcasting location messages, which are routed to every reachable user; interface with the user to initiate navigation to the desired point of interest (106, 108, 110, 304, 404); determine a relative distance from the user to the desired point of interest from minimal hops needed for a broadcast message from the desired point of interest to reach the user; and to determine a direction from the user to the desired point of interest based on a relative direction of the user to other users that are closer to the point of interest versus users that are farther from the point of interest by computing the direction from the user to the desired point of interest based on the average of the directions to closest users that are in the direction of the desired point of interest, wherein the directions to users nearest to the user are detected based on radio technology. a processor; a radio transceiver (242, 244, 246); and a storage device, wherein a distance and direction from each of a plurality of points of interest to surrounding points of interest are stored as a simplified map and wherein the storage device comprises code to direct the processor to: join an ad-hoc wireless mesh network (300, 400), to which network both other users with respective mobile devices and said points of interest are connected, and within which said points of interest act like beacons by periodically broadcasting location messages, which are routed to every reachable user; interface with the user to initiate navigation to the desired point of interest (106, 108, 110, 304, 404); determine a relative distance from the user to the desired point of interest from minimal hops needed for a broadcast message from the desired point of interest to reach the user; and to determine a direction from the user to the desired point of interest based on a relative direction of the user to other users that are closer to the point of interest versus users that are farther from the point of interest by computing the direction from the user to the desired point of interest based on the average of the directions to closest users that are in the direction of the desired point of interest, wherein the directions to users nearest to the user are detected based on radio technology. join an ad-hoc wireless mesh network (300, 400), to which network both other users with respective mobile devices and said points of interest are connected, and within which said points of interest act like beacons by periodically broadcasting location messages, which are routed to every reachable user; interface with the user to initiate navigation to the desired point of interest (106, 108, 110, 304, 404); determine a relative distance from the user to the desired point of interest from minimal hops needed for a broadcast message from the desired point of interest to reach the user; and to determine a direction from the user to the desired point of interest based on a relative direction of the user to other users that are closer to the point of interest versus users that are farther from the point of interest by computing the direction from the user to the desired point of interest based on the average of the directions to closest users that are in the direction of the desired point of interest, wherein the directions to users nearest to the user are detected based on radio technology. determine a relative distance from the user to the desired point of interest from minimal hops needed for a broadcast message from the desired point of interest to reach the user; and to determine a direction from the user to the desired point of interest based on a relative direction of the user to other users that are closer to the point of interest versus users that are farther from the point of interest by computing the direction from the user to the desired point of interest based on the average of the directions to closest users that are in the direction of the desired point of interest, wherein the directions to users nearest to the user are detected based on radio technology.