julies

Okay. We've never travelled in Asia before and are thinking possibly of Vietnam. I've also had suggestions from other people for Malaysia, Thailand, laos & Cambodia as places for a first Asian trip. We're experienced independent travellers, so that isn't such a huge factor in making a decision.

When I read about some of these countries, I periodically run across stories of tourists being royally ripped-off and/or constantly harrassed by peddlers etc. I'll be honest. I'd like this first trip to Asia to be a pleasant one so we'd be inclined to return again. I'm bringing this up because the one and only trip we took to Mexico was an independent trip through parts of the Yucatan (not Cancun), and most of the gas station attendants tried to rip us off by being dishonest about the price or the amount of change they were giving us. Now, whenever I bring up the idea of another trip to Mexico (we are not at all interested in just the standard tourist resorts), the first thing my husband brings up is that he didn't like being in a country where he felt like he was constantly a target for rip-offs. We also know that the income disparities between the "wealthy" American and those who live in poorer economies breed this type of environment, so that isn't the issue. But, I just don't want to get into a trip where we are so constantly ripped-off that my husband will so turned off that he'll be disinclined to visit the area again. Are any of the above mentioned countries much worse that the others for harassment by peddlers and rip-offs of tourists? It might actually help me in decsion making. Thanks for replies to an honest, even though it is a sensitive topic, question.

Craig

I have found the hassles of travelling in SE Asia to be relatively mild. I've not been to Malaysia or Viet Nama but here are some examples:

Being told a certain attraction is closed in order to be steered to a favorite "shop" (Bangkok).

Taxi drivers not turning their meter on or getting "lost" (in Bangkok).

Begging (not aggressive) (Cambodia).

Getting short changed - I think it happened once to me at an elephant camp outside Chiang Mae - was only a couple of dollars if it happened at all.

In my experience the worst place for being harassed was India - it is not part of Southeast Asia but has the most aggressive touts and beggars I've seen anywhere.

Kathie

There are aggressive sellers of items all over the world. Generally, it's not worse in SE Asia than in many other places around the world. One exception: some of the youg men walking around the Lake or in the Old Quarter in Hanoi will shout obsenities at people who don't buy from them. Also, I haven't been to Sapa, but some of the young Hill Tribe women will follow people around and shout obsenities at those who don't buy.

Taxi drivers not turning on a meter or trying to overcharge is common in many parts of the world (my worst experienbce was Washington DC!). The general rule is to ask that the meter be turned on as soon as you get into the taxi. Get out if they won't. On the other hand, there are parts of Asia where the taxis are unmetered. For instance, in Kota Kinabbalu, there are no meters in the taxis, and no one ever tried to over charge me.

In Bangkok, a common scam is to tell you that the Grand Palace is closed, with an offer for a tuk-tuk to take you to a store (typically a jewelry store). Laugh and go on. I often joke with these guys and they laugh with me.

The Gem scam in Bangkok ranges from simple to complex with confederates who are westerners who will tell you that they buy sapphires in Bangkok each year to finance their vacations and offer to take you to a "special governemnt sale." As long as you just say no, you'll be fine. People usually get into trouble with these because of their own greed. There are excellent bargains to be had in jewelry in Bangkok, but only from reputable jewelers.

rhkkmk

not sure what travelling you have done around the usa, but there are many scams done here as well and all our major cities are today full of beggars and bums panhandling....

i have found the scams to be fun sometimes if you make a joke out of it...amongst yourselves...

remember most of these people are starving and just do this to eat and make a meager living....

all of these countries have poverty in comparison to what you see in your hometown but it is all relative...what looks like poverty to you is perhaps a decent situation for them....its all relative....the same thing for the "dishonesty" and scams...

i find some of the worst travel scams in italy and france and other parts of europe...

my way of dealing with this is just to pay attention and be smart about what you are doing and with all of your dealings with people whom you come into contact with...most likely you will not get ripped off if you are paying attention and know what you are doing....the best way to avoid all of this is to be informed ahead of time: understand the foreign currency, foreign customs, etc.....if you feel something is not right challenge it just as you would at home...

ahmedhaff

The type of scams you are likely to come across will vary with the type of holiday you choose. For example, you could choose to book yourself in great hotels and rent a car - it will cost you considerably less than it would for equivalent hotels in Europe and you could go to some amazing restaurants and have the some incredible sea food at a fraction of what it would cost you in Europe. In this type of holiday, you are less likely to be victim of scam. Alternatively, if you go for a lot of loacl transport and inexpensive lodgings, you could potentially be overcharged by taxi drivers etc.

However, do remember that in most instances, such "scams" would be less meaningful because, at best, some poor bloke would go to great lengths to fleece you for a few dollars - take it in a stride.

No one likes to be taken for a ride, but you are in fairly poor countries where 10 dollars goes a long way for most families. These guys see tourists all the time, with money to spend and time to spare on things like holidays. The very thought of what riches you must command is enough to make a lot of people believe that you wouldn't really be much worse off spending a few extra bucks than necessary.

Quite honestly, if this bothers you to the extent that you may not enjoy your holiday, I would suggest choose a nice resort town, book yourself in the lap of luxury (won't cost you more than $125 a night), rent a jeep and live it up. That way, you'll experince quite a bit of the country and at the same time be shielded from the relatively unpleasant side of things.

One of my favorite places is the Laguna Beach Restort in Phuket, Thailand check it out at http://www.lagunabeach-resort.com/ if this sort of holiday interests you.

julies

I guess I should clarify. I can deal with aggressive salespeople. I know how to turn my back or say "no" and just walk away. (I also know that if I really want to buy something, this can be an effective way to bargain.) And, right here in my hometown, there are people standing with signs begging at every city freeway exit, so its's not as though I am unfamiliar with people begging. I'll also admit that it bothered me in Romania when people were training their children to be beggars because I felt for the children and their future if that is what parents were teaching them about how to achieve goals and economic comfort.

My primary concern is being in a place where the usual mode of operation is to try to pull a scam or rip people off. This is the type of situation that will really turn my husband off. We are familiar with informing ourselves ahead of time about potential types of scenarios that the typical tourist might encounter and try to avoid those situations. For example, when we visited Prague we were well-aware that there was a tendency to inflate restaurant bills for unsuspecting tourists, so we always took note of the prices of what we had ordered so we could double check the bill. But, I guess I just think I don't want to set us up for a place where trying to scam the tourists is to be expected in all types of situations whether it's in the hotels, the markets, the travel agencies, the restaurants etc. And, no, we don't want to just isolate ourselves in a fancy 5* tourist area. We much prefer the reality. Thanks for your thoughtful responses.

Neil_Oz

julies, it's been 5 years since we visited Vietnam and maybe I should make the disclaimer that increased tourism since then may have tended to corrupt. Having said that, apart from the odd beggar, the only places we felt at all pressured were the ones Kathie mentioned in Hanoi. But it certainly wasn't enough to spoil our experience of that fine city, or of Vietnam overall. We found the Vietnamese almost uniformly courteous and honest, as exemplified by the cafe proprietor who insisted on giving me change when I paid a little too much for coffees. Of course, you will find scammers everywhere, so exercise normal caution.

On that occasion we met up with a resident Australian couple, the wife a diplomat who remarked that even her fluent Vietnamese and adopted Vietnamese children weren't enough to save her from the attentions of the touts. Our solution was to rise at crack of dawn and walk around the lake in the cool of the morning while people were doing their morning exercises and before the postcard-sellers had turned up; then enter the Ancient Quarter as it was coming to life, then have breakfast.

I don't handle beggars at all well, by the way, but my generous wife and her pocketful of "beggar money" took care of the ones we saw. It wasn't as though we were besieged with them at any time. Some are members of relatively disadvantaged ethnic minorities (Hill Tribes).

In Hanoi, if you get a chance eat at KOTO and another restaurant (the name escapes me but a search on this forum should turn it up) specialising in recruiting and training street kids for hospitality careers. Eat well and feel virtuous at the same time! KOTO (Know One - Teach One) is run by Australian Jimmy Pham, a truly inspirational figure.

Neil_Oz

PS, I can't see anything about politically incorrect in your post.

marya_

Perhaps Neil is referring to the Hoa Sua Training Restaurant in Hanoi. See their website:

www.hoasuaschool.com

The students work so hard to please the patrons. Do go!

merckxxx

I was 21 yrs abd on my 1st trip to Paris. I met a wealthy American who had travelled a lot and he said there will constantly be French people who cheat you or try very hard - but, you must accept it as a part of travel as it is not that much cf the overall costs of travel & not let it ruin an otherwise right trip. Best advice I ever received. And he was right, the French constantly cheated me. I would say New York City is 100x worse for cheating visitors than any of 40++ countries I have visited.