- scam
- (10)
-
The hasslers at the airport don't look at the notes you give them (to get rid of them). In Egypt you can get notes that are as little as 5p in the UK (though hard to find). Particularly satisfying to give to the real bothersome hasslers.
This is probably the biggest tourist trap here into which many have fallen. Many of the shops on Nathan Road in Kowloon selling electronic products don't display the prices on the items. Many tourists have been scammed or cheated. One ploy is to give you an unbelievably good price, then after they have your money, they say they are out of stock, offering you another item but at an outrageous price. Some tourists have said that even calling the police did not help.
I am in Varna every other month. I have a villa some 20 minutes up the motorway. I feel safer in Varna than ever I could in the UK. I walk the streets at night and do so quite happily. I have never been hassled by a Bulgarian. After spending half my life in Egypt where hassle is the order of the day, I walked out of my hotel on my first morning in Bulgaria and couldn't believe it. I was totally ignored by everybody, including the local street dog. Bulgarians are polite, courteous and let you do your thing, but if you need any help they will go out of their way to help you.
Money changing is against the law in Bulgaria. When approached by a street money changer, just say, "No thank you". They won't hassle you, because they don't want to draw attention to themselves. I have not heard of changers snatching money and running off. What they would do is give you out-of-date Bulgarian or Russian money that is worthless or count out 10 notes into your hand in full view. It is only later that you find you only got six notes.
Change your money in the city centre, where you get a much better rate than at a seaside resort. And lastly, don't change your money in the UK, especially at the airport where the exchange rate is really bad, for you. I love Bulgaria, I love Varna, and I love its people. They are like the British used to be. Courteous, well-mannered, polite and a credit to their country.
Buenos Aires is one of the most remarkable places I have ever been. It's clean, classy, safe, and dirt cheap. The leather bags are at least 400 pounds cheaper than what you would buy on the high street.
Also they have miles and miles of shops on Florida and Avenida Santa Fe where you can buy anything for one third of the price in the US or UK.
We stayed at the art hotel in Recoleta which was a boutique hotel with contemporary art in the foyer, free internet access, great rooms and wet room bathrooms.
Beware the fake taxis in Buenos Aires. Because we'd been there for four days we realised that if they don't have a proper meter in the right hand corner and photographic id on the back of the driver's seat then don't get in. We used a taxi which charged us three times the price of a journey from the airport. We refused to pay and threatened to call the Policia!
If this happens to you get to your hotel and ask the concierge to translate... avoid at all costs.
Otherwise, BA is one of the safest cities in the world and the people are very nice. Palermo is great and so is Recoleta. Avoid San Telmo if you have to. Use taxis rather than buses as they are very cheap and the metro is great for getting around centrally. In taxis from the Newbery internal airport it should cost you no more than $14 and to the international around $50.
Try and go to the best steak restaurant in the Palermo area called La Cabrera, it's economical but BOOK AHEAD as it gets very busy.
Various.. please email me if you want any tips neillhenderson@hotmail.com(no spam)
Beware some of the tango shows in Buenos Aires that are recommended by your hotel. Bar Sur in San Telmo and Mandera Tango in the port area of BA are a rip off and are tourist traps.
For example, they will try and give you a poor seat with a bad view for you to upgrade to the 'VIP' area. They include a poor dinner with horrible house wine then con you to have a photo taken with two of the tango dancers who they say appear in the show then you never see them again.
They'll also offer you a cocktail for 40 pesos which is three times the price of any cocktail anywhere else. Bar Sur charges 210 pesos per person for the dinner and show in one of the tightest floor spaces in BA. Then the drinks are double the price of anywhere else in BA. If you want to see tango choose very carefully.
Look out for pickpockets - one trick is to hop on the metro, stand in the doorway (look confused) whilst 2-3 conspirators close in behind and go through you stuff as you try to get by before the doors close (when they make a fast exit and you're minus your valuables). Similarly crowded trams can be a problem and notices warn the unwary.
metro tram buses
They'll try to sell you real Cuban cigars at a price that is slightly cheaper than the shops to indicate that they should be genuine at the price, but not too cheap to give you the feeling that they're fake. In fact all they are made of is old dried banana skins and they crumble apart once you light them. Steer clear of these sales people and spend a little extra on the real items.
Anywhere in Havana
This a warning for all of those intrepid travellers venturing to Sarajevo. Be wary of a 40-50 year old woman who loiters around the bus and train stations hoping to entice naive backpackers into staying at her house for the night. She claims all of the hostels are full and that she's been sent to the station to offer people a bed for the night. In reality, this is a lie.
The Hostel Ljubicica (highly recommended) has enough rooms dotted around the city to cater to Sarajevo's visitors, even in the peak season. Her ruse is to take you back to her flat (supposedly 20-30 minutes from the centre) and show you to a bed - separated from her bed by a curtain! Suffice to say, it's a very uncomfortable stay and an hour or so later she'll ask you if you are ok and would you like me to try and find out if any hostels have had a cancellation? She then leads you back into the city, dumping you at a hotel/hostel and does one with your money.
This is a real danger; I was in Sarajevo for three nights and met two groups of lads (one from Wales, the other from Japan) who'd fallen for it. The tale gets stranger. She has a thing for Asian males and makes her best effort to keep them around, hoping for something extra. The two Japanese lads had to unlock a window and drop themselves down to get away! Once again, this is no joke so be warned.
On a happier note, Sarajevo is a brilliant city. For those into their beer, try the Sarajevsko Pivo brewery for a fun day out. The market place is also always worth a walk around (try some burek, a pastry full of meat, which is delicious). The more adventurous types might like to walk into the hills surrounding Sarajevo and check out the little villages up there. I did and it was a great experience. Friendly locals (unlike some of their inner city counterparts!), beautiful views and a peek into real Bosnian life, shouldn't be missed.
Please beware of people trying to overcharge you for taxi fares from the airport. I booked an apartment through the website www.feelhomeinrome.com and they booked me a taxi for 65 Euros. I only found out later, when the taxi didn't turn up for the return journey and I had to hail a cab from one of the main streets, that the official charge is 30 Euros to the inner city. You can also get a bus for eight Euros to termini.
By the way, even though the apartment was good, I wouldn't recommend feelhomeinrome.com as they apply hidden charges for cleaning the apartment and work with a dodgy taxi company that is charging more than double the official fare.
First time I arrived in Bangkok, a friend who arrived with me went to the shop in the airport and bought 20 Krong Tip cigarettes (these are very cheap). He then threw away the cigarettes but kept the packet. He then filled the packet with his British cigarettes. He explained to me, that when we visited the bars that night, the girls would see him smoking Thai cigarettes and assume he had no money and leave us alone. If they see you with British cigarettes, they assume you`ve just arrived in Thailand and have plenty of money with you.
Sure enough, that night in Pat Pong, all the girls stayed away from him.
Send your feedback or queries to been.there@guardian.co.uk
Search Been there
