Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ment. One technique is to pretend you're not that bothered and start to walk away, but be
prepared for the trader to take you at your word.
Not getting ripped off by cabbies:
find out beforehand roughly what the local rate is for
the distance you want to go. Then it's much the same principle as bargaining in a market.
It's generally cheaper not to let hotels find you a cab - they often get a rake-off from the
fare for allowing cabbies to park on their grounds, so it will cost you more.
Agree a price before you get into the vehicle and if you're hiring a car and driver for a day
(which can often work out cheaper especially if you're sharing with friends) usually you'll
be expected to pay for a meal for the driver so make sure you agree that the price of a stop
for food is included in the deal.
In India there's a system of pre-pay kiosks, particularly at airport exits, where you can buy
a chit - a paper that states a fair, and usually accurate, price for the journey. The driver can't
cash it until you're safely at your destination, can't charge you more than is on the chit, and
it has to be signed - usually by your hotel/accommodation before it can be cashed. So you
can be sure you'll not be taking any long detours to bump up the cost. It's worth asking
whether there are similar systems wherever you are.
Tipping:
it's a bit of a minefield and you need to find out what the fair rate is. A tip
should be a thank you for good service, so, for example, if you're in a restaurant and there's
already a percentage on your bill for service you shouldn't pay more, unless of course you
feel your waiter deserves it! Remember if you over-tip you raise expectations higher than
other travellers - and locals - may be able or willing to pay.
Finding and affording a guide:
find out if there's a local scheme for licensing/approving
guides and what the 'official permit' looks like. Nearly always there will be any number
of 'guides' at the entrances to any interesting place you might want to visit. Some will be
official - others will be trying their luck. You'll usually find out when you pay the entrance
fee.
