Who doesn’t want to have an authentic experience in their favourite destination? However, in an attempt to have it, we often fall prey to tourist traps that ruin our mood for the trip. While we can’t stop these scams from happening, we can avoid them with these simple and effective tips.
Time your visit smartly
Scammers target the peak season of tourism to achieve a greater return on their efforts. Considering planning your vacation during shoulder season. If not possible, try visiting a place in the early morning or late evening.
Dress like a local
Spotting a tourist is difficult if they are dressed like a local. Make sure to do some research on the local attires of a place so that when you visit it, you don’t look out of place.
Buy from government shops
Focus on buying souvenirs or local clothes/products from government or government-regulated shops to avoid paying unreasonable prices or buying duplicate products.
Use local transport
Unless very urgent, prefer to travel locally using public transport. They are cheap, safe, and spare the pain of bargaining with local cab drivers.
Refer to trusted sources
Visit reputed websites or blogs and read what past travellers had said about a place, the food and the local people. More than often, you will find very wise recommendations, and their insights help you know what things to do at a place.
Get a local sim
Getting a sim has become easy and cheap. You don’t have to rely on others and unwillingly dine at a restaurant just for the sake of the internet. Make use of smart tourist-friendly apps like Google Maps and have control over your own trip. Female solo travellers can refer to our complete blog on must-have apps for female solo travellers for recommendations.
