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Horus Papyrus - Luxor
Horus Papyrus
by Saladinos
Luxor Tourist Traps: scams tips and photos posted by real travelers and Luxor locals.
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Luxor scams ReviewsTips 11 - 15 of 15  
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scams: Ignore locals at the tourist sights
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  • Updated By vesna04 on September 3, 2007
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  • scams - Luxor
    by vesna04
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    They are so "nice, frendly and polite" ready to show you something or to take picture of you, the, things you have never asked for, but if you let them do it, they ask for the money. Than if you refuse to give it to them they get angry, complain, try to tell their sad life story....and at the end they usualy get what they want as it is just the easiest way to get rid of them..and story goes on and on again.

    You eather ignore tham or you can pretend you don't know the game and tip them. I usualy went for the second option as it was my holiday and those people are realy poor. The worst thing is if you belive them as in that case you feel like a naive fool.

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    scams: papyrus 'institutes' and alabasta factories
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  • Updated By chigna on July 18, 2003
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  • your guide, taxi driver or new best friend will take you to one or both of these places at least once on your visit. They are interesting but intimidating places.

    papyrus 'institute/museum/factory' first they will show you how the stuff is made. This is the best bit..enjoy it if you havent managed to get out of entering the place by claiming you have all the papyrus you could ever need. Unless you actually want to buy any, and they do make nice souveniers and they are genuine, not banana leaves, here, claim the above...you have some.... alabasta factory. the only place i ever felt pressured into buying anything, then the sales man moaned i hadnt spent very much and then complained i hadnt given him a big enough tip. i did not unpack the carefully wrapped package of stauettes until i returned home. There were 3 missing and the remaining ones were not the ones we had choosen. Nefatiti's nose was straight on the one we chose! Advice. Stay in the van/coach/taxi and if you do buy anything, check them wrapping it, or unwrap it before you leave the shop.

    the alabasta is only a few pence dearer from the shops....and if all else fails, buy it and any other soveniers from the airport departure lounge...its fixed price and wonderfully easy...lol

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    scams: Alabaster and Papyrus
  • Updated By lotharlerch on March 22, 2008
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  • If you are going with an organized tour a crowd of people have already a set strategy to "milk" you. There is ALWAYS a stop both at a Papyrus and Alabaster shop. All what you might buy there is - even if you are coming down to a 10 % of the price demanded at the beginning is outrageously overprized. Not only the shop owner wants to make an easy money. Your guide and the bus driver get their share, too, because without them nobody would ever come to these shops which are usually far from everything what might be interesting.

    The minimum you can do is just to remain in the bus - think that it is mostly fairly hot outside and the bus has air condition. The better strategy is to warn as many of the passengers as possible already at the beginning of the tour - you may argue that you all are going to lose precious time which you better spend in the Karnak Temple or the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. And the best might be to give the guide and the driver a baksheesh at the beginning of the tour and to make clear that this is for NOT visiting these shops. I am sure all in the bus agree because those who really want Papyrus or Alabaster have in touristic Egypt thousands of other opportunities for that. We could observe on our tour that the purchases made by our bus (the whole bus, not per capita!) were about 10 EUR at the Alabaster and maybe even less at the Papyrus.

    If you are not on an organized tour it is the best that your hotel organizes for you a reliable taxi driver with whom you agree at the beginning that you are not interested in any shop, just in the great sights. A fair baksheesh will support his understanding and you make really that out of your visit what you can enjoy. And the driver keeps all touts and other bastards around the sights at a comfortable distance.

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    scams: Fake stones
  • Updated By solopes on December 16, 2006
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  • scams - Luxor
    by solopes
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    In our way back from the Valley of Kings, we stopped in a stone factory with some appealing statues in its front, where we bought a wonderful head in lapis-lazuli (not cheap). As a reward, then owner offered my kids two neckless of small beads, also in lapis-lazuli. They had it on when diving in the pool, back to the hotel, and, suddenly... the miracle! The lapis-lazuli beads where gone, they had only the string on their necks. Of course, the beautiful beads where... plaster. Be aware!

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    scams: First Choice holiday company.
  • By doofus on March 25, 2008
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  • Personally we did feel very 'rushed' on our Nile Cruise. Our intinerary would have been different to the one you may follow. An example of how rushed we were. We arrived back at Luxor during the early hours of our last day, a Monday. We had to bee all packed up and have our luggage left outside the cabin by 6am. Breakfast had to be had before this as well. The coach for the West Bank tour left at about 6am. WE all felt rather tired and stressed as well. We arrived back at our ship at about 1pm. We had no time to get out at the two big statues of Menmon but was told to take pics from the bus. Not surprisingly, the rep/tour guide whatever they are called, found plenty of time for a visit to an alabaster factory where he gets his commission. When we got back to our ship at about 1pm we were all totally knackered. Our transport for the airport due to leave at 3pm that same afternoon! Many of us had long onward journeys after arriving at Gatwick about 2300hrs in the freezing weather. This last day was NOT an experience I want to go through again. By the way-- we were on the M/S Tulip and travelled with First Choice just for the record. The more people that know about all this the better. I have, of course, written to complain and am awaiting a 'reply'. Incidentally, on arrival back home in Wales my wife was admitted to hosptal for 5 days with heatsroke and dehydration. The gruelling last day did NOT help. That is why my wife and I want to return to Luxor in order to realx and see the sights at our pace and enjoy it all. That is why we are asking for recommendations for local hotels on the West Bank. We want to thoroughly enjoy our return to Luxor and not be influenced by Holiday Reps who are on the make. regards

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