India Tourist Traps

 
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  •   Tourist Traps
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  • Paharganj
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    by Liatris1
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Most Viewed Tourist Traps in India

1.

HAWKERS/TOUTS/SCAM   Goa

HAWKERS/TOUTS/SCAM, Goa

 18 Reviews  Despite what people think and say I believe the beach sellers are part of the holiday experience. Some of the stuff they sell is what you find at the market and its up to you whether you get it... 

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2.

BEWARE   Mumbai

BEWARE, Mumbai

 20 Reviews  There is a guy at the Gateway of India claiming to be a holy man who will try to bless you, i got caught to this trap.... basically he will approach you and try to "bless"you, i kept saying no and a... 

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3.

Paharganj   Delhi

Paharganj, Delhi

 6 Reviews  Paharganj is a fun place to visit and shows you the real india. It has hundreds of hotels and small shops. There are people who will try to sell hard, give you bargain offers or even try to trick you.... 

 See All 45 Tourist Traps in Delhi

4.

TAXIS   Goa

TAXIS, Goa

 5 Reviews  You can't really blame taxi drivers for trying to take the "stupid tourists the long way around"... this happens all over the world, so Goa is no different. One our first 2-3 days in Goa we only... 

 See All 43 Tourist Traps in Goa

5.

TAXI / CABBIES   Mumbai

TAXI / CABBIES, Mumbai

 10 Reviews  Rickshaws are everywhere - do take them for the experience and because they are very cheap. But ensure they 'flag down' the meter - It should read '1' before you start your journey. if it says... 

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6.

Travel agencies   Delhi

Travel agencies, Delhi

 6 Reviews  My wife and I just got back from a 6 day golden triangle tour.Contact: "rajat bindal" . we had a car and driver for 6 days. Driver was Pandey and Guide was shabir. Do yourself a big favor get them. We... 

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7.

MISCELLANEOUS   Goa

MISCELLANEOUS, Goa

 12 Reviews  I had rented a Taxi Cab to take us to see some of the sights in South Goa like the St. Francis church, beaches, temples etc. As I stayed at the Park Hyaat in south Goa is was a long way off and quite... 

 See All 43 Tourist Traps in Goa

8.

Beggars   Delhi

Beggars, Delhi

 4 Reviews  Kids, beggars, old people, rickshaw-wallahs, shoe-cleaners - they're all there to make you feel uncomfortable, pitiful & above all embarrassed. I had a pretty rough first week in India, 'coz you just... 

 See All 45 Tourist Traps in Delhi

9.

Tour guides   Delhi

Tour guides, Delhi

 3 Reviews  While in Delhi, i went to a travel agents and booked a car and driver for my few days there so i could get a quick look around most of the major sites. I have to say, he was a nice chap who drove me... 

 See All 45 Tourist Traps in Delhi

10.

Rickshaws   Delhi

Rickshaws, Delhi

 5 Reviews  i wasted time and money when rickshaw drivers instead of taking me where i wanted to go, insisted on taking me to expensive shops where they probably get commission. they turned a deaf ear to my... 

 See All 45 Tourist Traps in Delhi

11.

Traffic   Delhi

Traffic, Delhi

 4 Reviews  The transport in Delhi is horrifying. There are constructions every where because they have to finished all works for Commonwealth Game in 2010. The airport is under construction and Long queue on... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Amber Fort in Jaipur

by Greatje

It's not a trap but more a usefull tip. When you go to the Amber fort i.e. on the back of an elephant, husslers are walking with you above to the main entrance, trying to sell you all kinds of souvenirs. They are not allowed to go in the Amber Fort it self. So if you want to buy something, wait untill you are allmost upstairs. Prices decreasing drammatically the closer you get to the main entrance. The best price you get just before you enter the Fort Just laugh at it... If you don't want to buy and the husslers won't leave you alone...don't talk to them. Just waive them away. We were with a group and husslers constantly kept asking us " were u from, whats ur name, good price for u, only 500 rupees" and the people who talked back to them by saying "no thank you, I already bought them" did not get rid of the husslers. But the ones who said nothing and only waived them away, were not...

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Maharaja this and that

by georeiser

Maharaja is the name for a "great king" or a "high king". It is a good reason to be sceptical when a hotel, restaurant, etc.) has the name "Maharaja" in its name. Simply because it can be more expensive than similar places. During my trip in India I saw several places with the name "Maharaja". Common for most of them was a higher price that it was worth.

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Mumbai Optical Shops

by GitaP

I like to think of myself as quite an astute traveller and I'd heard that Mumbai was the place to procure spectacles and designer frames. Armed with a specs prescription I went to a Opticians outlet on Colaba Causeway and ordered two pairs of spectacles - one as a pair of sunglasses in a Gucci frame. Both were perefctlt made and the designer tested sunglasses cam in its own Gucci case. Two months later, the "Gucci" label peeled off! There's no doubt that Mumbai is especially cheap when it comes to spectacles and their frames. Stick to the non-designer frames and they will be worth the money spent but avoid buying anything touted as original designer. Buy the cheap imitation if necessary but make sure that you pay for an imitation rather than an imitation being passed off as the real thing!

Diwali - A festival of lights

by regina.williams

Diwali is one of the biggest festival of Hindus, celebrated with great enthusiasm and happiness in India.Different colorful varieties of fireworks are always associated with this festival.On this auspicious day, people light up diyas and candles all around their house.This festival falls in October and is good time to watch the lights on the streets, houses decorated with lights in the evening, colourful sky with the fire works ;) Its fun to watch and burn the crakers ;) You need to be very very safe while burning the crakers ( fire work)

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autoriksha drivers

by MichaelFalk1969

To be honest, riksha drivers were not the big problem I expected them to be in South India. The best way to avoid being ripped off by them is asking your hosts beforehand what a realistic price for an inner-city-ride would be, so you get a feel for the price level. You should then either insist on using the meter or - if the riksha doesn`t have one - agree on a fixed price beforehand. Mostly you can`t go wrong if you deduct 10 Rs. from the sum he initially charges (15 rs. being the basic fee for any inner-city travel). The only place where riksha drivers were a serious problem was in Bangalore, where no driver was willing to use a meter and every driver tried to lure you in some shop instead of just taking you from A to B. If a driver offered you a sensible rate there, you could be sure that at some point he would pull out a business card and insist that he take you to his favourite shop...

"fake guides"

by MichaelFalk1969

Some guides are excellent, and when you have the possibility to hire one (a justified rate would be between 150 and 200 rupies for 1 hour, maybe plus 50 rupies tip if he`s good), take one. The official guides (they usually show some sort of legitimation) are usually good if not very good and speak decent English. I have made good experiences in the Synagogue in Cochi, the Mysore Palace and at the Somnathpur, Chidambaram and Thanjavur temples. Fake guides though can be a nuisance. They have no qualification, speak barely intelligible English and demand outrageous sums for their "services". Always try to talk a little with the guide to get an impression of his qualification and knowledge of English, and agree on a fixed price beforehand. The worst place considering fake guides is Kanchipuram - I did not meet one legitimate guide, and the ones that offered their services had no clue and...

popular scams, part one

by MichaelFalk1969

At MG road in Bangalore, lots of people try to make use of the gullibility of western tourists. One example: An old guy falls into step with me, asks where I come from, where I`m goint to etc. In all other places in South India this can be a genuine friendly approach, but in Bangalore this is probably something that ends with some business proposal. He also mentions that the runs a n orphanage (alarm bells ringing!!!). The old guy asks where I`m going, I say "Cubbon Park". He says he knows a shortcut, and accidentaly his shop is just around the corner ("just looking"). Of course, the way he pointed out was in the wrong direction (I can read a map), and I declined and told him to get lost. Just ignore anyone that tries to approach you on MG road in Bangalore, they will take a no for a no if you`re answer is not too friendly.

popular scams, part two

by MichaelFalk1969

In Madurai, I was on my way to the Sri Menakshi temple. A guy falls into step with me ("welcome to Madurai"), talks to me and as I reveal my nationality, claims that his father once worked as a tailor in Germany (showing me the business card of some obscure German company). He never ever mentions business or shopping, but shortly before the temple he informs me that the temple is open all day, but the museum will close in 15 minutes, so I should have a look. I follow him reluctantly, knowing what will come next. The so-called "museum" is the "Museum Shop Company", just another local crafts-shop around the temple. I decline to visit and return to the temple.

Mahabalipuram Beach - u/c

by MichaelFalk1969

Mahabalipuram has some real cultural treasures, but don`t come here fore the beach. There is not one square inch of clean beach, people litter where they stand, and you share the beach with cows and crows that are attracted by the garbage. Not really a place to unwind and relax. At the souvenir stands on the way to the beach, you get some really nice artwork at the best prices (much cheaper than in the town shops of the tourist center). The initial prices the shopowners demanded here were sometimes so ridiculously low that I didn`t even bother to haggle.

Indian non-sights

by MichaelFalk1969

India is an incredible country for sightseeing, but some destinations marketed as "sights" are not really that exciting. I´ve made my personal top ten - ranking of Indian non-sights, but this is only my subjective opinion: 1. Mahaballipuram BeachNo square inch of the beach is clean, and swimming is not allowed. What is the point in having a beach then ?2. Kurisumula Cow FarmThe Indians are obsessed with sucessful cow breeding projects, it seems, but we have cows in Europe, too (maybe not on the roads), so it is not that spectacular. 3. Indo Swiss Cow Project (Munnar area)see tip 2!4. Tata Tea Museum MunnarThe guide spoke barely intelligible English and the only thing I understood was that you have to boil tea leaves before drinking - that was not new to me. One of the smallest museums I have ever been to. 5. Matupetty Lake (Munnar area)A stopover on the way from Munnar to Top Station,...

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Top 3 Hotels in India

Neemrana Fort-Palace  State of Rajasthan

 2 Reviews and 233 Opinions  This is such a lovely place, whether for a couple celebrating their love or for a singleton,... 

 Hotels in State of Rajasthan

Taj Lands End  Mumbai

 4 Reviews and 519 Opinions  22,000 square feet of meeting space connected by pre-function areas suitable for exhibitions ... 

 Hotels in Mumbai

Leela  Goa

 5 Reviews and 458 Opinions  hallo was meeting adam pyotr mancic in the surfclub arambol. best friend at this time. every night... 

 See all 99 Hotels in Goa

Questions and Answers

mosaka profile photo

Q:  Hello folks, I am thinking to travel to India from July 28-Aug 28 2012. It includes both north and south India. I heard about... 

anilpradhanshillong profile photo

A: 1. If you limit your travels to the plains of India during Jul 28-Aug 28, 2012, you'll experience high humidity, heat and quite a few showers. As it is, South India is... 

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