Top 10 Scams of Nepal
Nepal is a wonderful country with many kind hearted and honest people but you should aware of the typical scams that do occur in the tourist game. Similar scams are found in India.
Guides or porters are not necessary for all the popular treks because the areas are highly developed and not off the beaten track. It is like walking around any village in India or Nepal. These days a road has been built all the way to Jomson, you can take a jeep or bus, walk. So they try tell you you need a guide but it's much better on your own and of course much cheaper. It costs less than 500Rs a day for food and lodging not 20-30 USD per day.
The trekking and guide business has become huge money maker for certain Nepaliese. What we've see is the continual destruction of the environment by larger groups with needless guides and porters, demanding more and more amenities. They build larger guest houses and more Nepali's migrate to the pristine 'conservation' area to capitalize on the tourist gold rush.
Every year some tourists become serious ill or even die from altitude sickness, many times accompanied by a hired guides and porters. This shows how corrupt the guide and trekking agency system is in Nepal. Tourists pay $20-40 per day but only a few rupees are going to the actual guide or porter. Most of it goes to the head man, agency even the internet tout. Guides then receive baksheesh from the lodges they lead you too. The lodges have a dual pricing system with two menus! When you leave, your guide will get a cut of your expensive bar and food bill. The guide may rush you without proper acclimatization because then you will get tired and sick and want to go home early, perfect because he keeps the money for the whole trek.
Never book anything in advance (never book at all.) Never send money to any agency from abroad. Beware of touts on the internet who charade as real backpackers, they happily hired 'Nimraal' the guide or porter, they will recommend to you in their fake blogs. Posted in Kathmandu internet cafes are adverts for foreigners to write promotional blogs @10,000Rs.
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Comments (2)
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I took the time to read this finally
1. Despite the fact that I could carry my own stuff on Annapurna and Everest, it is my feeling that I could give someone a job while on the trek. For the reasons you mentioned, though, I did not go through an agency. It was cheaper for me, and a higher percentage (100) went to my porter or guide. I chose the place to stay each night (based on the menu, not the rate). And, I let my porter choose the place where we had lunch (usually where he could get free or cheap dal bhat).
2. I did this one time, when my flight arrived after dark. The second time, I knew Thamel and did what you said.
3. I knew about this scam and avoided it
4. Must be a new one, because I paid 2 rupees per minute local rate
5. Since I don't worry about expiration dates anyway, and went during times when a fair amount of people were there anyway (this circulating stock), I didn't even think about this seriously
6. Didn't pertain to me
7. Didn't pertain to me
8. Didn't pertain to me
9. Didn't pertain to me in Nepal. But, in India, I saw a lot of this in Ladakh where I lived for a year. People here are so quick to try to work with an NGO and go with non-creditable ones. I usually would steer them towards SECMOL, whose school works with NGO's, and they would pass on information regarding reliable NGO's
10. Except schools (I didn't donate), I saw very little of this in Nepal. Saw it 3 or 4 times in Ladakh, and didn't donate when I saw the Hemis receipt book miles and miles from that place
11. Didn't even see this in Nepal. But, I did this a lot in Ladakh. They can't go very fast on roads in Ladakh anyway, and on top was a lot cooler than the hot congested inside if it was crowded. On the edge of Leh, the bus would stop, and we'd get off the top, as it was illegal to go on top in that city.
12. NEVER saw this in Nepal. But, I saw "One pen" or "One rupee" or "One sweet" a lot in Ladakh. It is a game with them to see who can get the most or best of whatever. They are not really taught to do this, but do realize that foreigners do have more money and can spare a tiny bit easily. I never encouraged this (and discouraged it with other trekkers at tea tents on the trek or German bakeries in Leh). Instead, I would let them look at pictures that I had with me from home. Or, what they really liked, was to look through my binoculars for several minutes while I took a break. Somehow, they forgot all about their "pen"!
13. I used the DHL office in Delhi the 2 times I shipped something, and never had a problem.
1. Despite the fact that I could carry my own stuff on Annapurna and Everest, it is my feeling that I could give someone a job while on the trek. For the reasons you mentioned, though, I did not go through an agency. It was cheaper for me, and a higher percentage (100) went to my porter or guide. I chose the place to stay each night (based on the menu, not the rate). And, I let my porter choose the place where we had lunch (usually where he could get free or cheap dal bhat).
2. I did this one time, when my flight arrived after dark. The second time, I knew Thamel and did what you said.
3. I knew about this scam and avoided it
4. Must be a new one, because I paid 2 rupees per minute local rate
5. Since I don't worry about expiration dates anyway, and went during times when a fair amount of people were there anyway (this circulating stock), I didn't even think about this seriously
6. Didn't pertain to me
7. Didn't pertain to me
8. Didn't pertain to me
9. Didn't pertain to me in Nepal. But, in India, I saw a lot of this in Ladakh where I lived for a year. People here are so quick to try to work with an NGO and go with non-creditable ones. I usually would steer them towards SECMOL, whose school works with NGO's, and they would pass on information regarding reliable NGO's
10. Except schools (I didn't donate), I saw very little of this in Nepal. Saw it 3 or 4 times in Ladakh, and didn't donate when I saw the Hemis receipt book miles and miles from that place
11. Didn't even see this in Nepal. But, I did this a lot in Ladakh. They can't go very fast on roads in Ladakh anyway, and on top was a lot cooler than the hot congested inside if it was crowded. On the edge of Leh, the bus would stop, and we'd get off the top, as it was illegal to go on top in that city.
12. NEVER saw this in Nepal. But, I saw "One pen" or "One rupee" or "One sweet" a lot in Ladakh. It is a game with them to see who can get the most or best of whatever. They are not really taught to do this, but do realize that foreigners do have more money and can spare a tiny bit easily. I never encouraged this (and discouraged it with other trekkers at tea tents on the trek or German bakeries in Leh). Instead, I would let them look at pictures that I had with me from home. Or, what they really liked, was to look through my binoculars for several minutes while I took a break. Somehow, they forgot all about their "pen"!
13. I used the DHL office in Delhi the 2 times I shipped something, and never had a problem.
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June 26, 2009
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