Cows are sacred in Hinduism. They roam freely through the streets everywhere in India. But why are they holy? Let us explain everything about cows in Indian Hindu culture in this article.
Read More
Jaipur is one of the most beautiful cities in Rajasthan. It’s one of the most popular places to visit and with good reason! In this article we’ll tell you everything about the best things to see and do when visiting the pink city Jaipur in India.
The Taj Mahal in Agra, India is one of the seven wonders of the world. It’s part of the ‘golden-tourist-triangle’ together with Delhi and Jaipur. Here’s all you need to know about this Mughal piece of architecture.
A tornado of people, a flavour explosion and a blend of colours. One things’s for sure: you’ll never forget a visit to this city. Here’s all you need to know about visiting (New) Delhi, India.
One of the largest and most central islands in the Philippines is Cebu Island. The island is huge, and the most well-known places are Cebu City and the former fisher town Moalboal. Cebu is known as a great diving and snorkelling spot, but has great waterfalls and nature too. Considering its size, it can be hard to decide where to go on this island. Let us help you with this article about the best things to do when visiting Cebu, Philippines.
We invest a lot of time and energy in our articles and write them with sincere love. By clicking the links in this blog for your purchases, you pay exactly the same amount, but we receive a small percentage. Thank you for supporting us. ?
There’s so much to see and do in Cebu that it can be hard to decide. As the distances are big, we advise you to choose carefully. Here are some of the best things to do in Cebu.
Rent a motorbike and go chasing waterfalls
Cebu has lots of nature which include many stunning bright blue waterfalls. Some are easy to reach, and some are a bit more challenging to find. It will be hard to see all of them as the distances are very big, but definitely include visiting some waterfalls when going to Cebu or Moalboal.
Kawasan Waterfalls
The Kawasan Waterfalls are by far the most famous waterfalls to visit when going to Cebu. They are located close to Moalboal in Badian and can only be entered through the canyoneering. There used to be another entrance through which you visit the waterfalls only, but it got destroyed by a tornado in December 2022.
Canyoneering is one of the most popular activities to do in Cebu. The tours can be booked everywhere in Cebu City, Moalboal or online. You will climb, jump, hike, swim and slide downstream the waterfalls for about 4–5 hours. In the end, you will arrive at the Kawasan waterfalls with bright aqua-coloured water.
Montpellier Falls
Not interested in following the crowds and up for an off-the-beaten-track experience? Montpellier is your way to go. This beautiful and adventurous waterfall with perhaps even more beautiful scenery is located a bit further from Moalboal than the Kawasan waterfalls. It requires a short (approximately 20 minutes) but challenging hike on a narrow path. You’ll walk through villages, grasslands, and the jungle and will be rewarded with a cool plunge. The view of hundreds of palm trees is breathtaking. The Montpellier waterfall itself is secluded (probably no one around), with crystal clear bright blue water in a jungle scenery.
From the main road, turn left at the gas station. You’ll follow a narrow, steep path through rice fields and jungle with a motorbike. At some point, you’ll have to leave the motorbike (don’t worry, no one will try to steal it) and continue on foot.
Tip: Excited about more hiking and seeing more of Cebu’s extraordinary nature? Consider hiking the Osmoña Peak. This is the highest peak of Cebu and provides a great view of the island.
Other waterfalls
Can’t get enough of waterfalls? Consider visiting the Inambakan or Kabutongan waterfalls. They are also beautiful but easier accessible. The Dao Waterfalls EcoAdventures also offer canyoning, but are less well known.
Go diving and snorkelling
Cebu is known as an amazing spot for diving and snorkelling. In Moalboal you can get your Padi or try out dives everywhere, and they offer a variety of diving and snorkelling tours. Moalboal is located in the Tanon Strait that attracts a variety of sea life. It is a large protected area and is home to very rare species of sharks, dolphins, whales and many more.
One of the best snorkelling spots on the island is located right in front of the coast of Moalboal and is called Sea Turtles Snorkelling Zone 1. There is almost a guarantee to see sea turtles and find beautiful creatures on the reef right on the coast. But after 10 meters of swimming, something even more special is waiting for you. The reef suddenly drops to more than 10 meters deep and right at that spot, there is a sardine run of hundreds of these fish. The silver sardine fish glitter in the sunlight shining through the crystal clear blue water, and it is absolutely astounding to witness.
Tip: in love with diving and already in possession of a Padi? Consider diving at Malapascuan. This island is known for having rare Thresher sharks and sometimes even whale sharks.
Some things to take into consideration when snorkelling in Cebu
Snorkelling and diving in Cebu is amazing, but be careful. Learn from our experiences and prepare yourself before entering the water.
Protect your feet and the coral
We would recommend wearing water shoes or waterproof sandals when snorkelling here because there are sea urchins and little pieces of glass (leftovers from the damage done by tornadoes) in the reef sometimes. If you’re wearing flippers, please be careful not to damage the corals and beautiful creatures living here. Please be respectful and don’t touch or take out anything, you’re a guest! Taking corals out is punishable by law in the Philippines.
Whale shark snorkelling in Oslob
Many blogs recommend going whale shark snorkelling at Oslob, but we strongly advise against doing so. Whale sharks naturally migrate hundreds of kilometres of distance throughout the year, and it is an important part of the ecosystem. Because they feed the whale sharks in Oslob, the marine mammals no longer migrate and it is disturbing the ecosystem.
Jellyfish
Wessel wasn’t paying attention and got stung by jellyfish. They are see-through white and almost invisible, but it hurts when they sting. The feeling is uncomfortable, but luckily not dangerous at all. We went snorkelling 6–7 times and only saw them once, so you’ll probably have no problems. Just be careful. Couldn’t see them in time like us? Put some vinegar on the stings, that is the only thing that will give you some relief. Avoid washing it with soap.
Grab a tricycle
In the Philippines, one of the iconic means of transportation is the tricycle. You will recognize them by the bright colours, biblical texts and friendly Filipinos convincing you to use their service. We used the tricycle to go from the bus station in Moalboal town to the beach and hotel area. We paid around 300 pesos (around €5,-). Hop on the tricycle and enjoy the very bumpy ride. A really fun experience!
White Beach Moalboal – Basdaku Beach
One of the prettiest beaches in the area is White Beach in Moalboal. As its name implies, expect white sand and a clean beach to spend a day relaxing. It’s also a very nice beach for snorkelling. Sip on a coconut and enjoy the laid-back vibe on this beach. It’s definitely a welcome break in between hiking waterfalls, canyoneering and snorkelling sardines. Keep in mind that especially on the weekends, this place can be very busy, as it’s popular among both locals and tourists. You pay a small entrance fee of 10 pesos (around €0.17) to enter the beach, this is for the locals to keep the beach clean. If you’re visiting by vehicle, expect another 10 pesos for a motorcycle/scooter and 40 pesos (around €0.68) for a car.
The best time to visit Cebu and Moalboal is generally January to April. There is a generally dry climate and lots of sun. The temperatures are often lowest in these months between 25 °C and 33 °C. In other months, the Philippines can get quite wet and is unfortunately often struck by hurricanes and big storms.
Cebu City
There’s a bigger airport in Cebu City that allows you to travel basically anywhere in the Philippines. We would advise you to stay in a hotel here for one night, as the buses to Moalboal leave in the morning and take quite some time.
Moalboal
From the central bus station in Cebu City you can take a bus to Moalboal. It will take you around 3–5 hours to get from one place to another, depending on the traffic and number of stops. There are air conditioned luxurious buses and there is a local bus with open windows. We tried both of them and had great, but different experiences each time. The local bus is nice for interacting with Filipinos, and it’s cheaper, you’ll pay around 170 pesos (€2,92). The more luxury bus with airco is a more comfortable way of travelling, you’ll pay around 210 pesos (€3.61).
Crazy Bears
If you’re travelling on a budget and prefer to stay in a social but good hostel, Crazy Bears Hostel is your place. They offer great cheap tours for many things to do around Cebu such as canyoneering. For solo-travellers they have dorms, but they also have private rooms.
Prices start from €11,- a night for a dormbed and €26,- for a private room.
D’gecko
Our personal favourite would absolutely be D’gecko. It has a Santorini/Greek-like appearance as it’s painted white and blue with beautiful pink flowers. It may be simple for its price, but the beds are so comfortable and the rooms are squeaky clean. The location of D’Gecko is fantastic right across the street from the beach where Sea Turtles Snorkelling Zone 1 is located. They offer good quality motorbikes and the staff is so kind and trying to help with anything.
Prices start from €29,- a night.
Tipolo Resort
This resort is located across the street from D’gecko and has a beautiful garden overlooking the sea. You will literally wake up, set foot outside your door and have a view on the beautiful corals of Moalboal. It’s slightly more expensive than the other options mentions, but clean, comfortable and still very reasonably priced. The staff is kind and they offer many tours. They have a really delicious restaurant called Filling Station.
Prices start from €48,- a night with a minimum of 2 nights.
Last Filling Station | Tipolo
Our favourite restaurant was Filling Station. They offer a range of great options from local Philippino food to many Western options. We were a big fan of the fresh tuna they use in their pita’s or on their pizza, it’s absolutely delicious. They also serve great breakfast. If you’re staying in Tipoli resort this place will be right outside your door. Find Last Filling Station here.
Shaka smoothiebowls
Shaka serves out of this world delicious smoothiebowls and amazing coffee. They are a nice little place located right next to the beach. They serve colourful options like a green bowl or a beauty bowl that will keep your stomach saturated for a couple of hours.Find Shaka here.
My Greek Taverna
Do you like Greek food just like us? Then pay this place a visit. They serve pita gyros and other nice Greek options. It’s also decorated nicely. Be there in time, because it can get quite busy and there aren’t many seats.Find My Greek Taverna here.
Smooth Café
This place serves beautiful salads and other amazing food like delicious pulled pork sandwiches or great burgers. It’s beautifully designed, and the staff is very kind. For people seeking a quiet place to work, they offer a very comfortable air-conditioned coworking space where they also serve food. Find the Smooth cafe here.
More Philippines
Bohol is a great island below Cebu in the Central Visayas region in the Philippines. It is home to unique tiny primates called tarsiers, extraordinary Teletubby hills, beautiful forests, beaches and more. There is a lot to do and see on this island, but the distances are very big. We accepted the challenge of finding the best spots all within a maximum 2-hour drive (by motorcycle) away from the central town and harbour, Tagbilaran. Here’s a list of the 10 best things to do in Bohol, Philippines.
Looking for something?
WHAT TO DO
HOW TO GET THERE
WHERE TO STAY
WHERE TO EAT
What to do
Around Tagbilaran
Tagbilaran is the main city of Bohol and is the place where you will arrive by ferry. Many activities can be done from here.
Tarsier Sanctuary Corella
We absolutely love animals and for us, this was one of the highlights of our trip to Bohol. Philippine Tarsiers are very small (about 8,5-12 cm) carnivorous primates with huge eyes and long bald tails. They cannot move their eyelids, so they move their entire head instead, which is a little creepy. We think they are adorable and remind us of baby Yoda. They are some of the oldest primates on the planet (55 million years old) and have elongated hands and feet to hold themselves in trees.
They really don’t do well in captivity with humans, noise, and light around, causing them to become suicidal and crash their heads into trees. This makes breeding programs hardly possible, that’s why this Tarsier conservation sanctuary was founded. The sanctuary is supported by ecotourism foundations such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Tourism. Lucky for you, you can visit them as a tourist and contribute to their survival.
There are a couple of sanctuaries in Bohol, we visited the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella. Park your vehicle in their car park, expect to pay around 150 Philippine pesos (around €2.50) and prepare for a muddy short walk. Keep in mind that tarsiers get very stressed by noises and that talking, shouting or screaming is strictly prohibited when entering the sanctuary. A free guide will walk you through the sanctuary and point out the little sleepy tarsiers for you to take pictures of. Good thing, because the little buggers are very hard to spot.
Bilar Man-made forest
Oh, how we love ecotourism activities! Here’s another one: The Bohol Mahogany Forest, or better known as the Bilar Man-made forest. This 2 km-long forest was as its name indicates built by people as a reforestation project. Make a stop on your way to the Chocolate Hills and admire the large overhanging trees from the road. It is a beautiful stop to take some pictures. More into an active holiday? You can go mountain biking or hike in this forest!
Be aware! Within the man-made forest, there is a tarsier conservation area to be found. It is a popular place to see Tarsiers because it is located close to the chocolate hills. However, this is not an official government-approved sanctuary. They hold the tarsiers captive in small viewing areas, which is incredibly stressful for these little creatures and decreases the duration of their lives by almost half. Please reconsider visiting and go to the tarsier sanctuary in Corella instead.
Chocolate or Teletubby Hills?
By far the most popular thing to do in Bohol is the Chocolate Hills. They are called like this because in some months (March until June) the grass turns brown. We visited in January when the hills were green. Although the hills were not iconically ‘brown’, we would still recommend visiting. This unique natural phenomenon cannot be found elsewhere in the world and is very interesting to see. They truly reminded us of the Teletubby hills and were waiting for Tinky Winky to stroll down one of the bulbs.
The hills once used to be corals that date from the ice age and eroded into the limestone, round-shaped hills that appear today. From the Chocolate Hills Complex close to Carmen you have a stunning view of the hills. Park your car, tricycle driver or motorcycle at the car park, buy your entrance tickets for 100 pesos (around €1.70) and wait for the golf cars to take you uphill. There you’ll find a small café and a bunch of stairs that will take you up to the viewpoint.
Blood Pact Shrine
The blood pact shrine is an important monumental statue that illustrates the agreement the Spanish and local Filipino’s closed when the Spanish arrived to colonize the Philippines. It tells the story about the sealed ‘friendship’ between the ruler Rajah Sikatuna and the Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the leader of the Spanish. The monument remembers the blood compact. It’s interesting, if you ask local people about it, that they will tell the story of mutual friendship instead of hostile colonization. This is a great example of how hospitable, friendly and forgiving Filipino people are.
JVGH+XMM, J.P, EK Inting St, Tagbilaran City, 6300 Bohol
Chido Café
If you’re visiting the Blood Pact Shrine, you cannot miss the Chido Café located about 50 meters away. This colourfully designed café with healthy food, great coffee and an incredible sea view over Panglao is worth a visit. Take a break, sit back and enjoy the view.
Panglao Island
Panglao island is connected to Bohol by a couple of bridges that can be crossed by car. The island is popular among tourists and many delicious restaurants and luxurious hotels are located here. Because many tourists find their way here, it can get quite crowded sometimes. Up to you where to stay! Anyway, Panglao is worth a visit as there are a couple of awesome things to do.
St. Augustin Church
The Philippines is a catholic country and religion is a big part of Filipino culture. We ran into this church by accident as we were driving back to Tagbilaran. Having the sunset in the background, this little church was so picturesque! Imagine the sun going down, and kids playing football in the grass while the priest sings his biblical lyrics. It was very beautiful and rather a great experience than an actual highlight.
Alona Beach
White beach, green palms and a warm breeze coming from the blue sea? Alona beach is your place to be. It is a really nice beach with diving sites, boats and soft sand. It does get crowded at times, so it’s best to go early if you want to have a calm and peaceful experience. This beach is close to many great restaurants and hotels and awesome for an afternoon stroll.
To visit Bohol or Panglao you have several options:
Ferry
From Cebu City, go to the Cebu pier 1 and take the ferry to Tagbilaran. The company Oceanjet offers fast ferries and will take you in approximately 2 hours to the Tagbilaran pier. Expect to pay 800 pesos (around €13,50,-) for the normal tourist class, and another 100 pesos (around €1.70) if you’re carrying a backpack or suitcase. They will ask to pay for your luggage after going through security at the port. They will also ask you to pay an additional terminal fee of 50 pesos (around €0.85).
Book ferry tickets here
Plane
You can grab a plane to Panglao International Airport, very close to Alona beach. Fly directly from Manila, Davao or El Nido. The prices fluctuate considerably, the best tip we can give you is to use Skyscanner for booking your flights and book far in advance.
Book flights here
Where to stay
Tagbilaran
Travelbee hotel
Tagbilaran is the city where most ferries will take you. Before continuing your trip, it could be nice to spend a night close to the pier. Travelbee hotel is located a 5-minute walk from the ferry pier and offers very comfortable beds. They have a space to work and breakfast is included. Learn from our mistake and book online to save a lot of money for this place!
Prices start from €25,- a night.
Sweet Home Boutique Hotel
This hotel is also located close to the ferry and offers beautifully designed rooms with nice beds and a delicious breakfast. Some rooms offer a balcony with a sea view.
Prices start from €43,- a night.
Alona Beach
Ohana Panglao Resort
Want a peaceful place located close to the beach (about 1 km) but away from the crowds? This is your place to go. Spacious rooms, a pleasantly heated pool and great Wi-Fi. They offer a free shuttle to the beach.
Prices for private rooms start from €34,- a night.
Ultra Mint Dive resort
This beautifully designed resort is located around 10–15 minutes from Alona beach and offers both private rooms and dorms. It has a lovely pool.
Prices for dorm beds start from €27,- a night and private rooms from €70,-.
Glamping Alona
More into unique experiences? Glamping Alona is a great fit. They offer a camping experience in luxurious tents with a fan and bed. There is a pool and the beach is about a 20–25 minutes walk away.
Prices for tents start around €24,- a night.
Where to eat
Tagbilaran
Chido Café
A colourful café with a stunning sunset and healthy food.
Umaya
Umaya offers delicious Japanese food like sushi, ramen miso and more traditional set dishes. You’ll get a complimentary cup of hot or cold tea and water. During the weekends, they offer all-you-can-eat options.
Spindrift Restobar Lite Port
Up for some fast food in a bar? Go to Spindrift bar. This karaoke bar has local people singing their heart out every night and offers simple, but tasty burgers. A hilarious experience. Their mango shake is also really nice.
Alona Beach
Molly Bistro
This place is beautifully designed in Bohemian style and the food is absolutely delicious. They also have great cocktails for reasonable prices. Try the seafood pasta! You won’t regret it.
Shaka
Go here to have breakfast with some great fruit bowls and a decent coffee.
More Philippines
First of all we’d like to state that this article is in no way meant to discourage you from travelling to Thailand, it is meant to help you avoid scams and have an even better holiday.
Thailand is very safe, but when visiting Bangkok, please do so informed. It will happen to every traveller sooner or later. You get caught in a local tourist scam. There is no reason to get upset about it. One learns from the experience and helps other tourists not fall into the same trap. And that’s exactly why we’re writing about it here. We got scammed, were bummed for a bit, laughed about it and moved on with our trip.
A scam often occurs when foreigners are trying to find their way to a specific location and some friendly Thai comes out to help you by offering a better ‘solution’ or directing you in a specific direction. We were also scammed, even though we have visited Thailand before and know about various scams.
This being said, the Thai are generally speaking very friendly people, and we certainly don’t claim that all locals are untrustworthy. Quite the contrary, Thai people are probably one of the friendliest people around the world you’ll meet. Keep reading on how to avoid common tourist traps in Bangkok or Thailand in general and save yourself money, frustration and bad experiences.
The Grand palace is ‘closed’
When planning a visit to the grand palace in Bangkok, you’ll meet many ‘friendly’ local Thai men. They’ll most likely tell you that the palace is closed for a few hours because of a special occasion, like the King’s nephew’s birthday. Be aware, the stories are very sophisticated and the men very convincing. You are told it is a way better idea to engage in a touristic route on a tuc-tuc across the city, in which the ‘guide’ will show you some highlights of the city. It will only cost you 20 Bath ( around €0,56).
Seems too good to be true? IT IS! This price is of course way too low, which should ring an alarm bell right away. The driver stops at a number of his friends’ shops where you will be forced to buy expensive gems, suits or other souvenirs. The driver then receives a fee from these shop owners, and if you don’t buy anything, gas coupons. Chances are you will be brought to other tourist attractions (which are ‘open’) at which you will pay a lot of money for something which is not worth it. Don’t be fooled, the palace is open daily from 08:30 am – 3:30 pm, seven days a week. The entrance is 500 baht for tourists. For Thai people, the entrance is free. You’ll find the palace at Na Phra Lan Road, Phranakorn (Rattanakosin).
Floating Market ‘in’ Bangkok
This is the scam we fell for. For the people that think: ‘this won’t happen to me, I’m not that stupid’, think twice. We’re experienced travellers and managed to dodge scams in countries like India, Tanzania, and Mexico. The worst part is that it wasn’t even our first time in Bangkok.
That day, we were heading to the Chatuchak Market. Trying to find our way on Google Maps, wandering the streets, deciding which local bus to take in the right direction. Very soon, a Thai man with a decent English accent approached us and told us we had to go to the opposite side of the street in order to take the bus in the opposite direction (which was, spoiler alert, a lie). He told us: ‘why visit the indoor weekend market in the heat of the day when you can also visit the floating market in a boat in the shadow’. He told us normal tourists pay at least three times as much as local Thai for this floating market, so he told us to ask for the ‘Thai ticket’ at the pier. We told him we would think about it and would walk to the pier. But we didn’t get a chance to make up our minds. He had already stopped a tuk-tuk driver and told him where to bring us. Even at this point, instead of feeling alarmed, we felt relieved because we really felt an honest Thai helped us out. Perhaps naive, but it all happened really fast. In fact so fast, that we’re still trying to wrap our heads around what happened exactly.
We were brought to the pier and had to pay 1,400 Bath (€37) per person. Being in Thailand for only one or two days, we did not realize how much that was in Euros. The boat ride through Bangkok canals was about 1.5 hours, and it stopped at the ‘Taling Chan floating market’ for half an hour. It was definitely not worth it, and we felt scammed. We were embarrassed, felt stupid and angry. The best thing about the trip was probably seeing a couple of Komodo dragons. We were also forced to buy drinks for ourselves and the captain, which made it even worse. Later we were informed by others the actual floating market is located 100 kilometres South of Bangkok.
Taxi- and tuk-tuk drivers Khao San Road and Soi Rambuttri
If you’re in the more touristic or busy areas, a bunch of taxi and tuk-tuk drivers will be waiting in front of your hotel every day. You may wonder how a cab driver waiting all day to offer city tours (visit the grand palace, various temples, or indeed, the floating market etc.) for just 20 baht each person, makes enough money for a living. But here’s the deal. They’ll take you to the highlights as promised, but as well to befriend shop-owners, where they will politely force you to buy the overpriced tourist stuff you don’t want or need. This scam shows many similarities with ‘the grand palace is closed scam’ in example one. You’ll end up spending way more money than planned and will be gone the whole day, while the tuk-tuk driver got a commission from every store he brought you to. Better think twice before you do a city tour for just 20 baht with a tuk-tuk.
Instead, we recommend booking this bike tour that will take you around the city’s highlights without trying to scam you. Not in the mood for biking with 30°C or just a fan of organising your own trip? Read here about apps to download that can help you avoid getting scammed.
‘No-meter’ Taxi
A golden rule for every newcomer in Bangkok. In case you decide to grab a cab, ask the driver to turn on the meter. This is a device installed in all cabs and is mandatory use for cab drivers, although, in practice, they often refuse to put the device on. If this is the case, say ‘no’ and try another cab. You can also bargain a specific price for your ride, but, in any case, never get in a taxi without agreeing on a price beforehand. In case you leave the price of your ride undecided, you will end up paying way too much without having the ability to negotiate any longer on the price.
Right from the start when arriving at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, taxi drivers will try to charge you a great amount of money for taking you to the city centre. To avoid having to negotiate after a long exhausting flight, book your private transfer to Khao San Road or Soi Rambuttri in advance.
Another tip when taking a cab is to make sure the cab driver understands your destination. The address in Google Maps is often only written in English, a language most local taxi drivers can not speak let alone read. A solution for this problem could be using Google Translate or showing the location on a map. Read here for more about apps to download that solve the language barrier. Often hotels provide their guests with visiting cards on which the location of the hotel is written in Thai.
Unexpected ‘Gem’-stores
In case you do get tempted to go on an extremely cheap taxi or tuk-tuk ride, be aware in case the driver stops at a gem store. Shop owners will persuade you to buy worthless gems at inflated prices. Apart from the fact they probably sell you cheap material glass, very often these shop owners will tell you tourists are not allowed to bring these gems back to their home country. Lucky you! Because these goods can be delivered by mail. Tourists have to pay up-front and won’t receive anything on their home address, often deliberately spelt wrong. The gem scam is one of Bangkok’s longest-running scams. This scam also applies to tourist and tailor shops, where you are promised high-end Kashmir silk suits but walk out of the store paying way too much for a low-quality piece of clothing.
‘Booking’ trips
This scam also often starts with a friendly stranger on the street or a tuk-tuk driver promising to take you on a tour around the city. First, some temples will be shown to you. The tuk-tuk driver mentions that he will only need to bring you to the TAT – Tourism Agency Thailand. In this agency, you will be offered an extensive trip all the way through Thailand for between 500-1000 euros. Interesting fact, the TAT does really exist, however, it has no physical offices.
Probably at this moment, you will tell them you want to book your own trip, and they back off for a moment. After this, the still over-friendly tuk-tuk driver will bring you to another temple, still having paid nothing. Inside this temple, another over-friendly person who happens to be there ‘accidentally’ will approach you saying: ‘’don’t be stupid to book with a tourist agency, I know a place where only local Thai people buy their tickets.’’ Be aware, this is the same method that is used in the floating market scheme in example two.
At this point, it becomes really interesting, because you think you get a front-row ticket for a discounted price. Before you know it, you sit in another travel agency, just like the one you rejected an hour ago. This time, you hand over your credit card to someone who is booking you flights from Bangkok down to the island and up north to Chiang Mai. After having not received printed tickets but a promise to send them to your e-mail or hotel, you are being brought to another temple. At this point, most likely, the over-friendly tuk-tuk driver is gone, never to be seen again. In the best case, you have actually booked an over-priced trip to see the rest of Thailand. In the most common scenario, no real tickets are booked, and you just lost hundreds of euro’s.
These are the most common scams in Bangkok. Now you’ve read about them and are well-informed, start looking forward to visiting this amazing city. We’ve hardly ever felt safer in any city around the world than in Bangkok. It is one of our favourite cities in the world with its beautiful temples, delicious streetfood and vibrant nightlife. You won’t regret going.
More Thailand
We invest a lot of time and energy in our articles and write them with sincere love. By clicking the links in this blog for your purchases, you pay exactly the same amount, but we receive a small percentage. Thank you for supporting us. ?
