Real reviews from real travelers.
Luxor Pages by lotharlerch
|
|
 |
scams: Alabaster and Papyrus
|
Tip Rating: [Not enough ratings yet] |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
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.
Leave a Comment
At Least Do This: 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.
Alternative: 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Visiting Luxor? Read reviews about Luxor Hotels Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
|
Join a Discussion Train from Luxor to Cairo
(5 replies, Monday, Oct 6, 2008, 8:28 AM UTC) Acceptable taxi fare
(4 replies, Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008, 8:13 AM UTC) Luxor in October
(5 replies, Friday, Sep 12, 2008, 9:03 AM UTC) Be the first to reply to these questions dahabeya dinner cruise In Luxor?
(no replies yet, Saturday, Oct 11, 2008, 10:51 AM UTC) Arabic
(no replies yet, Saturday, Jun 28, 2008, 7:58 AM UTC) Nile Cruise
(no replies yet, Sunday, Nov 25, 2007, 12:02 PM UTC) » All Luxor Posts
» Ask about Luxor |
 Comments for lotharlerch about Luxor | | | | |
ukirsari Mon Jul 28, 2008 05:46 UTC
when we're there, we do independently using bicycles. but have something similar experience with yours: we ask about direction of medinat habu and they're pointing outalabaster shops!!! very funny! | lotharlerch Thu Apr 17, 2008 20:11 UTC
The problem is that Egypt itself does not know coins, even the smallest denominations are paper. But if a tourist has to pay for something 7 € and gives a 10 € note the Egyptians would need inevitably € coins to change... That works perfectly in Turkey. | mara235 Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:26 UTC
the locals who want you to change coins to notes or to Egyptian money don't have anywhere to change them. Banks do not take foreign coins.....think of the trouble sending them back to Europe! | globetrott Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:03 UTC
a good start with 7 tips, den Bäcker mach ich dann auch ;-) |
|
|
email me
add as friend
on Mar 22, 2008
