Kandy Warnings Or Dangers Tips by mafi_moya Top 5 Page for this destination

If a lone man approaches you in Kandy then chances are his aim is to lighten your wallet. There are many friendly people here (although women have told me that the ratio of sleazy men is higher here than elsewhere) and groups are fine to speak to. But lone men are generally best avoided. There are of course touts in many places in Sri Lanka, but in Kandy they seem to be at their most numerous and most annoying.

There are the usual kind of touts, trying to persuade you to use their particular hotel. In some places these can be helpful but here are best ignored as many also get commission on your food and any trips you take and so spend your whole visit trying to get you to spend as much money as possible. Give in to them once and you'll be stuck with them for the whole time.

Many men will try to act as your guide, whether you want it or not. Decline politely and they'll just follow you around, talk to you and then expect payment, so it's best to be as firm as you can. Many, particularly at the Temple, will say they will help you free of charge out of kindness - ignore them, they'll demand money and are prepared to bug you for hours to get it.

A common scam in Kandy is for a man to approach you as if he knows you. He claims that he's the chef or bell boy at your hotel (he doesn't name it) and acts all hurt when you don't recognise him. Of course he then proceeds to let you buy him something to make up for it, or asks you to lend him some money that he'll pay back that evening at the hotel. On paper it all sounds very obvious, but some of these guys are experts and know that many tourists will pretend to remember someone rather than risk hurting their feelings. Just ask him the name of the hotel that he works at and watch him squirm.

These are of course pretty obvious tips, especially for experienced travellers, and Kandy is no worse for touts than many other countries. But it is the worst in Sri Lanka so it's best to be prepared.