Ripping off the tourists in Uzbekistan is endemic
“Apologies to all of our recently acquired Uzbek friends, but rip-offs in Uzbekistan - particularly along the touristy parts of the Silk Road - seem endemic.”- says one of the tourists, who recently paid a visit to the historic sites of Uzbekistan.
Today, being a tourist in Uzbekistan is really difficult. People, for who the tourism is the only source of income, do their best to get more money as possible from western (and some eastern) tourists, who are considered to have wallets full of “greens” (the slang local people use referring to US dollars). The “overcharged” journey of tourists begins from the airport, when a group of taxi drivers, seeing that a foreign is coming out of a terminal, literally attacks him/her trying to speak English they were taught at school.
Then, of course, the journey is continued at hotels, cafes and restaurants, and even in state owned banks. Tourists at Uncornered market, who recently paid a visit to Uzbekistan, write about their “best experiences” of the trip that turned out to be very disappointing regarding financial issues. Being overcharged and cheated several times, they share their experience with others, who are planning a trip to the historical sites of Uzbekistan.
Banking – always count your money. One of their worse experiences happened in Urgench city branch of National Bank of Uzbekistan, which is considered to me in the list of top three banks of the country. After spending 90 minutes to the simplest banking operation – exchange of dollars to Uzbek soms, they left the bank not counting the exchanged money.
When they [bank staff] finally forked it over, we didn’t count it [money], somehow satisfied with the official looking paper bands wrapped around each stack of 50 bills. Only later did we discover that two of our officially-banded stacks were short a few bills. Although we only lost a few dollars in the transaction, the bank’s audacity was infuriating.
Restaurants without menus. In tourist-attractive parts of Uzbekistan, like Bukhara, Samarkand and Khiva, some restaurants and cafes do not bring menus to tourists. It is because they overcharge the tourists several times higher than the normal price of the food indicated in menus. Usually owners of the restaurants or cafes do not know about this. This is done mostly by the service personnel of the restaurant or café, who want to earn some extra pocket money.
[As waitress did not bring menu] Our friends asked the price of the main dishes before ordering to ensure the place was still within everyone’s budget. However, upon receiving our bill, we were all shocked by the amount which was a bottom line figure without any detail and several times higher than we had calculated.
However, not all people in Uzbekistan want to rip off the tourists. Tourists from Uncornered market met a young girl, Star (Yulduz), a ceramics seller in Bukhara, who treated them very nicely and told about the life in Bukhara and politics in Uzbekistan. Tourists were pleased to talk to Star.
We enjoyed one of our most enlightening discussions in Uzbekistan in the least likely of places - a ceramics stand in the most touristy area of Bukhara.
It is true that sometimes it is frustrating to be a foreign tourist in the touristy places of Uzbekistan. Everywhere local people try to rip you off, as they think you have piles of dollars in your pocket. However, we can understand these people, as every day the life in Uzbekistan is becoming really difficult. The prices are rising and the government is not doing any effective actions to solve the problem. Hope things will change soon.
on December 3rd, 2007 at 12:45 pm
that’s definitely a very pitiful situation, Uzbekistan more and more reminds me of the poorest yet very touristic areas of China, where locals also try to rip a “foreign devil” off - expression used toward many foreign faces.
on December 3rd, 2007 at 3:48 pm
I used to live in Uzbekistan. What’s going on there now is a total disaster, collapse of economy, morality and human values. Corruption of government has reached such high levels that one can not imagine. People are loosing their hope in “The Great Future”. If you open any business there you will not last long because governmental officials, such as tax inspection, police dept, fire department, utility services department, buildings department, sanitation department etc. will come after you for their “share of pie”, so that after one month you will lose everything and incurr a lot of debt. Many well educated people have already left and keep leaving Uzbekistan. If you new Tashkent before and if you look at it now, you will see a great difference in who is inhabitting it now. Those whom normal person would not like to deal with. Rude, uneducated “farmers”, no manners. And It is very sad.
on December 4th, 2007 at 1:24 am
In perspective, though, the rip-off’s of tourists in Uzbekistan aren’t really any worse than other poor countries I’ve visited. Of course the worst places to get ripped off are those places who see a lot of tourists, but because there’s not that many tourists in Uzbekistan a lot of native Uzbeks aren’t yet jaded. In fact, I’ve met many Uzbeks who feel ashamed of people who rip off foreigners - that feeling of guilt is something you don’t see in many other touristy places.
I don’t blame many poor locals for wanting to get more money from a “rich” westerner. And remember there’s a difference between getting “ripped off” and just paying a high price. I never minded paying a bit more money to some poor merchant or taxi driver who’s trying to make ends meet, just as long as it’s not ridiculous.
Generally, though I’ve found that the average price increase for me was about 50% over the local price - not a huge increase. In China (a much richer country), for instance, they’ll try to get you to pay 3-5 times the local price.
on December 4th, 2007 at 7:45 am
I don’t have time to write in detail, but let me touch on a few things.
For as long as I’ve been living in Central Asia (10 years), there’s always been some type of a dual economy - one for locals and one for tourists. For example, it’s so bad here that my wife (who is from this region) will not let me go with her to the bazaar because just the sight of me nearby will cause a price increase of at least 50%.
It’s unfortunate, but there are more locals than not who see us foreigners as loaded with cash; even though many of them have a house and a car, items that even I don’t own!
Listen, I don’t blame anyone for trying to make an extra buck, no matter if it’s a waitress or the president. The difference is that they should do it HONESTLY. The only problem I have is that there are little or no business ethics in Central Asia. People here still have a hard time understanding, or they neglect, the purpose of a contract or more so, the value of a man’s word. Everybody needs money, but let’s call a spade a spade and call dishonest business people what they are: GREEDY!
on December 4th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
I don’t see how it’s “dishonest” to agree to a high price. It may not be the most moral thing to do, but if one isn’t familiar with the true prices of the region then I don’t think it’s all that dishonest for a seller to try to get a higher price. Given time and effort you can eventually get a price fairly close to what the locals pay.
It’s not illegal - it’s not like the prices are listed and then they switch signs when a foreigner comes. Even locals have to bargain for the best price.
Plus, at least in America, in nearly every situation where bargaining is still done (ever buy a used car from a dealer?) , if you aren’t careful you will also be ripped off.
on December 4th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
“I never minded paying a bit more money to some poor merchant or taxi driver who’s trying to make ends meet, just as long as it’s not ridiculous.”
I’m more like Brian. It’s alos tha case in Morocco, Delhi, Rajastan, … I’m not the type who will raise a scandal for every tiyin in a marshutka or while buying tomatoes in the bazaar like some backpackers do (which is pathetic really). At least, as long as the price rise is not exorbitant to the extent that it is what the Russians call ‘naglost’ (arrogance).
When it happens, I think it’s up to the traveler to stand up (the tough way if neecssary), show that you’re not that easy to fool and get respect.
“collapse of economy, morality and human values.” I agree with Mughal that one of the brilliant outcomes of Karimovism is a general bestialisation of society. Besides that, Uzbekistan sees a lot of these moronic package groups of Koreans, Japanese, and European pensioners who are basically there/asking to be ripped off. What is more, their presence is giving legitimacy (and cash) to the regime. Hence, for many, they form a legitimate target…
on December 4th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
USD’s purchasing power in Uzbekistan still can buy you a lot for a little. But there are also a lot of families that will be happy to host you and show you around and feed you, and not charge you anything. It is just that life is becoming harder here; it’s more about survival now. TO THE AUTHOR: Why was the need to translate a girl’s name Yulduz to “Star”. That’s a bit barbaric.
on December 5th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Maknun, it was not me who translated the ceramics seller girls name into English. It was translated by the author of the post to which i referred in my post. i think Yulduz introduced herself to the tourists as Star, not Yulduz.
on December 7th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
We are the authors of the original piece quoted throughout this post.
The original post provided more detail on both our positive and negative experiences with vendors in Uzbekistan.
To address a number of comments made here:
We understand that life is very difficult for many Uzbeks and we can appreciate people attempting to earn a little more money in order to make a better life. One thing that we’ve learned in our travels is that these types of challenges and pursuits appear to be universal. However, the difference lies in how individuals and communities choose to meet these challenges.
We spent five months traveling through the Caucasus and Central Asia. The reality is that many people throughout the region are struggling to make ends meet (the Svaneti region of Georgia and the Pamirs in Tajikistan particularly come to mind).
Admittedly, tourist rip-off schemes exist just about everywhere there are tourists. However, we couldn’t ignore the pattern or the intensity of the behaviors we were observing in Uzbekistan. When independent travelers we met echoed similar views and rip-off experiences, we knew our experiences were not exceptional, but unfortunately were the norm.
It’s also interesting to note that the people who didn’t attempt to overcharge us - or who literally gave us their lunch - were typically the people who had the least to give. Take for example a vendor at the food market or a young mother running an ice cream stand (item # 6). Ironically, it was the people who possessed or earned more than the average Uzbek (restaurant owners, taxi drivers, etc.) who were most likely to view travelers as walking dollar bills. This particular observation may not come as a surprise. Money begets greed begets money.
The biggest point to take away: behavioral patterns like this do a disservice to the kind and hospitable people who are trying to make an honest living.
And yes, Yulduz introduced herself as “Star” to us. We’re certain that if you called her Star, she would not be offended — particularly if you shared the last paragraph of our original post with her.
on December 7th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
I know Yulduz! She’s a sweet little girl but she has a very feisty attitude. I got mad at her the last time I was there because she was pretty nasty to my family. But her and her friends threw me a surprise birthday party for me once at her mom’s house, which was one of the cutest, most memorable things that’s happened to me.
on December 7th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Audrey and Dan, thank you very much for your comment. Of course, Uzbeks are very hospitable people, and here I agree with you that nasty behaviors of some people cannot be attached to the whole nation.
on December 8th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Wait, I think that’s a different Yulduz in Bukhara, come to think of it.
on December 14th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Wow, I lived for almost 1,5 years in Uzbekistan and never experienced any of what Libertad explained. I have to mention that I do not speak Uzbek and my Russian is limited. I traveled to different tourist cities. Some stories: I went to a restaurant with an Uzbek colleague. Actually he was ripped off, complained and got the money back. This means: Ask and do not pay too much. Money changing: Never had any problems, neither at the bank, in a hotel, at one of the several small bank booths or even on the black market. One other nice story. Last time I was in Tashkent I argued with the cab driver over the price for the ride. It took us 5 minutes to fix the difference of about 5 EUR cent (as a whole the ride was about 35 EUR cent). We drove, he asked and talked and I used hand and feet to explain what I meant. At the end (at about midnight) I actually had to force him to take the fee. He just did not want to accept it.
So, am I naive, lucky or what? I mean, as some of you said, it is important to take care how much you pay. But even in Germany you get ripped off quite a bit. Concerning Uzbek people, yes they are poor and they look for money. But it is not the majority of people in Uzbekistan who rip you off. From my experience the rip offs are those who tourists never even meet (maybe if they pass by a nice ministry or the fabolous palaces in Tashkent), most likely these are police men on Tashkent streets with fake speedometers.
It is disappointing to read such an unreflected piece as Libertads in a blog. I always believed that people who traveled would be more clever than to take the first glance of appearance as the reality.
Cheers.