They say that travel is only glamorous in retrospect and there are when your journey can seem like a constant test of your ability to detect lies. In certain parts of the world, unscrupulous people seem to thrive on the naivety and trusting nature of travellers. Taxi drivers and market vendors have told me some whoppers but I often find that touts are the ones who are most likely to try it on.
Are you familiar with these characters? They are the ones that lurk around bus and train stations waiting to pounce on anyone who looks remotely like a tourist needing a place to stay or a guided tour somewhere. Now please don't get me wrong, they aren't all bad people. Many of them are pleasant, polite and totally honest. They deserve respect and I've often been happy for them to show me to the guesthouse or hotel that they represent. But the tricks that some of them try though is quite extraordinary.
When I arrive at a new destination, I always like to have made an accommodation selection from my guidebook. That way, you have a price and location to make a comparison with. It's when you mention this preference that the lies can start. I think I've just about heard them all but I'm sure they are always working on new ones! The most common one is that 'it's closed' or 'now out of business'. This is closely followed by things like 'it's dirty' or 'it has cockroaches' or I've even heard 'the toilets don't work and very smelly'.
The particular story doesn't matter so much; it's about putting doubt into your mind and reconsidering your options. Sometimes it will be a general observation such as 'that's a bad area of town' or 'they are doing construction and very noisy' but I've also heard disparaging comments about other hotel owners or their family. I find these personal statements to be especially disappointing and a genuine motivation to avoid what they are trying to offer me.
So how do you know who's telling the truth? One way to try is to asking someone else but I don't recommend asking another tout because they may be as crooked as each other! If you are using a new guidebook then it's improbable that a negative comment you've been told is correct. Things do change but just not that quickly. Sometimes body language gives it away; if someone can't look you in the eye when they're talking to you there's a good chance they are lying. Asking them how they know certain things can also give you a good clue.
So be wary of the tricks that touts use to try and secure your business but don't be presumptuous. Assuming they are going to be dishonest is unfair on them and it may also prevent you getting a genuinely good place to stay. In Cambodia I stayed in the best value guesthouse of my entire trip shown to me by an honest tout who was part of a family run business. The same thing happened again in Sri Lanka so it can depend on the part of the world you are in.
In Morocco I was told in broken English by a tout that my chosen guesthouse was 'gone...finished'. I looked at him cynically and told him I'd check that for myself. After walking a few minutes with me, we arrived at the address and both stood looking at a pile of rubble on a vacant lot! I checked my guidebook and the street signs and realised that yes, it was well and truly finished! This honest fellow then took me around the corner to a nice little hotel where he duly collected his commission.
So the upshot is that touts can be useful, especially if it's getting late at night or you don't have any other options. They can be tiring and there'll be occasions when you simply don't have the time, patience or any need for them. But if you can be open minded and ask them a few questions you may find yourself with a great place to stay. Just be wary of lies and deceit, especially in a place where people are tripping over each other for your business. Trust your instincts and if you feel you're being told porkies it's time to just walk away.
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