Travel Tips

How to Avoid Scams Traveling in Asia

How to Avoid Scams Traveling in Asia

Last updated: October 26, 2026. This update narrows selected safety, payment, and booking guidance to the destinations and platforms discussed; the family’s 2019 itinerary and experiences remain historical. Date information added October 28, 2026.

Family travel lessons first published July 14, 2019. The stories below come from our family’s first seven-and-a-half-month trip around Asia. The itinerary, quoted amounts and personal impressions belong to that trip. The practical guidance has been clarified to avoid treating one family’s experience as a rule for a whole continent; check your specific destination and booking terms before traveling.

Originally linked 7Wayfinders film: Things To Know Before You Travel To ASIA!

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Opinions shared are my own, and I only endorse products I support. By clicking on any of the links below, I may get a small commission if you purchase at absolutely no additional charge to you. I appreciate your support.*

We are wrapping up our time in Asia this week.  I can hardly believe it!  When we set out for our first Asia experience 7 1/2 months ago, it seemed like we would occupy this section of the globe forever. During my time here I have learned so much and written so much about my new knowledge. In this post, I’m sharing a few travel-scam experiences and lessons from our family’s trip.

Our Asia itinerary:

Bali, Indonesia

Singapore

Hong Kong

Taipei, Taiwan

Bangkok, Thailand

Krabi, Thailand

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Ha Long and Hanoi, Vietnam

China Tour: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai

Osaka, Japan

Tokyo, Japan

There are still SO many places I would love to see and visit in Asia, but for now we are off to Europe.

How to avoid travel scams: lessons from our trip

We all bear horror stories, and I was nervous to come. 

We’ve been very blessed not to deal with many scams on that trip, but a few stood out. These are practical reminders based on our experience, not a guide to every destination in Asia.

1. Cash and change. During our trip, there were times when a business did not take the payment method we offered, so we carried local cash too. Payment options vary by country and business. When paying in cash, take a moment to count the change before leaving; we learned that lesson the hard way.

The biggest one is change back when you make a transaction. We’ve been shorted many times, sometimes just a few dollars or cents and once, in Vietnam, a lot of money (about $50). When you are dealing with many currencies and conversions, it’s difficult to keep track!

Here’s what happened to us in Vietnam: The currency had many zeros, and converting prices on the spot was difficult for us. This is a lot to keep track of when you are dealing with thousands.

When we went to pay for dinner, they really were chatting us up, making jokes (a big group of waitresses and a manager) and moving things around. They even made a move for Chris’ wallet, which we quickly grabbed. When they gave us change, they ended up giving us 1000 bills instead of the 10,000 bills we were owed. We just saw the zeros and about the right number of bills and though we were good. When we went to the night market after and realized we had a lot less than we thought, we realized what all the fuss was about at the register and our stomachs dropped. How sad to do that to people!

2. Transportation. We had a few confusing transportation experiences, including disagreements about fares and being dropped at a different beach than the one we requested. Here are the steps that helped us plan rides on that trip:

• Before a ride, ask your lodging host or another reliable local source what a typical fare might be, if they can advise. It gave us a starting point for questions about airport and local rides; fares and transport options vary by location.
• Ask how the fare will be calculated. In some places we were offered a set fare, while in others a meter was available. A quoted fare is not automatically more expensive than a metered fare; compare the options where possible, confirm the destination, and choose a ride you are comfortable taking. If you are unsure, look for an authorized taxi stand or another locally recommended option.
• Confirm payment timing and the pickup plan. On our trip, we preferred to pay after reaching the destination when that arrangement was possible. We’ve had drivers not be there after we returned from seeing an attraction, and boat drivers drop us at different beaches than we asked for. Payment practices differ, so agree on the amount, timing, destination, and return plan before setting off.
• Use a clearly identified ride. At airports, use the official taxi queue or another option recommended by the airport or local authority, and check the vehicle and driver details when your app provides them. Licensing and ride-hailing rules differ by location, so do not assume the same rule applies in every country. Confirm the driver’s name and vehicle details before getting in.
• When we arranged a driver in Bali and Bangkok, we compared quotes for the route or day and checked whether an app ride was an option for some segments. App availability and fare options change by place, so check what is operating at your destination.

3. Accommodations. We’ve had very little problem with our accommodations. Airbnb describes AirCover as support for certain serious booking issues under its stated process and conditions; it is not a promise that every problem will be covered. Check the listing and reservation terms before booking. I also shared our family’s long-stay rental experience in my post on Airbnb’s here!

• Before booking, read the cancellation terms attached to that reservation. Change and cancellation options depend on the listing and reservation policy.
• Pictures can be deceiving! A place may look a lot nicer than it is. Likewise, a place may be a lot nicer than it looks. I always read comments to get a good vibe on the place and the host.
• Check the location before booking. Review the map and available listing details to understand the neighborhood and nearby transit or roads. If you need more information, ask the host what location details they can share before you book.

When staying in a hotel:

1. Review the total price and any taxes, fees, or deposits shown before booking; the breakdown and local charges can vary.
2. Check the laundry cost before using hotel service; we’ve spent a fortune on laundry. When it was practical, we asked locally or looked for a nearby laundry option.
3. Don’t use the mini bar and make sure your kids know they aren’t free snacks?
4. We often looked for meals outside the hotel to suit our budget, but prices and convenience depended on where we were staying.
5. Compare the total cost of room service with any delivery options available where you are staying, including fees and delivery charges.

4. Tours and experiences. Tour options, guide credentials, inclusions, and prices vary by destination and provider. On our trip, we sometimes arranged outings through drivers as well as through online listings, so we learned to clarify what was included before agreeing.

1. Confirm the itinerary before you set out. On our trip, some outings included or proposed shopping stops we had not expected. If you do not want extra stops, say so before agreeing and ask whether any stops are part of the route or booking.
2. Compare what is included before booking. Airbnb experiences worked well for us on that trip, though I did not consider them the cheapest option. Compare the current price, inclusions, cancellation terms, and any extra stops across options; costs and availability can change.
3. At an attraction advertised as free, ask whether a guide is optional and what it costs before accepting. Whether a guide is useful depends on the place and your plans.
4. Check the official entrance-fee information when it is available. In Bali we visited a waterfall. Some guys in the parking lot tried to charge us about $15 to get into the waterfall and said it “goes to the local schools”. When we pushed back and our friend checked online, we understood the entrance fee inside the gates to be about $2 at that time. We could not verify where the parking-lot payment would have gone, so that was our suspicion, not a confirmed fact.

These are our personal impressions from the places we visited on that trip, not a safety assessment of Asia as a whole:

• On our itinerary, we felt INCREDIBLY safe. I personally felt safer in the places we visited than I usually feel in NYC or San Francisco. That is my impression from our trip, not a guarantee about walking at night or using public transportation in every place.
• We were careless with our belongings at times, and felt they had been safe on that trip. That was our experience; theft risks vary by destination and situation, so we would not use our luck as a reason to stop taking normal care.
• Many people we met were kind and helpful, and those interactions shaped how we remember the trip. That is our experience with the people we encountered, not a claim about everyone in a region.

By NO means let any of these scare you away from visiting Asia! I hesitate to even write this for fear it will feed fear. Instead, use this power to enjoy your next trip to this part of the world.

For current planning, check the U.S. Department of State advisory for your destination and its local guidance; advisory information is destination-specific and intended for U.S. travelers. For health preparation, use the CDC destination travel information and discuss your own itinerary with a qualified clinician when needed. If booking on Airbnb, review its current AirCover terms and keep booking and payment on the platform under its current policy.

All the best,

Leslie

Additional Reading

DIY Travel First-Aid Kit

How to Book a Long Term Airbnb or Travel Home

The Technology We Travel With: Tech Packing List