| There are some important facts that you should | | | | take me to where I was going - but he only |
| bear in mind before you book an airport transfer. | | | | drove me through some alleys and backstreets - |
| Planning for your taxi transfer ahead of time will | | | | in a bid to justify the exorbitant price of the fare. |
| save you much stress, time and trouble which are | | | | After spending some weeks there, I discovered |
| peculiar to booking transfers. If you are just | | | | that the cabbie had taken those routes to only |
| coming into a foreign country; cabs are not usually | | | | make the journey look as if it was really far. If |
| metered and the drivers usually want the fare to | | | | you were thinking of following your budget; this |
| be paid in advance. What is more? They can have | | | | can be disastrous because it might really reduce |
| very extortionate prices - most times, the | | | | your stay or make you end up in an inferior hotel. |
| journey doesn't take long but the fare is costly. | | | | So you can learn from my experience. You should |
| I have traveled a lot through the continent of | | | | pre-book your airport transfers ahead of time on |
| Asia - I have been to places like Thailand, Laos | | | | the internet to avoid going through what I went. |
| and Vietnam - and I have noticed that the prices | | | | This did not happen to me only; as a matter of |
| paid for getting cabs were up to five times what | | | | fact, it happened some of my friends too. A |
| the drivers charged the locals. If you just arrived | | | | friend of mine in Vietnam ended up in another |
| at a foreign airport looking really exhausted and | | | | part of the town because of the barrier in |
| confused - you can be an easy prey to | | | | communication between him and the cabbie. He |
| unprincipled cabbies who might take advantage of | | | | had already paid the fare and the driver was |
| your situation to harangue you. | | | | reluctant to return the fare. With this being the |
| The disadvantages of not using pre-booked taxis | | | | case; the cabbie dumped him beside Phu My Hung; |
| I am talking from experience as I have suffered | | | | throwing his luggage outside and drove away with |
| the same thing a couple of years back. I can | | | | the money. |
| vividly recollect what took place when I traveled | | | | The lesson to learn here is that not all cabbies |
| from Beijing; the Hon Soi Square, to be precise. | | | | found at the airports are honest. Some of them |
| To my surprise, I almost paid time five what the | | | | are rogues and can easily deceive you; and rob |
| fare should have been; perhaps this was due to | | | | you off your hard-earned money. Booking my |
| my naivity. Most cabbies will furtively move you | | | | airport transfers was the best thing I did to |
| into their taxies and due to your fatigue; you | | | | myself. I am also encouraging you to do the |
| could easily agree to their exorbitant and ridiculous | | | | same as it will save you all the hassles and make |
| fares. Perhaps you really need to get out of the | | | | your trip enjoyable. Pre-booked cabs may seem |
| blazing heat and take a cold bathe. | | | | too costly but, in the long run they are really |
| I have to say that this experience doesn't come | | | | cheaper. |
| really cheap. The cabbie I hired had agreed to | | | | |