THE HAWAII & ASIA SERIES PT10
KATHMANDU – COLOMBO
I’ll be honest here, I was never really excited about Sri Lanka until I was in Asia and started looking into it as a possible destination. But all that was about to change.
HE WAS FILLING IN HIS OWN DONATION AMOUNTS!
I’ll be honest here, I was never really excited about Sri Lanka until I was in Asia and started looking into it as a possible destination. But all that was about to change.
WHERE IS COLOMBO, SRI LANKA?
A smart deaf & dumb scam in Colombo
KATHMANDU, NEPAL
RESEARCH
After chatting to her, it was clear I needed to visit, so I did my usual research and worked out where I needed to go and booked the tickets there and then! For a relatively small country, there’s a lot to do, and each area offers something completely different. However, as I’m a bit of a beach bum and adventurist, I decided to stick to the south.
COLOMBO
After a night in Colombo staying at the impressive Bunkyard Hostel, I made for the train station, where I would be heading through Kandy and to Nallathanniya. However, before all this, I encountered another “helpful local” keen to show me to my seat. That was until he turned around and gave me a piece of paper with 10 or so names of foreign travellers. The local told me to take my seat and then implied he was deaf and dumb and handed me a piece of paper. I knew immediately where this was going.
A smart deaf & dumb scam in Colombo
SCAM
The page had 10 or so names of foreign travellers, all from different countries, and with a large denomination beside each. It didn’t take long for me to figure this out, and I gave out a little chuckle, but I was happy to give him a small tip. However, when he asked me to write my name, he completely gave the game away and pointed out to me not to write down my donation. He has clearly been filling in these numbers himself, so people are inclined to give a bigger tip!
A smart deaf & dumb scam in Colombo
Insider Tips For Visiting Colombo
After some time in Colombo, here are a few tips I picked up:
- Be cautious of “helpful locals” at train stations. They may expect money.
- Watch out for fake donation sheets with pre-filled high amounts.
- Never feel pressured to match others’ donations” on a list.
- If someone claims to be deaf/mute, stay polite but don’t engage financially.
- Keep small change separately to avoid overpaying in such situations.
- Trust your instincts if something feels off, it usually is.
- Avoid sharing personal details (like your name) in suspicious situations.
- Stay alert in busy areas like stations and tourist hubs.
- Do quick research on common scams before arriving.
- If you want to tip, decide your amount independently, not based on pressure.
NEXT UP
The start of the best train ride in the world? Click to read.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
97/229
This post is part of The Hawaii & Asia Series, click to explore or for episode 1 click here.
Question Time
- Have you ever been scammed?
- Where was it and what happened?
Let me know in the comments below . . .
