If you travel for long enough, you will probably discover that not all journeys are beautiful or meaningful.
The intrepid traveller is also likely to find that the roads towards famous destinations are normally paved with tourist traps set up to take as much tourist money as possible, some how, some way.
Tourist traps have different forms, but one of the most common ways of being caught is through shopping.
You are a new face to the place, with very limited time and chances to find stuff at a reasonable price. There is therefore no reason why merchants have to offer tourists goods at reasonable prices.
In many well-known destinations in Asia, merchants prefer to withhold the actual price of a product in favour of encouraging customers to barter. They know that tourists come from different places and that, if they are lucky enough, those from wealthy countries may find their stuff very cheap. It is often only when people get home or talk to other tourists that they discover they have been overcharged.
The Lao and Thai language are quite similar. Whenever I am in Laos, therefore, it is very convenient to be able to bargain for prices in Thai. Before the country's arrival of mass tourism, I could buy stuff at the local price. Local Lao beer, for example, was priced at only 20 baht per bottle.
But when merchants realised tourists' purchasing power, a tourist price policy was widely applied. Now, if I ask for local beer in a Thai accent, the price suddenly becomes 30 baht. A trick I use to buy drinks at the same price as locals is that I just hand the money to the shopkeeper. If they assume that I am a local, I get the local price.
You cannot use such tricks in Vietnam, however, particularly in the northern border town of Sapa, where merchants of all ages approach you all the time.
Sapa is home to many different groups of ethnic minorities, all of which are ready to approach you and offer souvenirs whenever you make eye contact. If you show no interest, they will offer discounts, following your every step until closing the deal.
Ethnic merchants in Sapa always tend to come in big groups. If you buy from the first one, others will follow. The latter ones who approach you always offer the biggest and most tempting discount. It is then that you learn how expensive the first piece you bought was.
In and around popular tourist attractions in Thailand, many souvenir shops and retailers also use the double price policy.
I once visited a shop that had merchandise available at two prices. The high price was for foreigners.
The staff taught me how to read the other price, which was a combination of letters and numbers.
At first, I was glad to buy things at
a cheaper price.
My second thought, however, was how furious tourists would be if they knew about this.
Some merchants not only set foreign prices, but also amend according to the look of the customer. If the customer is dressed well, be prepared for a surprising price.
Some tricky merchants know that the double price plan may not work, so they set the same price policy but for different products.
On a recent trip to Hua Hin, I noticed that a merchant had put a hundred limes in one bag and offered it at a very attractive price.
His business went well until one day a customer noticed that there were only 80 limes in the bag. When the customer returned for clarification, the merchant didn't say a word, but instead handed over a new bag with a 100 limes inside.
Personally, I prefer destinations that are not all that well-known.
The locals tend to be more generous and helpful compared to the ones that live and work near the more popular attractions.
Some find these merchants annoying and believe they ruin the holiday, but some find it
a good chance to practise the art of bartering.
For me, the quality of merchants almost always mirrors the quality of a particular destination or attraction.
Peerawat Jariyasombat is a travel writer for the Life section of the Bangkok Post.