Destinations › Indonesia › Yogyakarta › Scams
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
8 reported scam patterns travellers run into in Yogyakarta, what they look like, and how to sidestep them.
Becak and taxi drivers offering a very low fare on the understanding that the route includes commission-paying shops, with the ride extended until a purchase is made.
Screen-printed and stamped batik sold as batik tulis, which takes weeks to produce and is priced accordingly.
The batik diversion: a friendly local reports that a site is closed or that an exhibition ends today, and steers the visitor to a gallery selling printed cloth as hand-drawn batik at hand-drawn prices.
Borobudur upper-terrace access sold by third parties when it is capped, booked separately and not included in the general ticket.
Bag and phone theft along Malioboro in the evening crowds.
Airport and station taxis refusing the meter and quoting fixed fares above the app equivalent.
Merapi jeep and sunrise tours sold at hotels that are downgraded on the day, or that omit the entry fees.
Police stops of foreign scooter riders without an international permit, resolved by an on-the-spot payment.
