Spice garden on the Matale road real or commission scam
4 Answers from travellers
Healthy suspicion. The Matale "spice garden" strip is notorious: drivers receive a commission for bringing tourists in, the "free" guided tour is genuine for the first 15 minutes (cinnamon trees, cardamom, vanilla, real and informative), and then you are taken into a shop where the sales pressure is intense and prices for the herbal balms, hair oils and "cure-all" products are several times normal retail. It is not a robbery, but it is engineered to extract money. If you are curious, enjoy the tour, learn about the spices, and walk out empty-handed; you owe nothing. If you do want spices, buy them in a Cargills or Keells supermarket, or a market in Kandy, at a fraction of the price.
Telling the driver no shopping stops tomorrow morning. Thank you for the heads up.
Same applies to many "gem museums" on the Kandy/Ratnapura road and to some "batik factories", they pay drivers a commission. You can say "no shop, just temples and the road" to your driver and a good one will respect that.
I told my driver upfront "no shopping stops" and he was fine. Some drivers even appreciate the honesty since it lets them just drive.
Scam Watch: kandy
TukTuk or tour drivers take you to "gem museums" or "government-certified" gem shops. They receive huge commissions (up to 40%) on anything you buy. Prices are inflated 3-10x the actual value.
Men approach tourists near Temple of the Tooth offering to be guides. After the tour, they demand large "donations" or guide fees (5000-10000 LKR).
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