Many Indian travellers who are willing to travel abroad at affordable prices often prefer destinations like Vietnam, Sri Lanka, or Kazakhstan. Located in Central Asia, Kazakhstan is a prime destination for people looking for a relatively cheap international gateway to experience rich history and stunning landscapes. The nation also offers visa-free travel to Indian citizens.
Despite being a favourable destination for Indian globetrotters, many people are prone to scams related to hotel or taxi services there. Hence, travelling with caution in the country is mandatory, especially if a person travels solo. Recently, an Indian traveller shared her experience of being scammed by a taxi driver in Kazakhstan.
In her latest Instagram video, Indian vlogger Komal Maheshwari claimed she had to pay nearly ₹5,000 to reach her hotel from the airport. In two videos, Maheshwari shared her experience of a Kazakhstan trip and a taxi scam.
In her first video, Maheshwari revealed how her plan to get a local SIM card went awry when she found no SIM kiosk inside the airport. She also expressed her surprise over finding the airport partially empty. As she moved outside the airport, she found a person who pretended to be an authorised taxi driver. The man offered to take her and her travel partner to the hotel for 1,000 tenge (equal to ₹173).
In her video, Maheshwari mentioned several red flags, which she ignored and continued her taxi ride. The vlogger claimed that on reaching the taxi, she found another passenger already seated inside the car. She was told that the passenger was the driver's business partner. As Maheshwari and her travel partner continued their ride, they found that there was a child lock in the backseat.
In the second video, Komal shared that the taxi driver demanded 77,000 Tenge (approximately ₹13,000) for the ride. Earlier, the taxi driver had provided an estimated fare of 1,000 tenge for the same distance.
The driver allegedly got aggressive when the duo refused to pay such a high amount and even tried to negotiate. Ultimately, they had to pay 30,000 Tenge (nearly ₹5,500) for the ride.
