If you plan to visit Turkey soon, it pays to know what to look out for.
Unsuspecting tourists could fall victim to all sorts of scams, losing thousands of dollars out of pocket.
Fortunately, TikToker has shared five essential travel tips for visitors to the popular travel destination.
The 26-year-old mother is a real jet-setter and has ventured everywhere from Ibiza, Amsterdam and Barcelona to Dubai and Qatar.
Now South African TikToker has turned its attention to Turkey, warning its 172,000 followers to be alert to potential scams.
Aaliya Adam has shared five tips with anyone interested in traveling to Turkey. Her methods can save you a fortune during your vacation
The 26-year-old mother told her followers to be wary of possible scams, such as overpriced taxi rides
Aaliya Adam told her followers that they always had to pay in Turkish lira when they visited the country.
She explained, “There are a lot of scams out there, but when I mean scams, it’s definitely gotten out of hand, like they’re changing prices in front of you and don’t want to take the Turkish lira.”
She explained that many Turkish natives will try to charge you for a significantly higher amount in euros and dollars, and that tourists should stick to paying in lira to avoid confusion.
Another costly trick that tourists fall victim to is taxi rides. She urged her followers not to take an old cab and choose one with a meter to avoid being charged more than necessary.
Aaliya explained, “Make sure you use public transportation or metered taxis, because they can take money out of you.”
She explained that a 5km journey could cost you up to 400 South African Rands (£16.77), when she would normally only pay 25 to 30 Rands (£1.26).
Aaliya also warned her followers never to buy brands in Turkey unless they are “at the mall.”
She said some may think they’re getting a great deal on a Louis Vuitton bag, but it’s actually “all fake.”
She also pointed her followers away from a popular tourist trap, claiming that Istanbul’s largest and oldest covered market, the Grand Bazaar, isn’t actually that cheap.
She said, ‘It’s a tourist spot, so the price is very high. Make sure to hit the inner streets to score some really good bargains.
The last and ‘most important’ thing tourists should be aware of is the language barrier.
Aaliya described this as a “really huge barrier” and suggested overcoming it by using Google Translate for travelers to make themselves understood.
The popular video has been viewed more than 100,000 times and hundreds of TikTokers flocked to the comments to thank her for the advice.
One person said, “Actually, I’ve experienced all of the above.”
Another added: “I totally agree. I am a victim and have been scammed by taxi drivers.’
Meanwhile, others added their own advice, one person saying, “Always check that the metered taxi starts from 0.”
“The Grand Bazaar was ridiculous. I bought everything on the street and it was so cheap