1. Buying & Bargaining. Shop
owners insist that they are giving a variety of discounts to you and only you.
i.e. the “Pretty Girl” discount,  “First
Customer of the Day” discount, “Last Customer of the Day” discount, etc. You
can easily spot “touters” after getting taken once or twice. Often times, the
hotels and taxi/rickshaw drivers work together and they make commissions at the
shops. Bargaining is a must. If a street vendor tells you 50 rupees for some
bananas and an orange, he probably would have told a local 10 rupees. Never
accept a first offer. Walking away is the best way to get a good deal. If they
want your business, they will call you back over. When riding in rickshaws,
negotiate a price prior to getting in. Bigger cities like Mumbai have rickshaws
with fare meters. Also avoid buying tour packages until you get in country.
Many hotels have travel agencies on-site that can organize great tour packages
for reasonable rates.

2. Saris. Saris range in price from
15 USD to hundreds, even thousands of dollars. When Sari shopping, opt for
something more elaborately decorated if attending a nice function like a
wedding. The more intricate detail the better. Saris can also be extremely
difficult to wrap, so consider asking for help from a local instead of
attempting to do it yourself. Remember, you may only wear it once, but there is
tons of fabric so you can always get a nice sari turned into a fabulous western
style dress or wall tapestry upon return home.

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