Туроператор-мошенник в Мекеле, Эфиопия (тур в Данакильскую впадину)

[Mikhail Goldovskiy]

Публикую ссылку на текст, который я написал о данном операторе (его имя Хайлу Абраха) по-английски на форуме Lonely Planet: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2194496 Если вкратце, то суть мошенничества заключалась в отказе ехать до Эрта Але, мотивируя это непреодолимым разливом воды из-за дождей, хотя перед началом поездки оператор утверждал, что проедем в любой ситуации. О дождях и разливе оператор скорее всего знал заранее, также виденные препятствия не выглядели непреодолимыми на внедорожнике. В итоге, мы были вынуждены заплатить 3/4 от стоимости 4-дневного тура к вулкану и на Даллол, посетив только последний. По ссылке на форуме Lonely Planet открываются фотографии данного туроператора и разливов воды, а также видео переговоров с ним (часто вел себя неадекватно, переходя на крик).

[pups]

В общем, форум - не место свдения счётов, кто там "пальто украл".
Не думайте, что тиражирование Вашей истории на всех возможных форумах ,так уж туроператору проблем доставит.
Обычная тёрка, ну пусть висит, может кому-то интересно.

[Mikhail Goldovskiy]

To pups:
Это не сведение счетов, а информация о факте жульничества. Как явствует из текста, данный оператор поступил нечестно, вел себя, мягко говоря, недружелюбно по отношению к клиентам (до истории про визу и попытку отправить меня в полицию Вы дочитали?), и мне хотелось бы о нем предупредить, чтобы другие люди не попали в ту же ловушку.

[unix]

To pups:
Это не сведение счетов, а информация о факте жульничества. Как явствует из текста, данный оператор поступил нечестно, вел себя, мягко говоря, недружелюбно по отношению к клиентам (до истории про визу и попытку отправить меня в полицию Вы дочитали?), и мне хотелось бы о нем предупредить, чтобы другие люди не попали в ту же ловушку.

Mikhail Goldovskiy
На самом деле ценная и полезная инфа для тех кто соберется поехать на вулканы из Мекеле.
Вы просто молодец что не постеснялись рассказать об этой гнилой конторе, спасибо.

[Русотур]

Я ездил с гидом с таким же именем: Хайлу. Фамилии не знаю. Если найду фото его, выложу. Лонька не открывается. Самому интересно.

[Mikhail Goldovskiy]

Форум Thorntree, как они сообщают, закрыт на модерацию на период рождественских и новогодних каникул.

[Русотур]

Вот он слева.

[Mikhail Goldovskiy]

Может быть и он, комплекция та же. Будет, наверное, скоро еще фотография.

[Русотур]

Он не молодой, лет сорок. Рост примерно 165 см. Судя по общению, давно работает гидом.
Хотя у нас было все нормально. Конечно хотел нас развести по мелочи (типа заплати за ночлег или остановку в хижине по дороге на Эрта-Але), но мы пресекали эти поползновения в корне: не хотели заходить в хижины, располагались где-нибудь в тени или ночь провели под открытым небом. Постоянно хотел схалтурить: не показать добычу соли или нефтяные озера вокруг Далола. А в последний день, за то что мы приехали на день раньше, обещал отвезти в аэропорт. Ответ знаете сами. Но мы были к этому готовы, взяли такси.
И еще из разводилова: настаивал, чтобы мы купили по 5 литров в день на человека. Но мы взяли по 3 и нам хватило, даже на душ, даже осталось. Так я понял потом, увидя бутылки воды в их офисе, что это их бонус: вода стоит ок. 1$/бутылка.

[Mikhail Goldovskiy]

Вот он:



Форум Lonely planet на днях должен заработать полностью, а ниже ссылка на альбом с фото и видео разговоров с этим персонажем:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/goldovski/sets/72157629971170592

[Mikhail Goldovskiy]

Вот текст, который висит на форуме Лоньки:

Danakil tour fraud – beware of Mekele tour operator Hailu Abraha or Abreha

This operator was mentioned to me by Tigray Tourism Commission in Mekele and is also recommended in the Bradt travel guide to Ethiopia (уже убрали)

The essence of the fraud consisted in offering tourists a 4-days itinerary including Erta Ale volcano and Dallol, insuring that Erta Ale could be definitely reached by any weather, but finally refusing to go to Erta Ale because of small muddy stretches close to Hamad Ela, looking easily crossable by a 4WD car we had. We were forced to stay for the 3rd day and pay ¾ of the price of this expensive trip, on which we agreed to go first of all because of the Erta Ale. We ended up paying a whopping amount of 480$ instead of agreed 640$ per person, visiting only Dallol. The mentioned tour operator behaved himself extremely rude, often shouting at us, refusing discussions and even refusing to stop driving after cancelling the trip to Erta Ale. He also categorically rejected to show his documents. Details are following.

I contacted several travel agencies in Mekele by phone and e-mail before I came there – GK Ahadu and Ethio Travel and Tours (ETT), wanting to join a group to go to Erta Ale and Dallol. Both companies finally didn’t have groups to join. When trying to find contacts of ETT, I called the Tigray Tourism Commission and communicated with Mr. Kebede, the director. He mentioned the operator Hailu, specializing in Danakil Depression tours. In the hotel I met 2 other travellers, wishing to go on a Danakil Depression tour, Magda and Karsha from Poland. We arranged a meeting with Hailu to discuss his tour program.

He offered a standard 4-days tour (1st day driving to Hamad Ela and overnighting there, 2nd day driving to Erta Ale with a night spent on the volcano, 3rd day driving back to Hamad Ela and 4th day visiting the Dallol depression and driving back to Mekele. We agreed on the total price of 33500 birr for 3 of us for this itinerary. We asked, what would be, if Erta Ale couldn’t be reached (I read on this forum that it sometimes happens). Hailu’s reply was, that in this case he will refund us the services not used, like food, guards and cook’s salaries etc., without indication of the exact amount, but underlined that we shall reach Erta Ale in any case - even if the main route is flooded, he knows another one. And if attempts on the 2nd day will not be successful, we’ll go through on the 3rd day, as the flooded areas dry up quickly. He was not going to take a local guide for the Erta Ale trip, because he himself knew the area very well, as he said.

The next day we started to Hamad Ela, having paid Hailu on his request ¾ of the total amount. The second day in the morning we started to Erta Ale. Hailu told that possibly we’ll need to return, because in the night there were heavy rains in the highlands, and the track is flooded. We met a few cars, Hailu discussed with drivers the situation and translated, that the cars couldn’t pass. He offered to return, but we insisted to go ahead and see the situation. Soon we arrived at the place where the track ended in the water, and the water was covering a big area. Hailu refused to try to go ahead, saying that this is a very big flood, “he is not the first time here”, “we cannot pay if he breaks his car”, and this area needs between 1 and 2 weeks to dry up. No word about the “second route”.

We reminded him about it, and he told that it is also flooded, and we “don’t need to waste time for discussions and shall proceed to another points of the program” instead. We insisted to stop and discuss the options. It was 9:30 am. We offered him to drive to the Dallol depression, which is in about an hour drive from that place, visit it and go to Mekele the same day, to pay just for 2 days if we cannot reach Erta Ale – the main reason for us to go on this trip. In the 1st day we reached Hamad Ela in about 6 hours including an hour for a lunch stop, so it was possible to reach Mekele the same day. Hailu’s answer was, that he will not drive after 5 pm, because his insurance doesn’t cover this, and that’s why a 3rd day is needed! And, he said, we agreed on a minimum of 3 days. We told that we don’t remember this point of the agreement, and he said, we were drinking beer when discussing, and that’s why we don’t remember. He refused to refund the cost of the petrol for a 200 km long trip to Erta Ale and back, camels needed to be rented there to bring bags and food to the crater rim and guards. He said that we already paid for 3 days, and for the 4th we don’t need to pay, that is his refund.

We insisted that he will try the “second route”, and then began to drive around the flooded plain, asking people about the tracks. As I mentioned above, he had not taken a local guide on the trip to Erta Ale. After 20 minutes Hailu has seen in a 100 m distance that the track was crossed by several small streams. He stopped and said these streams are impassable. I wanted to come closer, descended and the cook Yatem followed me, already saying that the way is impassable when he saw semi-dry pieces of mud 2 cm thick, covering the dry ground. We stepped over a few 0,5 to 1 m broad streams and finally arrived at one 5 m broad. Hailu sat in the car all this time, but agreed to drive closer to the streams. When we reached the first 0,5 m stream, he stopped again, shouting “I cannot drive this road, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t”, “to say something to the government no problem for me, they will tell you to go back”, “if you ask any tour operator, they cannot pass if there is water here” and “we have discussed this many times, many times, many times”. It was evident, that he just doesn’t want to Erta Ale, because a 3-days itinerary is much easier and more profitable for him. I have taken photos of the streams and we began to record his speeches (he has prohibited to take his photos, but we already had some).

We returned to Hamad Ela, Hailu promised to repeat the attempts to reach Erta Ale the next day. In the afternoon we visited the Dallol Depression. In the evening we asked again about the plans for the next day, and were told about weather forecast promising new rains, him having contacted the government and receiving reply that the way is impassable. I asked him to show his ID-card, what he fiercely refused, adding “and don’t talk too much to me”.

There is even a bit more spice in the story. At night I came out of our hut with a flashlight, Hailu sleeping outside suddenly awoke shouting “police, police, he wanted to kill me!” The next morning he tried to persuade the police in Berhale to believe in his stories and arrest me - the police didn’t believe.

In the morning we talked to him again to record his replies. He was evidently nervous, spinning car keys in the hands.
Karsha: yesterday it was possible to get information about the weather, and 3 days ago not? Hailu: where, where 3 days ago?
K.: before starting the trip.
H.: Never and ever, I was telling you at that time. This is not a seasonal rain.
K.: But I’m asking a question: yesterday it was possible to get information about the rain, and 3 days ago no?
H: Yes!
K: Why didn’t you get the information?
H: At that time I tell you, there is not rain, but this one – I am not a god, this one is weatheral, allweatheral rain, this is accident, not reality. If there is not a river and there is not full of water, I can drive safely. But how can I drive? They know very well, and I have supporters, they can support us together.
K: But why we can’t try?
H: I don’t want to try. For what purpose? I don’t want to try.
K: But why?
H: I don’t want to try.
K: We paid you for this.
H: Even so, even so. You rent the car, you are not buy the car, you are not buy the car, you rent the car, and you finish your, you finished everything. And your passport is up to 26 (visa, 26th of April), you are not legally. I tell you in front of them, you are not legally, your passport is up to 26, yes, you are not legally. And yesterday you are coming to kill me when I asleep. There is a policemens. Now we are going to a police station.

We went to Berhale, where he tried to negotiate with the police (he also tried to gamble with my visas, I had 2, one of which expired a day before - but on the next page was an extended one - which, he was saying “is not a visa”), and then brought us to the Afar Tourism commission. Despite our requests, the commissioner Mohammed was not able to persuade Hailu to show his documents and also refused to give us a copy of our travel permit to the Afar region, where Hailu’s full name was stated. He said, he needs to send all the papers to Semera. On request of the commissioner and after a brief discussion between the both in Afar Hailu told, that his family name would be Tadesse (we found him later in the Bradt guide with his actual phone number as Hailu Abreha). The commissioner didn’t want to respond anything to our money claims and the situation with forcing us to stay the 3rd day.

We complained that it was impossible to discuss anything with Hailu because he didn’t want to respond to our complaints, and shouting was often his only argument. Then Hailu told Mohammed that we were drinking alcohol and after that “talked too much”.
Mohammed made a display of discontent with Hailu’s behavior, saying in English that he “shall not come here anymore” and then the conversation continued in Afar. At the end the commissioner underlined, that the trip to Erta Ale was cancelled because of the rains, that going there now is impossible and dangerous, but after 4 days we can repeat the trip, and he is going to issue a free travel permit to the region. He wrote some sentences in Amharic on our permit, stamped it with a big round official stamp, put the permit in his folder and closed it. It was pretty evident, that the guide and the commissioner know each other well and play together.

Finally he brought us to Mekele, said that we shall meet in the morning to go to the Tigray Tourism commission (without time indication), and disappeared.

We tried to contact the director of the commission Mr. Kebede on the phone the next day (Saturday, the commission doesn’t work over weekend) to talk about our trip and Hailu’s behavior and show him videos we have recorded. He didn’t seem to be surprised with the information about our tour, told he is not in town and offered to meet the next day – but my plans were to leave the town the same day, and Magda and Karsha were leaving on Sunday early in the morning. We were surprised to find also, that Hailu’s phone number (0914-720510) is indicated in the Bradt travel guide to Ethiopia. He has another one as well, 0910-218203. His car number is AA 62984, an old Toyota Landcruiser.

[Русотур]

Да, это он самый! Выложу ссылку там, где идет обсуждение поездок на Эрта-Але!

[Iou]

Михаил, когда это было? Даты?

[Mikhail Goldovskiy]

Это было почти год назад, в апреле 2012. Знакомому, который ездил недавно на Эрта Але, сказали, что данный человек больше не возит туристов на Эрта Але, только на Даллол (хотя было бы клево, если бы вообще не возил).

[Русотур]

Мы ездили январь 2010. Он на тот момент был на вулкане раз 20-30. Знал всех местных (афаров). Его нам посоветовали в туристической информации аэропорта Мекеле. Т.е. богатая клиентура.

[Mikhail Goldovskiy]

Мы тоже заметили, что он со многими знаком в Берхале и следующей деревне, недалеко от Даллол. Здоровался буквально с каждым проезжающим. Рекомендацию я получил по телефону от директора бюро по туризму Тиграй (в Мекеле), а директор бюро в Берхале его покрывал, когда мы возвращались и пытались получить объяснения по поводу срыва программы.

[Iou]

Хорошо, а другие туристы, на других машинах, от других фирм смогли проехать в эти же дни к вулкану? Вы не в курсе?

[Mikhail Goldovskiy]

В Хамад-Эла говорили, что смогли.

[Русотур]

В Хамад-Эла говорили, что смогли.

Может он кому-то там у вулкана что-либо не доплатил. Там несколько кланов, каждый хочет иметь свой кусок. Поэтому сейчас не ездит туда, только на Далол.

[Shopen]

Я считаю, что о таких мягко сказать недобросовестных местных гидах нужно писать, т.к. земля слухами полниться.
И в следующий раз с таким челом никто иметь дело не будет, ну или по крайней мере он лишиться значительной части клиентов.