In Reply to: same old same old posted by flagdogrose on Wednesday, 22. November 2006 at 16:16 Bali Time:
When I bargain for a room, or anything else that I buy for that matter, it isn't like I haggle them down to the bones of their a*se - a bit of polite bargaining is completely expected and in line with the culture. It isn't 'mean' - it's life in Asia.
And I can tell you for sure that this kind of fair negotiation does win you some respect - more than once I have heard my local friends laughing at a tourist because they have accepted the first price for something and got totally ripped off. They *always* tell me to bargain, or help me out themselves. Generally, I find local advice to be quite valuable.