In Reply to: JBR 4 Kintamani, Besakih, Sideman, P.Bai posted by juba anne on Thursday, 15. February 2007 at 22:15 Bali Time:
I had an unpleasant experience with guides..We paid twice to get in, then parked and the driver went to ask how much to actually enter the temple and he was told $20 US. He said is too expensive, and I didn't have that much anyway. He said he thought you could negotiate or try to enter yourself.
I tried to go in but they stopped me, even though I showed them that I had a ticket. I said I would pay 50,000rp but they wouldn't accept it. It was just myself and my daughter and maybe they thought I was an easy target because they where very pushy and got quiet upset when I walked away.
I tried to enter again and they all ran up along side of me. In the end one stuck with me and I told him what I would pay and he said ok and apologised for their behaviour. He was a good guide, a gentle man, but still asked at the end for a bit more... I paid 5,000 rup more but felt a bit hurt because we had a bargain before we started and I genuinely had very little money. They just don't seem to understand that this is such a turn off for tourists.