In Reply to: Don't tip posted by Tips no more on Sunday, 4. April 1999 at 02:20 Bali Time:
What a crock! Man are you off-base (and I am being polite)I have NEVER read such stupid comments on this forum, ever. What do you think these "beautiful people with a wonderful culture" live on? Suck on stones? They need money to survive, like you and me. Why should you increase the tipping? I don't think you have noticed, but since about 1 & 1/2 year, when the Rps was devalued, the cost of living for the Balinese has gone up tremendously. In 1998, the inflation was 100%!!! The salaries have been FROZEN by government edict. The Bali you know IS commercialised to the hilt.
What I still cannot comprehend, even after all these years, is how people like you, coming to Bali as tourists, paying the equivalent of SEVERAL yearly salaries just in airfare, object to leaving few more Rps as tips to people serving them (Probably better than back home) who make Rps100,000 - 150,000 per months (US15. - 20)