In Reply to: expectations of drivers/guides posted by Jenni C. on Saturday, 10. April 1999 at 13:41 Bali Time:
As with all things in life there are good drivers and not so good drivers. The island of Bali is geared towards pleasing tourists. I travel back and forth quite frequnently from the states and only use one man all the time.
He was a gentleman, I told him what I wanted to buy and he found the greatest deals and best quality.(I am not into purchasing junk) He is not interested in making a commission from shops and is interested in having you have a good experience in his country. It seemed like he had eyes in the back of his head. We drove past some villages and I did see all the things he did. I have never been to an 'outlet' location in Bali and only to the original craft people.
I would stay clear of street corners. Those are the places where the drivers who are looking for the commissions might be.
If in the future you want a recommendation on drivers and guides I would happily pass his name onto you.
Traveling to a 3 or 4th world country is a challenge when we are not use to it. Language barrier and custom barriers can make it difficult.