Pay it Fair

Over beers with a fellow traveller in a Vietnamese coastal town, we ventured into the topic of haggling in developing countries.

My acquaintance shared with me his approach when it came to shopping at markets. In the usual style that we are groomed as travellers, he would barter with the vendor and knock a bit off the original asking price. He would then get out his wallet and hand over the original sum, ultimately tipping the vendor for the banter.

It was refreshing to talk to someone who wasn’t boasting about how much money he was able to save and flaunting his abilities to shave mere cents off an already modest asking price. Time and time again while I’m on the road, I overhear backpackers, holiday-makers, and expats alike batting down prices with local vendors. The desperation in their voice at getting the item a the cheapest possible price makes me cringe.

By getting the cheapest price, don’t they realise that they’re cheapening themselves, and the image we have as visitors?

It is true that haggling is part of the culture and that local vendors will expect travellers to strike up a barter. It is a way to engage. But we can keep it friendly. There is no need to offend. As my…