 
Knowing how to bargain in Gambia are skills which are a way of life and are indispensable when buying goods from
roadside or market vendors so be prepared to haggle hard over their
asking prices. Below are some useful bargaining tips you should
learn:
 If
you see something you want to buy start by saying "Nyatta La" which
"means how much is it" in Wolof, and
if you are a man shake hands first before bargaining can commence. This will often please the seller
and make him more amiable towards as well as reduce his intended
asking price as he will feel you know a bit about local costs already.
As soon as he tells you the cost reply "Daffa
seerr" which means "it's too expensive"
and follow this with "Wanyi Ko" which
means "reduce the price". Be good
humoured and jovial in your negotiations as this helps break the ice. If you are
pressed for time then ask him "what is your last-price" (commonly
done) and if it is anything above 2/3 of the original cost then walk
away with a smile.
Try not to look like a tourist if you want to stand any chance of
getting a bargain particularly in the Kololi and
Kotu resorts. Shopkeepers can often easily spot you
out from
those that live in Gambia. A few things you
can do is to hide you money or belt bag, stride confidently but not
too quickly as this is a sure sign you are from Europe or America.
Never pay the asking price from a
street
 vendor or goods shop. This is not Europe where they tend to be fixed and even if you feel that the
item is reasonably priced ask for it to be lowered.
Never make an offer first. You may
think that it would be a bargain when in fact you are
paying over the odds.
Shop vendors and street hawkers will nearly
 always ask a tourist to
pay more than he or she would for the locals as locals are into haggling
very hard indeed and are quite prepared to try someone else where
agreement cannot be made.
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Be
patient when negotiating over the price
 of goods and add a smile while
doing so however, do not over bargain as the vendor may get irritated
and upset. Expect to pay 30% to 40% lower than
what he had originally
offered the item to you for. If you can't agree then one trick is to say that
you
 are just taking a look at other items further down the street and that you might
come back. If the vendor doesn't call you back immediately to
re-negotiate then he had probably made his final offer to you.
Do
not bother haggling over prices charged
 in the supermarkets,
restaurants, bars, nighclubs and 'Bitiks' as they tend to
have fixed prices. Likewise don't bother with
small items purchased from the local 'Pular' corner shop such as a
packet of razors, insect spray, fruits, peanuts, purified water bags,
bread or coffee. However, if you are approached on the beach by a
fruit seller or other hawker then do ask for a reduction. If you have bought a lot of items
in bulk from a supermarket then it is worthwhile asking them to reduce
their price as they are often willing to offer a
discount particularly to valued customers. If your room lacks any
promised facility or you are intending to stay over 2 weeks then it
might be worthwhile asking for a reduction of room rates.
Tourist taxi fares tend to be fixed though there is scope for
negotiation depending on the distance and time you require the
driver's services. Ask at your hotel reception desk or your holiday
rep. for advice.
Services:
When it comes to hiring the services of local skilled craftsman such
as a plumber, bricklayer or construction contractor be prepared to
bargain.
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