I am perfectly fine with a high encounter rate as long as it's limited to a grinding area, and especially when it has the right balance between gaining something in return. In areas that are pass-by IMHO the encounter rate should be much lower. If the players likes they can run for and back to force random encounters, but otherwise it's just an annoyance that increases with every step until you are so full that the joy of getting more content no longer outbalances your frustration and you just stop.