How much & why you should tip?

Travelers often ask themselves how much should I tip? or why should I tip. After paying for your safari tour it is only logical to ask yourself these questions given the sums already paid for the safari.

Tipping culture & origin in Africa,

Africa is not a wealthy country, and Westerners might see the local customary wages as unjust. So it has always been a tradition to tip your safari crew or mountain crew and others who serve you while traveling in Africa, it is fair to say tips are expected when traveling through Africa and the crew or servers will feel unappreciated when not tipped.

Why is tipping so important? & why you should tip

The reasons are;

• Guides, cooks and other staff derive much of their income from the tips they receive, so this subsidizes the wages they receive, as a company we try our best to make sure our crew & staff get fair wages, which we pride in ourselves as we pay better than the market average. However, this is not quite enough as most of our crew is hired on a temporary basis and there can be time lags between being on a job and being out of a job (There might be a huge interval between one safari and the other so the tips which they receive plays a very important role to them as additional income)
  
• Tip to show gratitude and appreciation, most of the crew will work tirelessly to ensure clients get the best out of their experience, thus going further than things that are required example on hikes, some porters carry small backpacks which are to be with clients, some go as far as carrying the client so as to increase his/her chances to summit. On safaris, guides are known to risk getting fined but ensure clients get more on evening game drives which by park regulations are to end by 6:00 pm, some go off tracks to ensure clients get closer to animals (however none of this is required of them & are heavily discourage by we “companies”)
• Tips encourage and motivate your crew, as employers in this industry we understand that the best guides and chefs will leave better-paying companies for less pay if they will derive more in tips in the later company, after letting you in on this we believe you understand how tips are crucial to the overall performance of the crew

How to make sure your tip gets where you intend it to?

You should make an effort to hand your tip directly to the person it is for. In this way, you can help ensure that your wishes are being respected. It is fine if you wish to put your tip into an envelope or give a group tip to be divided evenly but you should make an effort to let the crew informed so each can receive as you planned

When to tip.

Most clients tip at the end of the safari, which makes sense as it should be based on the overall satisfaction of your crew

Who to tip?

- Guides

- Cook

- Servers

Factors to consider when tipping

- Number of days on tour

- Private or group tour

- Performance of crew

Tipping currency

Tipping can be done via foreign or local currency, for foreign currency we recommend you use US dollars, Euros, and pound sterling as this can be easily converted to the local currency 

Tipping on a safari

Tipping is slightly different on the tour you are taking, so here is a guideline that will help you sort & plan thoroughly

Safari tipping guideline

We recommend that travelers tip between

- US$ 20 - 30 per guest per day for a group guide

-  US$ 25 - 50 per guest per day for a private guide

-  US$ 20 - 30 per guest per day for safari chef

- US$ 10 - 20 for general staff

Note: minimum tip to private guide is assuming you are 2 & maximum is assuming you are 1, if you are in a private group of more than 3 we recommend you use group guide guidelines, likewise we do not limit tipping you can even tip more than recommended

Tipping on a Kilimanjaro/Meru & Kenya hike

Unlike tipping on a safari, tipping in Kilimanjaro and other mountains is not much of a bonus or reward, particularly attentive service but a mandatory payment to subsidize wages porters or guides receive

First will have to keep you informed on wages

The minimum wage set is 15usd a day per porter, 25usd per guide, 20usd per assistant guide & mountain cook. Again we emphasize that there may be a time lag between one job to the other, however, many companies don’t even pay this figure, if you pay anything less than 1600usd for 5 days & 1700usd for 6 days, likely, the wage demands were not met correctly. It is fair to say even when the minimum wage requirement is met these wages are still not fair & that’s why we recommend each client tip

Each group will have

- Head guide

- Assistant guide

- Cook

- Porters

- Toilet porters & waiters (occasionally depending on the package purchased)

Tipping guidelines per Group per day:

• Head Guide: 25 - 50 USD.
• Assistance Guide: 20 - 45 USD.
• Cook: 20 - 40 USD.
• Waiter (for meals): 15 - 35 USD.
• Porter: 15 - 30 USD

Note: joining a group will reduce your tip figure as the tipping obligation will be shared among the group, you can even tip more as you wish

Example:

Tipping on the Kilimanjaro example

For a 6-day trek, the total tipping value per group and climber would look as follows.

Note: 1 Climber 4 porter, 2 Climbers 7 porters, 3 Climbers 9 Porters, 4 Climbers 11 Porters and2 Ass. Guide. Climbers choosing treks with more or less should consider an average increase or decrease of $ 60 on their tipping budget

Note: Climbers who find tipping well above their budget could consider donating hiking gear directly to the crew if they don’t plan on using it again

Tipping Ceremony on Kilimanjaro on the last day (after the summit).

Tipping will be done on the last day of the trek in what is known as a tipping ceremony

The head Guide will assemble the entire staff to say a word of thanks. Tips can be made in US Dollars (USD) or Tanzanian Shillings (TSH). It is very important that US bills are not older than 2002, as they are not accepted in the country.

It is very helpful to organize a well-estimated amount of USD before arrival, as exchange rates may vary and differ a lot.

Donation of Clothing & Equipment.

You might consider donating your clothing and equipment to the climb team in addition to tipping them after your climb. Remember that the staff climbs Kilimanjaro many times a year and can go through their clothes and gear rather quickly.

You can be straight forward to ask if something is needed and then donate it individually. Your donation is of great assistance to these individuals, many of who are unwilling to spend their money on material goods they consider a luxury rather than a necessity.

They will appreciate your generosity tremendously as this will make their hard job even easier. Avoid giving items to your guide for distribution to porters.

Donations should be given directly to individuals they are intended for, perhaps those with the greatest need or who were of particularly good service.