Tips for Guides on Safari
 

Can someone provide guidance on how much to tip tour guides in Tanzania? I will be taking a private 10-day tour with my husband and have no sense of what to bring. Thanks!

If you're booking your safari with a tour operator, either, in your home country or in-country Tanzania - they should provide this information. If not, your lodges/camps will have this information available. And, there have been many threads on this subject. A search will find this information for you.

Simply - on average $5/day per person to your guide/driver or guide only - preferrably in USD. For lodge/camp staff (porters, maids, kitchen, waiters, etc.) $5/6 day per couple - can be paid in local Tanzanian Shillings or USD. For hotels in Arusha or resorts in Zanzibar, tip $1/bag for porters; $2/day for maid; restaurants if service fee not included 10% of bill; 10% or round up to closest dollar for taxi drivers.

Of course, if someone has gone out of their way, you can/should tip additional; if you sit at the bar and bend your elbows for a few hours, don't forget the bartender.

In Tanzania, you're best using USD, as left over Tanzania Shillings (obtained at the airport) won't be convertible to USD when departing for home. Bring these in small denominations - lots of USD$1, then $5s, $10s, $20s - the $50 is for your Visa if obtaining upon arrival. Bring relatively new bills, though they don't have to be freshly minted; but not torn or wrinkled or washed out; those with new faces on the $5, $10, $20 and those tri-colored; and not more then 2-3 years since printed.* Credit cards are accepted, but often assessed a fee for use.

* sounds strange to us, but since currency in many of these countries loose their value, it's difficult for locals to understand that USD don't (except, of course, against the British pound, Euro and SARand - LOL!)

If I forgot anything - someone feel free to add to this. lw2117 - You should now be set to go! Enjoy your holiday.

For our private safari in Kenya earlier this year, we tipped approx. $20 per day to our driver/guide and $10 per day as a pooled tip for general camp/lodge staff (there was usually a gratuity box at reception). These amounts were for 2 of us. We also tipped a few staff members individually, such as porters, the guys who tidied our tent/brought our coffee each morning, guides on our night game drive, etc.

Patty:

We tipped in the same range as you & since we had the same driver/guide for all 8 days of our safari and he was amaizing we tipped him an extra $50.

The quality of the service you get can make or break a safari and most of the staff rely on tips to make ends meet. Annd I've found that tipping a 'little extra' will boost the level of service you do get.

Z

Does anyone "tip" in advance?

Hi:

We tipped the porters helping with luggage immediately after getting to our room. As for the lodge staff, we left a tip in the 'tip box' upon departure, also a couple of lodges provided us with the same waiter for each meal & we received excellant service from them so we tipped them after our last meal there & finally we tipped our driver/guide when he dropped us off at the airport (as we had the same driver/guide for the entire trip).

Z