Tipping on Tanzania Safaris
Tipping on Tanzania Safaris: Tipping is considered a way of appreciating the services offered during a safari and is also considered a matter of personal opinion and individual satisfaction for the services offered.
During a safari in Tanzania, tourists interact with different service providers such as guides, chefs, general staff, trackers, butlers, housekeeping staff, the maids, bar attendants, spa attendants and many others.
In the tourism sector, tourists interact with different service providers right from the transport used to the destination, accommodation and also during engaging in various activities in and around Tanzania.
These service providers ensure that an individual is safe, comfortable and enjoys healthy and nutritious meals during their trips. A tip is a form of recognition for the extra effort a service provider puts in.
Depending on the quality of services one receives during their safari in Tanzania, a tip is given. It is also a known fact that as much as tipping on Tanzania Safaris is a common practice, it is not done by everyone although it is recommended as a way of appreciating the good services.
The tips given go a long way to impact the different people who offer the services during the safari and may also form a significant part of the income earned by the service providers like waiters, chefs, guides, porters among others.
It is also important to consider the amount of a tip offered to a service provider during a safari and to take note not to tip too much or too little. The tips which are given act as an incentive to motivate service providers to add more effort and to work harder.
The different service providers in different destinations around Tanzania are both educated and not educated. This however doesn’t determine the level of efforts one puts in when offering their services to tourists.
With time, one gains more experience when carrying out their responsibilities and offering services to the tourists. Some of the service providers have even been known to create a bond with the tourists during their stay in Tanzania which extends to after their safari.
Offering tips may also depend on factors like cultures where people from some countries reportedly do not give tips. Other factors include budget for the safari, expectations during the safari and actual services offered among others.
The different destinations around Tanzania which are famous for safaris include Mountain Kilimanjaro which is the tallest mountain in Africa, Serengeti national park known for the wildebeest migration and amazing wildlife viewing, Ngorongoro crater which is the world’s largest inactive caldera, Tarangire national park, Lake Manyara national park, Arusha national park, Zanzibar known for its beautiful beaches, Selous national park, Mikumi national park, Ruaha national park, Katavi national park among others.
The local communities around Tanzania are also known for their unique cultures for example the Maasai people who are semi nomadic group of people who live around towns near, around and in the national parks. Tourists engage in community tours where they interact with the locals during their safaris.
Ways of tipping
There are different ways in which an appreciation for services offered during a safari around Tanzania inform of a tip can be given and these include;
- Tip box. This method of tipping is usually for the services offered by general staff and is shared by the staff which in some cases does not include the guides. These boxes are offered by some of the camps at the different destinations around Tanzania. They can be at the receptions of some of the lodges.
Managers at the lodges around Tanzania are also sometimes given tips which are to be shared or given to specific individuals for the services offered and can be given usually at the end of the stay of a visitor.
- Another way of tipping is directly or individually by giving cash to an individual who has offered you their services during the safari. The tip can be given in Tanzania shillings as well as in US dollars. This form of tipping is common among visitors on safari.
Tips given to different service providers during a safari around different destinations in Tanzania can range from US $5 to US $20 or more daily depending on what an individual is willing to tip for services that have been offered to them.
Guides are usually tipped in person and may be given about US $5 to US $10 a day for their services. What is given as a tip entirely depends on an individual and the above suggested amounts are simply suggestions.
The management at some of the lodges around Tanzania put in writing the policies of tipping and these are put in rooms. You can also inquire from the manager at the lodge how to tip.
- Putting a tip in an envelope with a thank you note is another way in which tourists tip during their safaris in Tanzania. The envelope can be addressed to a specific person who the tip is intended for and can be handed directly to an individual or for general staff.
Tips are given at different times during a safari in Tanzania and these include after engaging in an activity, at the end of a day during a safari experience and at the end of your stay.
It is a common practice among tourists to tip once usually at the end of their safari in Tanzania as a way of appreciating the services which were offered during the safari right from the start to the end of your stay.
- Using a credit card to tip is another way which tourists can offer tips to service providers. This is usually in a situation when an individual does not have enough cash to give a generous tip. This method however does not work for all service providers since some people do not have credit card machines.
Tourists have a major impact on the country as a whole and many people around Tanzania benefit from the industry both directly and indirectly.
