after we have sorted out the currency problem i would like to open a new one:

what about tipping policy regarding guides, driver guides, camp staff etc.?

which amount is appropriate for whom????

always a very sensitive question with thousends of solutions but asking the camps is not always a good idea.......

Pippa:

I may be tipping a little high, but that is because I go to the same places, know the staff and know how much they need the tips.

Room/tent steward 5.00 per day
Waiter (usually the same person every day 2.50 per day
Driver/guide 10.00 per drive
Porters 5.00 for 2 duffels
Tip box 10.00 per day
Bartenders 2.50 per day
Lodge/camp manager Small gift
Anyone else who does something special for me I usually leave 10.00

Since I travel alone, and I hate handing people money, I do what they do on cruise ships. I take a supply of envelopes with me. The night before I leave a park I'll sit down and make out envelopes for each person I want to tip. I'll add a personal note on the front of the envelope and put the appropriate amount of money inside. Then the next morning I'll hand all the envelopes to either the head of guest relations or lodge/camp manager and ask them to distribute for me. It has always worked well for me. The tip box I personally put the money in.

The one thing I'm not sure of is do you tip a pilot on a charter flight? I'll be taking two of them on January trip and don't know how to handle it.

No need to tip the charter pilot unless you plan on giving him/her a couple 100 $$. They make enough money IMO and tip amounts are normally in relation to what you percieve the persons' salary to be.

Neither do I think you should tip the pilot.

Original von Jan
Pippa:

I may be tipping a little high, but that is because I go to the same places, know the staff and know how much they need the tips.

Room/tent steward 5.00 per day
Waiter (usually the same person every day 2.50 per day
Driver/guide 10.00 per drive
Porters 5.00 for 2 duffels
Tip box 10.00 per day
Bartenders 2.50 per day
Lodge/camp manager Small gift
Anyone else who does something special for me I usually leave 10.00

Since I travel alone, and I hate handing people money, I do what they do on cruise ships. I take a supply of envelopes with me. The night before I leave a park I'll sit down and make out envelopes for each person I want to tip. I'll add a personal note on the front of the envelope and put the appropriate amount of money inside. Then the next morning I'll hand all the envelopes to either the head of guest relations or lodge/camp manager and ask them to distribute for me. It has always worked well for me. The tip box I personally put the money in.

The one thing I'm not sure of is do you tip a pilot on a charter flight? I'll be taking two of them on January trip and don't know how to handle it.

jan,
this is quite a lot! not the singly tip but it sums up to an enormous amount - not only in kenyan terms!
despite you stay in a camp where you know the people. but this tipping policy creates expectancies/greediness which only a minority of guests will comply with! and in the end they become disappointed that not each and every guest tips this generously!

i was told 5 US/day/pax for the driverguide, 5 US/day/pax for the backoffice stuff incl. waiters! and maybe 20 US for the tent steward depending on length of stay! and this is considered quite a lot because it's not only one pax who gives these amounts concidering most camps pack 4 to 6 pax in a car!

as a result a camp owner might come to the conclusion it's not necessary to pay a salary at all after they get such amounts from guests!

would really like to learn from other bushdrummers how they handle this sensitive topic.......
pippa

ok, I get the hint and answer

First of all I would like to point out one difference between Americans and Germans. In Germany a Service-Charge is always included in any bill you pay, hence a tip is purely a sign of good grace and recognition of special service. In America however, some employees don´t get a salary at all and PURELY depend on tips. Since everyone knows how things work in their home country, they apply the same to places they visit and hence you end up with such major differences.

How do I handle this? Well, first of all I have never been to such poshy places where one night per person costs 300-500 Euro, but more like 10-40 Euro

I believe, this also makes a difference on how much tip you give. Besides this, I always also consider the salary the person gets. If what I consider a reasonable tip is in fact a full months salary, I will definately not give it. The maximum for me would be a days salary (tip per day), and that only if the person really showed me exceptional effort.

This is not because of greediness, but because I don't want them to start thinking that money grows on trees but that we all have to work hard for it. But then again, speaking Swahili to them, they don´t have expectations like they have from tourists. They don´t apply "European Expectations" to me.

If they ask me for money or tell me how much they suffer, I usually offer them some silly job for good money. Either to get me something unique or wash the car or God knows what comes to my mind. You would be surprised how many times they turn the offer down. A clear sign, they didn´t really mean it

Where I would be careful is with giving the money to the manager to distribute it like Jan said. But then again, you know the place and I guess, you know they received it. Else I wouldn't be so sure.