Tipping makes me sweat! I want to be generous but hate that there is an expectation to be tipped regardless of the service provided. I want to make sure I reward good service, but I don’t necessarily want to punish when it is lacking. It also needs to be fair within the realms of what I can afford, and above all, I want to make sure I am positively impacting the people I meet along the way. For these reasons, I have created this guide to tipping on safari in Tanzania. I aim to provide you with the answers to all the questions I had, so that you can plan and budget accordingly.

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Why it is important to get it right!

Unlike some regions where tipping is optional or minimal, it’s a significant part of the service industry in Tanzania. Here, tipping isn’t just a gesture of appreciation; it’s often a crucial part of the income for those working in tourism. But hold on to your horses before you generously hand over large wads of cash, as thoughtless tipping can also have negative consequences on the broader economy! There is such a thing as tipping too much! Let me explain!

Who should earn more money, the person carrying your bags to the room or a park ranger protecting wildlife?

In Tanzania, the role of a park ranger is centred on protecting and conserving natural environments within national parks and protected areas. This involves patrolling to prevent poaching, monitoring wildlife populations, engaging with local communities to promote conservation efforts, and enforcing park regulations.

To become a park ranger in Tanzania, candidates typically need a combination of education and specialized training. Many hold diplomas or degrees in fields such as nature conservation, biology, or environmental sciences. They undergo rigorous field training that covers wildlife monitoring, anti-poaching techniques, and community engagement.

However, despite all the training and cost involved in becoming a park ranger, lodge workers often earn more than park rangers thanks to the generosity of international guests.

This is just one example of how overtipping can create an economic imbalance. If you are interested in this topic, I recommend you read my article on tipping in Sierra Leone.

Mindful tipping has the biggest impact

With all that being said, tipping on safari in Tanzania makes a massive difference to the people working in the industry, so this post should not discourage you from tipping or being generous. Instead, all I ask is that you be mindful of who and how much you tip.

I share some tipping guides below, but first, I wanted to share some considerations for you when deciding how much to tip.

Don’t reward bad service

Although tipping is expected, it is not compulsory, and your tip should reflect the service provided. Everyone you come into contact with is paid to do their job (although arguably not always enough), and the tip is a supplement that should be earned. There are some truly exceptional guides in Tanzania who deserve all the generosity they get, but there are also some real cowboys out there. Providing a tip regardless of your experience leads to a gradual reduction in the quality of service being provided and ultimately leads to a degradation of the experience for future travellers.

So before handing over your money, ask yourself the following questions:

• Did my guide go above and beyond for me?
• How knowledgeable was my guide?
• Did my guide respect the wildlife?
• If something went wrong, how was it handled? (Example a breakdown)
• Did anything annoy me?

These same questions can be applied to lodge staff too.

How much you tip should be based on your experience and what you can afford.

Feedback is key

Often, we think we are “talking” with our tips. You may decide to give a guide a smaller tip because they were not particularly ethical or you didn’t like their driving. However, your “smaller” tip might be bigger than someone’s “exceptional” tip simply because of disparities in affordability. For this reason, I think it is always important to supplement any tips with feedback.

If someone has done a fantastic job, tell them as much. And tell them what was great so they know to do more of it.

If you weren’t happy with elements of your safari or your experience, make sure you share that feedback, too. If everything was great except their punctuality, let them know that. Should you need to provide slightly harsher feedback, you may wish to do it retrospectively to avoid awkward moments. Whether you do it in person or via email, make sure it is candid and constructive, not a personal attack.

Also, take the time to consider whether it was the guide’s fault or the company’s fault. If you booked with a large company and the car breaks down, that isn’t a reflection on your guide but on the company he works for. With this in mind, make sure you direct that feedback accordingly and consider carefully whether any reduction in tip amount is fair.

Tipping considerations when booking a cheap safari in Tanzania

If you have booked a cheap safari, chances are you have achieved that saving at the expense of the guide. Large firms can negotiate better rates with hotels due to volume, and will likely be making savings by not maintaining their vehicles properly, but all other prices are fixed, meaning it is generally the guides that suffer.

I’ve done a fair amount of work with different guides in Tanzania, especially start-ups. Often, they work for free, relying solely on tips to compete with the bigger established companies.

As mentioned above, any tip should be proportional to your experience, but if they do an exceptional job and you can afford it, please reward them with your generosity because they will really be relying on those tips!

What if I can’t afford a big tip?

Although sometimes there is an assumption that all foreigners are wealthy, that is not often the case, and for some of us, going on safari is a big stretch, leaving little cash available for the extras. There are two things I’d say to that:

• You wouldn’t go to a restaurant without knowing you can cover the bill. Make sure you budget for the tips as part of your planning.
• If your guide did an exceptional job but you don’t have the means to show them your gratitude by increasing the tip, think about how else you could support them.

There are so many ways you can support an individual or small business. Here are some ideas:

1. Leave a glowing review on TripAdvisor and Google
2. If it is an individual working for a business, make sure you let the business owners and their managers know what an amazing job they did
3. If you have a social media presence, promote them
4. Take the time to get to know them and find out if there is something else they need that you could help with.

In the past, I have arranged phones and laptops for guides and small business owners who didn’t have them to show gratitude for how well they looked after me.

Are your tips driving unethical safaris?

Too often, people give bigger tips if the guide manages to find them specific sightings. This is one of the biggest reasons why we are seeing a rise in unethical safaris in Tanzania. Guides are doing whatever they can to help their customers get “the perfect shot” because they get rewarded handsomely.

I’ve seen trucks leave designated trails to get closer to cheetahs sitting on termite mounds, or guides cut up lions during a hunt so their customers could get the shot. During my first safari, a truck rushed forward towards the Mara crossing too early and turned the entire herd back. It was carnage! Wildebeest crashed in the water, some falling to their deaths—all because a guest wanted to make sure they were at the front.

Don’t reward unethical behaviour! And don’t tip based on what animals they find. Tip based on the quality of information they provide!

What are the guidelines for tipping on safari in Tanzania?

With the above information, you can now tip mindfully while being fully aware of the impact of your tip. However, you are probably wondering, “But how much do I actually tip?” Don’t worry, I have you covered!

Lodge Staff

All the lodges I have been to have always had a tip box so that money can be collected and shared amongst the entire team. Many people work behind the scenes to provide a brilliant experience, and by putting your tip in the box, you can make sure everyone benefits from it.

As a guide, you should tip somewhere between $5-$12 per person per night based on your experience. If a particular staff member has stood out to you and you want to reward them specifically (in addition to the tip box), then $0.50-$2.50 is plenty, ideally paid in shillings (2,000 to 6,000).

Putting values into context

It is important to remember the cost of goods in a country. $1 to me might be trivial, but it might not be to someone else.

A 5-minute ride on a boda-boda (a motorbike taxi) in Arusha costs 2,000 shillings. A finger-licking BBQ lunch, including 1 kg of delicious meat, plantain, and soft drinks for two people, costs $6. A meal of rice and beans with chicken and a drink costs $1.75.

I apply the same logic everywhere in the world when deciding how much I want to reward someone: I think about what I’d like to gift them. Does their effort warrant a drink? Or should I be buying them dinner? Maybe it was so spectacular that I want to buy them a week’s worth of groceries, or a holiday! By equating it to something rather than a value, I can determine how much their efforts were worth. And then I pay them what that is worth in money.

So someone in the UK giving me “a soft drink’s worth of service” might get a £3 tip. The same effort in Tanzania would get £0.50. The cost to me might be different, but their reward is the same.

Safari Guides

Safari guides have undergone considerable training and can make or break your trip. You would pay your guide in cash at the end of the trip. I always bring an envelope and some paper so that I can leave them with a note and the tip, which I hand over when they drop me off at the airport. That note includes my feedback (positive and constructive) and anything special I wish to share with them; maybe some wise words for the future, a quote for them to reflect on or a memory that I will cherish forever more.

As a guide, you want to tip your safari guide between $15 and $25 per person per day. So, if your guide has done a fantastic job during a 10-day trip, you may wish to tip them between $150 and $250.

There are a couple of other considerations such as whether you are travelling solo or as part of a large group. I will always be more generous if I am solo since I would be the only source of tip income for that period, whereas if I’m with a group of six say, I may be a little less generous. Whatever I tip though will always be in proportion to the experience.

What does an excellent safari guide look like?

You might be reading this and thinking, but what does an exceptional safari look like? This will be subjective for every one of us, but I wanted to share my best safari experience, which happened to be in Tanzania with Malaki from Migration Tanzania Safari.

My ex-husband and I went on safari with him in 2022 and had the best time. We were blown away by his knowledge and commitment to protecting Northern Tanzania’s wildlife and ecosystem. The three of us got on like a house on fire, chatting all day every day. We laughed until our ribs hurt and shared stories from our respective countries, each of us learning from the other.

His ability to spot wildlife blew us away. He could spot animals that we couldn’t even see with binoculars. The flicker of an ear amongst the high grass was enough to let him know a rhino was there. The behaviour of a nervous impala was enough to make him stop the truck and wait for 10 minutes to see what might happen (a hunt!).

Above all, I loved that he let the animals come to us. He didn’t harass them like we saw so many others do, and most importantly, he didn’t rely on the walkie-talkie, instead finding his own animals so that we got to enjoy nature without other trucks.

We arrived as strangers and left as friends, and as a result, I have been back twice more, and currently, I’m planning my fourth visit.

Since then, I’ve been on safaris in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. Only one other guide has come close to Malaki and that was at Leopard Mountain.

What if I want to tip more?

The issue with overtipping doesn’t lie with giving too much money. Rather, it is about doing so mindlessly and disproportionately to the service being provided. You might meet a safari guide or lodge member that blows you away. Maybe you get to know them well enough that they share their dreams, and you decide you want to be part of it. They may have gone so far above and beyond that you want to do something special for them. Do it!! Forget about the tipping guides and do what is right for that individual. Just don’t do it for everyone.

What currency should I tip in?

While on safari, US Dollars (USD) are the common currency, and therefore, tipping your guides and lodges in USD is not an issue. However, when tipping individuals at lodges or elsewhere on your travels through Tanzania, you may wish to consider providing them shillings, as many won’t have the means to exchange dollars or will not be able to get a particularly good exchange rate.

Gifts and Additional Support

Aside from monetary tips, consider bringing gifts for your guide and their family. I do this everywhere I travel, and it always goes down incredibly well. Ask your guide if there’s anything they need. I’ve had all kinds of requests, from a swimming costume for a two-year-old to a pocket knife. Laptops and phones are the most common requests, so speak to your business, as old laptops and phones are often donated.

Additionally, supporting their business by leaving positive reviews goes a long way in helping them attract future clients.

If you have had a negative experience, I would also recommend trying to resolve it first before destroying the company online, especially if you suspect it was a one-off. I’m all for leaving honest reviews, but consider whether you want to destroy someone’s livelihood before you do it.

Final thoughts on responsible tipping on safari in Tanzania

Tipping is an essential part of the safari experience in Tanzania. It’s a way to show appreciation, support the local economy, and ensure quality service for future travellers. Plan and budget for tips, consider personal gifts and always give feedback to your guides. Your generosity can make a world of difference.

Ready to book your safari?

If you are looking to book your next safari then I honestly can not recommend Malaki from Migration Tanzania highly enough, and I would urge you to reach out to him. However, if you are the kind of person that likes requesting lots of quotes, then I recommend using Safari Bookings.