Tipping in Rwanda is not mandatory but a traveler can tip anyone during their Rwanda safaris tour according to their will.
Whether a Rwanda safari especially Rwanda gorilla safaris, wildlife safari Rwanda and birding safari Rwanda, a traveler meets several people who help them have a memorable safari in Rwanda.
Most probably your Rwanda tour guide will always be with you, you will meet park rangers in the safari parks, you meet several porters and community members.
Many ask, who, When, and how much should I offer as a tip to someone when i safari Rwanda? For all gratuities, here we give you a guide on what can be useful when you need to tip during a tour in Rwanda.
Before you tip measure the potential impact of the tip to the community.
The tips received by the people who help around could create a great positive impact since their earnings increase and therefore their standards of living too.
Rwanda’s national parks be it the Rwanda gorilla trekking safari or wildlife safari in Rwanda destinations, different people take on different roles according to their levels of education and knowledge they have a bout the park and conservation.
Offering a high tip to a porter would at times make the rangers who do the conservation demoralized. If you can estimate on a fine amount to tip then it could be reasonable.
All roles carried out in the park are important and can be appreciated as long as they don’t affect responsibility and motivation since conservation is all about dedication.
Your safari guides
For any kind of tour Rwanda, your driver guide is key in making the tour successful. You can always tip them separately during the trip for all the efforts they put in to make sure your trip is wonderful.
While on a Rwanda gorilla trekking safari or any other trekking safari, you go along with trekking guides who help you throughout the trek and they can also be tipped separately.
Rangers, trackers and porters
On any primate trek, you are accompanied by either one or two park rangers who ensure your security in the jungle.
They offer all the guidance and help needed during your safari activity and can actually be tipped.
Trackers always work tirelessly closely with the primates to identify where they spent the previous night such that the rangers can easily get to them with the tourists/trekkers and they always stay behind after your trek.
You can decide to tip them as a group if they can be found in a group or individually.
If you need help for instance during a gorilla trekking tour in Rwanda, you can always hire a porter to carry luggage and help with the trek. For their great role you can tip them separately.
For all the great accommodation facilities in Rwanda, you have good service from the waiters and waitresses, maintenance, chefs and housekeeping staff of whom some you won’t even see.
Most of the accommodation facilities have a general tip box and its advisable to drop your tip there such that the whole team can share from it.
Every individual who plays a role on your tour can be appreciated with a considerable tip. However, tipping hotel managers are not recommendable.
Leaving behind a tip for a hotel manager may demoralize the service providers who offer most of the services at the orders of the manager.
Throughout the trip you can tip but the most recommendable time is after the trip or activities. For your driver guide, you can tip them at the end of your trip during departure.
For the trackers, you can offer them a tip after tracking. The rangers and porters can also be tipped after the activity. For the hotel, check out time is the perfect time to drop your tip in the tip box.
Tipping is best done by cash that’s why you have to change a few dollars to the Rwandan franc if you expect to tip anyone.
For places with tip boxes it’s the best way to tip and if you would love to offer dollars this can be for the safari guides since they have more frequent access to the Forex bureaus.
Tipping is not any customary act for any African safari but can be offered by any traveler at their own will. Whether for a Uganda safari be it a Uganda gorilla trekking safari or wildlife safari in Uganda the same tips can be used to guide through the tipping etiquette.
Since Congo tours also constitute Congo gorilla trekking safaris, the same tips can be so vital for travelers to the country who would want to offer a tip.
For Kenya safaris, and Tanzania safaris tours, all of the other tips except those related to Mountain gorilla trekking can be of great help.
For whatever reason you decide to offer a tip to someone in Rwanda while on a trip, it’s all about your own will there’s no order for who to give a tip. On how much you can offer, you can decide from the quality of service offered in comparison to other people you came along or just to give back to the community.
Cate
Samuel
Robert
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