Tipping guidelines vary depending on the activities and the level of service provided. Private guides in Rwanda are typically $10 per person per day, while national park guides and rangers are $5 per person per trek. The typical tip for a guide or tour leader is $10 or equivalent per client each day. In most countries, tipping is expected and appreciated, except in Namibia where it is charged in the local currency.
In Rwanda, tour guides are highly tipped individuals, with some receiving up to $100. However, this does not mean they are the standard. The most recommended tip is around $10-20 per person per day. In Uganda and Rwanda, it is customary to tip your driver/guide at the end of a safari or hike, as well as a cook or porter accompanying you. A figure of roughly $5 is generally recommended.
Trekking guides, drivers, and rangers are usually tipped separately, with a suggested tip of $15-20 per person per day. Tipping is voluntary and can be done depending on your satisfaction of services delivered. For a driver and guide, you can make $10 per day or more, while restaurant staff can make $10 per day or more.
For porters, rangers, and trackers, the typical tip is $10 and up. The recommended tip for a company guide is between $10 to $15 per day, given at the end of the trip and only when you are satisfied with the service provided.
📹 Rwanda – How to Tip in Rwanda, The Land of 1000 Hills
Traveling in Rwanda is an incredible experience and you will be with some incredilbe people as well. And the tipping that tourists …
What do you tip a VIP tour guide?
It is customary to tip your guide $20. A travel agent can facilitate the addition of a VIP tour guide to a booking and can also ascertain pricing and other pertinent details. Amy Westerman, the Chief Magic Officer at The Mouse Experts,
What is the dining etiquette in Rwanda?
Refusing to consume offered food or drink is considered a grave insult. Hosts taste and taste food before passing it to guests to ensure safety. Avoid asking about ethnicity or referring to someone as Hutu or Tutsi, as Rwanda is healing its wounds and the government emphasizes unity. Dress appropriately, as people in Kigali take pride in their appearance. Shorts are only worn by Rwandan schoolboys, and it is important to avoid mentioning ethnicity or referring to someone as Hutu or Tutsi.
How much do you tip a 3 hour tour guide?
ExperienceFirst recommends tipping $5-10 per guest for U. S.-based bus tours, covering both the guide and driver. The guide splits the tip with the driver, so giving it directly to the guide is best. In Europe, tipping the bus driver is customary. Around 5-10 of the tour price is a good rule of thumb. This rate matches the amount you’d tip for a traditional 90-minute walking tour. Although bus tours are longer, they are usually fuller, so this smaller tip amount is adequate. Tiping more is appreciated and a great way to show your guide they did an outstanding job. Private tours are similar, but it’s a nice gesture to thank your guide for their time and efforts.
What happens if you make eye contact with a gorilla?
The Silverback Mountain Gorilla, the head of a Gorilla family, is known for its open-mindedness and willingness to challenge and defeat anyone that interferes with their peace. Direct eye contact with a Silverback can trigger a charge and fight in their defense, as they are shy and reserved creatures. To maintain peace with the gorillas, it is important to avoid direct eye contact.
Travel guidelines for gorilla trekking include keeping a distance of seven meters from the gorilla, not trekking gorillas when sick, avoiding flashlight cameras, littering in the park, feeding gorillas, and not touching them. Trekkers should stay within groups, not move alone in the jungle, and spend an hour with gorillas. When sneezing or coughing, it is important to turn your face away from gorillas.
In summary, the Silverback Mountain Gorilla is a shy and reserved creature that can be disrupted by direct eye contact, leading to aggressive behavior. To maintain a safe and respectful environment, it is essential to follow these guidelines during your gorilla trekking experience.
Is it rude not to tip a tour guide?
Tip your private guide $10-15 per day and drivers $5-10 per day for large group tours. Tip at the lower end in countries like India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, and at the higher end in Japan, Cambodia, and the Philippines. Be generous with tips in multi-day tours in tourism-dependent countries like Nepal and Vietnam, where adventure guides face daily threats. In Europe, tips range from $15-$50 per person per day for guides and $10-25 for drivers. Tip on multi-day tours in countries like Iceland, Denmark, and Sweden, as the cost of living is high, so it’s recommended to tip if possible.
What is the etiquette guide to tipping?
Tiping is a common practice in the U. S., but it can be confusing to determine the appropriate amount for different services. Around 67% of Americans tip their server at sit-down restaurants, while 20% tip coffee shops or 11% tip takeout food. Customers are also increasingly prompted to tip for other services like car maintenance, retail stores, and self-serve food, leading to confusion and frustration. Over 35% of Americans believe the tipping culture has gotten out of control, and 11% are confused about who and how much to tip.
Tipping is vital for some fields, as tipped workers legally only need to make $2. 13 an hour in the U. S. Department of Labor. To show gratitude and tip appropriately for a wide range of services, consider the following tips when planning a local outing or luxurious trip.
Should you stand still if a gorilla charges you?
To avoid being attacked by gorillas, stand low or go low to make yourself smaller and less of a threat. Gorillas are naturally peaceful and only charge at people to defend themselves. If you continue to charge, stay calm until help arrives. Gorillas will only become aggressive if they feel threatened or have seen one of their own, especially younger ones, threatened. Instances of gorillas charging at you are rare, as they only react to perceived threats.
How much to tip a guide in Rwanda?
In Rwanda, tipping guides and drivers is highly recommended, with a suggested tip of $10-20 per person per day. For trekking guides, drivers, and rangers, a tip of $15-20 is recommended. It is acceptable to abstain from tipping, especially if dissatisfied with the service provided. Waiters in Romania are paid a living wage and have lower expectations for tipping compared to the U. S. This is also true for hotel staff. If encountering issues with service within a hotel, it is recommended to speak with the manager.
When paying for services in cash, it is important to take a receipt as leaving a tip on a credit card may not always be received and a receipt is crucial for settling discrepancies with the establishment manager.
How much should I tip my tour guide in Cairo?
It is of the utmost importance to recognise the pivotal role played by tour guides in Egypt, and thus to remunerate them in accordance with the customary rate of 10 Egyptian pounds for private, multi-day, or walking tours. Tips are accepted regardless of the type of tour.
What is the expected tip for a tour guide?
The Tipping Guide published by the website About. com suggests that tour guides should receive a tip of 10-20% of the tour cost. However, it is important to note that the gratuity should be commensurate with the level of service provided.
How much do you tip a tour guide in Africa?
The guide cautions against the practice of significantly over-tipping, emphasizing the vital role that guides play in the success of a trip. The current recommended gratuity is 10 US dollars per guest per day. However, in the event that there are only one to three guests, it may be increased to a sum of 40 to 50 US dollars per day.
📹 Rwanda: The Don’ts of Visiting Rwanda
Rwanda is so much more than gorillas in the mist or the legacy of the genocide from 1994. It is one of the most incredible …
As a Rwandan – this was a good list of don’ts. I recommend as well – don’t forget Rwanda has been around since the 13th century, there is a lot of History outside of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide. Visit the royal palace, Rwandan history museums, and if you’re invited – definitely go to a wedding if you can they last for days and there are many cultural events. Also on our president, it’s important to note that he’s much more respected than leaders in the west primarily because he was instrumental in stopping the Genocide.
This is so amazing to see a foreigner talking something positive to my country 😍😍 because me my self i am always excited every single moment when I am back to my home country Rwanda, every year I always see change. you are very welcome in the country of thousands hills and mountains. Respect, culture, and cleanness are our main characteristics ❤️❤️❤️❤️.
Everything you’ve just said is 100% True! No plastic bags, Don’t ask people their ethnicity, no littering, don’t eat on the streets it’s disgusting, don’t spit in public, don’t throw garbage, when you meet people greet them by just saying Muraho! And Murabeho as goodbye! Come and enjoy the beauty of our Mother country 🇷🇼🇷🇼🇷🇼🇷🇼
I am a Brit who has been working in Rwanda since 2018. This guy is absolutely right on almost every aspect I just take issue a bit with the need to use cash. Kigali is a very card friendly place compared to a lot of countries in the region. Of course use cash in a market or small local shop but when I am in Kigali I live off my (Visa & Mastercard) cards. Otherwise impressively accurate!!!
Don’t hesitate to visit Rwanda. It’s a beautiful country and the Rwandans are very respectful and friendly. Hotels in Kigali are clean and modern, the food is good and the weather’s nice. Plenty of rain for us Brits! On my second visit, the passport guy at the airport said “Welcome back”. That’s never happened anywhere else.
I spent a month in Kenya last summer and visited Ugunja, Kisumu, Nairobi and Malindi. I really enjoyed my stay and I got treated very well. One thing that bothered me, however, was that wherever we went, the streets and ditches were littered with garbage! Plastic bags are illegal in Kenya also (aswell as littering) but there doesn’t seem to be anyone cleaning the streets. There also aren’t any public trash cans… I think if Kenya would implement better waste treatment procedures, like Rwanda, the country would be so much more attractive for tourists. The whole of Africa could learn from Rwanda I think.
Thank you for this. Recently I heard an european reporter interviewing Rwanda’s president and she was still asking about questions about the genocide as if it was still happening today. He was beside himself about the ignorant of western media. The fact that a developing country already made single use plastic bags illegal and how clear their streets are, is a lesson we all should learn NOW in North America. We go around and lecture the world about climate change but we are the ones that greenwash things. We just have to do better.
I cried and cried in the Kigali Memorial. It is a very tough visit, don’t take your kids. Those motorcycle guys are fab… use them and overtip .. those guys deserve a good tip. Visiting the gorillas is hyper expensive. Enjoy your time!! Btw,Rwandan beer is very good.. on par with premium European brands.
Amazing description of the country, its fully done! Rwandans do like extrovert and open minded people…so plz if u come here be open and sharing, people in rwanda are really lovely, anyone in the street can direct u where u want to go if u ask them and are okay when asking them any service, if u want to have a lift…u can stop any car, What really amazed me the first time was the day i was on the bus station and people with their cars would stop to ask if anyone would need a lift. Welcome in Rwanda!
I’m a ESL teacher at a high school. Last year I got a new eleventh grade African boy student who came from the neighboring district. This year his senior year he went virtual so I helped him a lot and we talked a lot on Zoom. One time during Zoom he told everything about how the genocide affected his family/parents, and it’s why his family moved to America. He has uncles who have scars he told me.
I lived in Rwanda for a year. We spent three days in Akagera National Park and literally got to camp there. One or two lions were hunting and passed right by our tent that night and we were still awake and making noise before we heard them, that was kinda scary. I also took a selfie next to a sleeping crocodile. The baboons took the wing mirror off of our van as well. Those days were crazy. We also spent a week or two by lake Kivu, but we lived on a steep hill near Kigali.
Just came back from Rwanda 4 days ago. You said it all, spot on! Another dont I would add, is dont raise your voice or argue in public. Its really not well seen in our culture. Also very important! Do not drink and drive. Rwanda has a 0 alcohol on the wheel tolerance. 5 days of Prison mandatory, even for foreigners.
Love this! I spent over 3 weeks in Rwanda for the holidays & met some wonderful expats who moved there, as well as the locals. Its all true… Not only is Kigali, Rwanda clean, beautiful & safe, but there are lots of investment opportunities as well. So sad my visit had to end, but I’m extremely glad that I got a chance to see it all for myself 🌍🧡✈ Hope to try a short Van Life trip there some day!
We had the pleasure of exploring Rwanda a few years ago. We rode the local buses and explored Akagera and Nyungwe (though the swinging bridge was nearly my undoing. I’m scared of heights!) We boated across to Bat Island in Lake Kivu, and rode the twisty, hilly road to Nyungwe via bus….which has a local name I won’t use. Luckily, no one in our party gets carsick. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting people and exploring the country. Murakoze, Rwandans.
The Don’ts of Rwanda from someone who lived there for more than 3years and loved it: – No building anywhere/anyhow (a permit is needed); – No dirty house/business/apartment complex on the main road; – No hookups with minor no matter the justification which is worthy of admiration; – No public preaching/public speaking without a written permission; – No invasion of people’s space as it should be commonly known; – No fighting in the town or in a crowded place; – No throwing plastic bags/bottles in the nature which is great and the country is clean af; – No drug dealing which is a good thing; – No Telling the truth about KAGAME implications in DRC wars and genocides; – No telling the truth about the opposition being crushed and killed into unknow jails; – No telling the truth about Genocide and all its implications for other groups; – No speaking about politics or geopolitical matters that include Rwanda, the Rwandan Government, The Kagame family; – No disagreeing with what the president has said because it’s the word of GOD; – No peaceful Protest or any kind of discord with the Power in place; – No Drinking and Driving which is a good thing for people’s safety; – No filming anyhow anywhere; – No questioning people about their tribe/family background it’s a sensible matter; – No smoking anyhow anywhere; I guess these are the main things, there are others but they’re minor. The overall experience was great and warm.
My dream has always been to live in Kigali and its beautiful climate. So my plan is the following; I go to Dover by boat, spot an officer of the border force in the distance, yell at him “I’m an immigrant and I don’t consider myself white”, and then from there I live my dream life in Kigali, on top of that with money paid by British taxpayers!
I also need to comment on the Genocide Memorial. I knew it would be tough but I had no idea what an emotional toll it would take on me. As I went through I kept getting more and more sad. I was there with my Rwandan friend. One of the last rooms we saw was full of human skulls with machete cuts (most of the killing was done with machetes). This pushed me completely over the edge and I had to sit down because I was crying so hard. Once I composed myself I was ready to continue. This is most certainly not a place for children! There are 250,000 Rwandans buried at the memorial. Please be respectful in this place! Most Rwandans like my friend, have family buried in these mass graves. Remember that this all happened just 30 years ago.
I only ever see your don’ts of a country coming up in my feed! Like getting advice from my mother lol! I am happy to see Rwanda as that country has been rising for quite a few years. I hope to see more of these lesser known gems please. And can you elaborate on the banana beer please? And do they like Euros?
I lived there for three years. I agree with everything you say except the motorcycle taxis. They can be dangerous. If you go off the back of one of them and you are wearing a helmet that is too big for you, it can break your neck ( I was told that by an ER doctor in Rwanda. ) Mind you I was in Burundi and assisted when someone fell off a motorcycle who died, no helmet in that case, so just stay away from them if you can. I too love Rwanda. It’s an amazing place. Be safe.
Thank you for this article. I am going to Rwanda in 10 days from the west coast of the United States. I’m also going to the Congo and I’m a pin cushion from all the needed immunizations. I highly recommend a travel doctor and the needed immunizations. I am going to be taking malaria pills and I also have antibiotics for traveler’s diarrhea. I also got Permethrin to spray on my clothes to prevent mosquitoes. That spray will last on your clothes for up to 6 wash cycles. I wouldn’t have known that they were sensitive about which ethnic group they are, so this was extremely helpful. From what I’ve seen, it looks like the people there are some of the nicest in the world. I wonder if it might also be helpful to learn to say hello, goodbye, good morning in Kinyarwanda just to be polite.
I cried at the museum too. It’s a really too sad “story”(the reality of humans….). And when I talked to a person that was at the museum I could see that for the people its still very vivid. So seing the country up and clean like that despise that.. it’s simple a miracle I do not know how the people there see that but for me from a human perspective * emotional and psychological * it’s a miracle.
Still of Today, I just don’t understand the idea of tipping. Why don’t just pay them appropriately? I have seen people wagging their tail ( showing extra non-genuine politeness) for tip. The tipping culture is growing like anything. This modern form of master-slave mentality makes me uncomfortable and sad.
Just returned in April 2021 from a six month stay in Rwanda. Loved it! Yes, city is clean. However, I became friends with several locals and they actually told me about the genocide, and their experience. One was 10 years old and lost both parents and he found out later that his name was on the list to be killed and he escaped to Tanzania. One strange habit that the Rwandans have is staring at “foreigners,” especially us African Americans. One question I was asked by nearly every local that I met was: “Why are you here? You want to leave America and come here? ☺️ Apparently local news hasn’t been covering the “genocide of African Americans in the states by police. Nice size African American ex-pats there. I lived in Gisozi and Kicukiro. I could watch planes take off and land while lying in my bed. I will be back!
Wow, that was really informative and it really makes me want to visit Rwanda. Glad you and your family enjoyed your visit. The place looks great and the people have a lot of respect for themselves and their home unlike other places were there are rubbish bins to put their rubbish in. Thank you for a very helpful article.
Excellent article sir. It is so helpful to be aware of customs and things NOT to say when visiting a different country. The human nature to be inquisitive can sometimes inadvertently cause upset or disrespect. I have been lucky to visit many countries in my life although only Uganda in Africa about 25 years ago. To hear that Rwandans are such cheerful people now is slightly puzzling to me as like Uganda and many other African and of course European countries they have had a dark past. As an European I find it curious that Africans have an inbuilt almost extreme generousity where for a visitor to refuse a drink/snack/help is seen as rude which is unnerving when you see the material poverty that many live in. The innate ability to be (or at least appear to be) happy when they have hardly anything. I trust any Africans reading this won’t be offended by my ‘rambling’ thoughts. I can only wish everyone health and happiness but accept I will probably never be able to visit now.
Im from UK and don’t understand why we deem Rwanda as NOT A SAFE PLACE to send the influx of people arriving on the shores in the UK but thats a good thing for Rwanda as it seems like a nice place with respectful people a place where I would like to retire to, hope the UK gov don’t land the burden on you Rwanda. I would swap my UK citizen membership any day for this humble place.
My girl I sponsored here for 7 years had to choose to leave school in order to work. My girl wants to go to university and study medicine though!. I have no way of knowing what’s going on in her life anymore so this is my desperate attempt thru a YouTube comment!! Who knows where this little comment can lead. I love that child and she is going to do big things for her country just y’all wait and see!
As a Kenyan am greatly ashamed of my country especially because of how our politicians have tribalized our country. Kenya’s regard for tribes belongs in the 14th century it’s unbelievable how a country like Rwanda just next door has managed to completely wipe out tribalism from their social and political life. Congratulations Rwanda. We have alot to learn from you. God willing, i’ll spend my 2023 Christmas in Rwanda.
Clean? How clean their roads are coz I can see dust everywhere on the roadsides. They should heavily plant grass on every roadsides to cover the ground surfaces and prevent dust on dry days and mud on wet days. Still this kind of views just portrays a less developed countries. Lots of landscaping works needed
The situation with the Rwandans speaking good about their president reminds me to the situation in El Salvador. It’s not so much that you’ll get in trouble for criticizing the president, but that everyone has possitive things to say about him and how he made the country significantly safer than it was before.
I know each country has its own unwritten rules about tipping, but I don’t think it actually helps. It definitely doesn’t help the economy of a country as a whole. I’ve been to Tanzania in 2020 and I went on a 2-day Safari which cost about 500 $, of which the entry to the 2 parks cost a total of about 450 $. The Safari package also included accommodation for 1 night, 2 breakfast meals, 2 lunch meals and 1 dinner, the services of our driver/guide and fuel + the cut that went to the local tourism agent from whom I bought the package. 50$ is quite a low amount to cover all of this, in my opinion. So obviously, the cook and the driver demanded tips – about 10 $/person – we were about 10 people or so which took part in this tour! We were quite astonished of their demand. But if you do the math, obviously they don’t end up with much at the end of the day, so of course they rely on tips to survive. But if you don’t register that income and don’t pay taxes, how would you expect to have a functional state… An excuse might be that the people governing the state are themselves corrupt and so you don’t want your money to end up in their pockets, but this excuse just fuels a vicious circle. Apart from that, it’s a horrible custom that’s probably been passed down from the colonial era when the rich self-righteous colonialists felt they were doing such a good deed by offering a (very) small token of gratitude to the people that were serving them despite the fact that they were their oppressors.