Why should I tip?
At Memorable Vacation Africa, our crew are paid above the minimum wages. However, to sustain a fair quality of life, Kilimanjaro crew need your generosity to keep on delivering outstanding service. The tipping system in the East African service industry follows the American-style.
In essence, a tip is not merely a reward for exceptionally attentive service or hard work, but rather a highly anticipated payment intended to bridge the gap between the modest wages received by crew vs ever increasing cost of living in cities and towns of East Africa.
Why is tipping not included in the price?
Tipping is a very cultural thing on Kilimanjaro. The tradition of tipping has evolved over the last two decades to its current state. There are some strong reasons why we cannot go against the custom and include tips in the prices.
- 1. Crew strongly prefers to receive income in the form of tips over salary because they can take home more legally (tax benefits).
- 2. The market is price competitive — going against 99.9% of operators would hurt our business and the crew's livelihood.
- 3. Tips play a crucial role in optimizing team's service delivery and act as motivation against complacency.
Understanding the Numbers
Via Tips
Crew receives 100% directly
Via Salary
You pay more, crew receives same
*Includes VAT (18%), income tax, NSSF (20%), WCF, and accounting charges
"Employees in certain trades receive tips which form a substantial part to their income... Payments given as a present in appreciation of the recipients' personal qualities would not be taxable."
— Tanzania Revenue Authority, Income Tax Practice Notes (4.11)Our Tipping Guidelines
These amounts are for the whole group. Costs will be divided amongst the whole group.
| Role | Suggested Tip (per day from whole group) |
|---|---|
| Senior Guide | $20 – $25 per day |
| Assistant Guide | $15 – $20 per day |
| Cook | $15 – $20 per day |
| Porter | $8 – $10 per day |
| Waiter | $10 – $15 per day |
| Summit Porter | $10 per day |
| Toilet Crew | $10 – $15 per day |
| Camp Crew | $10 – $15 per day |
Although larger tips are always appreciated by our staff, they will be extremely grateful if you follow the guidelines for tipping given above.
Can I prepay the tips?
Unfortunately this is not possible at the moment. Around 50% of what you pay might be deducted from what crew receives because of various taxes and costs. We prefer not to get involved in the tipping process.
Leave Tips with Briefing Manager
Yes, you can hand over tipping cash to the briefing manager before your trek. A receipt will be issued. After completing the trek, you can return the receipt to collect your funds and distribute tips personally.
What if I didn't reach the summit?
The crew's dates are blocked for your entire planned trek. Often failure to summit is due to AMS, not service quality. Tip based on service received, not summit success. If service was poor, tip what you think is fair and share feedback.
How to give tips to the crew?
The best way would be to collect the tips from the whole group, and then divide it amongst the whole crew.
Envelope Method
Tips can be placed in individual envelopes and the climbers can hand them directly to each crew member.
Two Envelopes Method
Envelope 1: For senior guide, assistant guides, and cooks — hand to each individually.
Envelope 2: For porters — hand to the porters' representative.
The Tipping Ceremony
A special tradition at the end of every Kilimanjaro climb involving singing, dancing, and the handing out of tips to all mountain crew members.
Have Questions About Tipping?
Our team is here to help you understand tipping etiquette for your Kilimanjaro climb.