4. Tipping

The Spanish word for tip is 'propina' - a synonym of 'reward'- and derivative from the Latin word "propinare" meaning to give something. The Portuguese word is 'gorjeta'. We cannot stress enough that tipping is a personal choice and should be based upon the quality of service provided. Nobody should expect a tip and do not feel obligated to give one if you are unsatisfied with the service.

It is difficult to give firm guidelines as to how much to tip a provider of services in Latin America, as the cost of living varies widely from country to country. However, over the years a significant number of our clients have mentioned that they would have appreciated more advice on tipping. For that reason we cautiously present the following guidelines to help plan your holiday budget.

General

It is normal practice in Latin America to tip anyone who provides a service, including waiters, guides, porters, hairdressers, room-service and maid-service in hotels. For everyone, with the possible exception of guides, it is more convenient to receive a tip in local currency.

If several people have been involved, it is better to tip each one individually rather than expect one to share out the gratuity among the others (e.g. porters on hiking trips, guides and drivers).

With this in mind, previous clients have commented that it is useful to take a number of sealable envelopes into which you can put the individual tips before passing them on.

Hotels

Tip hotel porters for handling bags. Calculate an amount of currency equal to about $1.00 for every two bags.

If you are happy with the housekeeping you may want to consider tipping the maid between US$0.50 - $1.00 per night

You might also tip the concierge staff if you have used them to arrange dinner reservations, transportation or leisure activities.

Taxi Drivers

Though it is not obligatory to tip taxi drivers, it is common practice to round up the fare, and indeed, it is usual to agree rates in advance if the taxi does not have a meter or it is turned off.

Restaurants

The general rule of thumb for restaurants is to leave 10%, though a service charge equal to or slightly above that is usually added to the final bill. Even when service charge is included, it is customary to round it up to the nearest full figure. However, in smaller cafes, there is usually no service charge included on the bill.

Local Guides

Local guides may be people relying on their tip as a significant proportion of their income, or they may be students working their way through college, retired people, or part-timers supplementing their income from other sources. Most people prefer to tip according to their level of satisfaction with the service.

However the following rule of thumb may be helpful: if you are in a group of more than four people, accompanied on a half-day tour by an English-speaking guide, a tip in local currency to the value of a meal and a drink in that country is reasonable (as a general rule of thumb, around $5.00 per couple per half-day); if you are in a smaller group or a full-day tour, you might double this amount ($10.00 per couple). Many clients who have been particularly satisfied give more.

Drivers

Don't forget your driver who, in many cases, may have shown extreme skill on difficult roads. In general terms, he/she should be tipped a lower amount than the guide. Wages paid to people in employment of this type are normally very low - often since employers assume that gratuities will be given - but, refraining from giving a tip as a statement to discourage such practice will only serve to deprive the workers in question of an amount upon which they have normally come to rely.

Naturalist Guides (Cruise/Jungle)

The convention is usually US$10 per person per day, although this is only a suggestion as we understand that tipping is a personal choice. You will be given specific guidance on board a cruise - some companies recommend US$15 per day per person for the crew, and the same again for your guides. This is often aimed at Americans, who routinely tip at 15 or even 20% and we believe these figures to be somewhat inflated. Please do not feel pressured into tipping at this level.

Inca Trail Trek

For the Inca Trail, there are specific conventions concerning tipping. The accepted rates are as follows:

If you are part of a group, each group member should allow:

* US$5 per person, per porter
(ratio is 1 client: 1 porter)
* US$10 per person to the cook
* US$10 per person to the guide

However, if you are part of a very small group, you may consider increasing these amounts.

If you are on a privately escorted trip, you should allow:

* US$25 for the porter
* US$10 for the cook
* US$50 for the guide

This works out at a total of US$85, irrespective of whether you are alone, or with another person. Please note also that the weight a porter may carry of an individual client's personal belongings has recently been set at 8kg (in addition they will be carrying camping and cooking equipment to a maximum weight of 16kg). We would also encourage you to donate any unwanted outdoor clothes or sleeping bags to the porters.

Bargaining

Bargaining is normal procedure in most street and indoor markets, though no fair generalization can be made about the amount by which the price can be reduced. Tourists can usually expect to have to pay more than locals. In Peru, the asking price is often more than 50% more than the minimum that the vendor is prepared to accept, while the Otavalo Indians in Ecuador and street traders in Bolivia rarely come down more than 10%.

Street side vendors working from a makeshift or portable stall and selling items such as cigarettes, sweets and fruit are often extremely poor.

Towel Origami

Chambermaids have learned that they get bigger tips if they sculpt your towels into swans. Fine... so long as they clean and tidy your room properly too.

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