Get Outdoors - Women: Tipping Etiquette

Tipping is a subject with a great variety of personal opinion and practice, and also one where it's easy to feel insecure. I've learned over time just to do the best I can, and then not sweat it. Here are my thoughts and guidelines. As always, let me know if you have other views. Of course, practices vary from country to country, and this is just a general guide, mostly for less developed countries.

One of the hardest things is just having enough small change on hand, but when you do, a dollar or so here and there is much appreciated by the often poorly paid and hard working people who help make a trip possible. I often have porters lugging 5 or 6 heavy bags up and down stairs, and I try to average about a dollar a bag for this kind of heavy lifting.

My personal perspective is that it is better to tip small than not at all, especially in situations where people of humble means are helping you daily. Even though airport porters can be so numerous as to be a nuisance, I still feel it is best to show some generosity and let them help you with a bag, even though you can handle it yourself.

I tend not to tip taxi drivers in most of the countries where I travel, unless they have gone out of their way to be especially helpful. I'd welcome contrary views on this practice.

In restaurants, the "automatic" 15% rule doesn't apply in many places, and often a service charge is added on. You can watch for that or ask about it. In any event I usually add about 10% for good service.

On the trail, you might have mules or llamas or porters, or a camp guard or cook. If you are on a guided trip, ask your guide who will handle tips for these people. Even if your guide provides a tip, feel free to give an additional gift if you are so inclined. Money is always appreciated, and groups often pool their resources for this. Clothing and equipment is also much appreciated. A fleece jacket, hat, gloves-anything you might have planned to retire soon or part with, and it will very likely be better quality than they could afford and they will be happy to have it. It's also fine to give nothing.

On guided trips it is common for groups or individuals to tip their guide as well. Again, this is an individual decision and you should tip or not, depending on your circumstances and those of your trip, as well as your feelings about the service, attention and effort of your guide! Guides generally are in the buiness because they enjoy facilitating rewarding, educational and meaningful experiences. Regardless of the "chemistry" between you and the guide-which is often a matter of luck-a tip will be seen as your acknowledgement of the effort on your guide's part. I wouldn't worry about the amount. Sometimes groups get together to pool tips. A individual's tip amounting to a daily wage for a day or two is not unusual, although sometimes a guide might receive several times that amount. The trip length, and your perception of their efforts will obviously affect the amount.

For your information, guides' daily wages vary greatly, but will typically range from $60 to $80 a day for a beginning guide, to $200 or more a day for an internationally certified guide, depending on the trip. The work is seasonal, physically, mentally and emotionally demanding, and often entails exposure to risk, so I hope few would argue that guides are overpaid!

A note on self-employed or "independent" guides: at the risk of sticking my neck out and annoying some colleagues, let me say that in general tipping a self-employed guide is less common than tipping an employee guide. The logic is that self-employed people are presumably free to set their fees to cover their costs and compensate themselves adequately. On the other hand, this should not discourage anyone from showing their appreciation for a job well done with a gift of any kind. Such gestures are always received gratefully, as a token not only of your kindness, but also as an affirmation of the guide's professional and personal contribution to your experience.