Money questions produce more pre-trip anxiety than lions do. Here is how it actually works on the ground.
Two currencies in practice
The local currency is the Tanzanian shilling, and it is what you use for small things: a soda, a market stall, a local lunch. US dollars are widely accepted for the big things: lodges, activities, tips. Bring some of both. Dollar notes should be recent-series and undamaged; old or torn notes get refused.
Cards and cash machines
Cards work at larger lodges and hotels, often with a surcharge, and increasingly elsewhere. ATMs exist in Arusha, Moshi and Stone Town, and not on the crater rim or halfway up a mountain. The working rule: cards for the planned expenses, cash for everything spontaneous, withdrawn or exchanged in town before you head out.
Tipping, without the awkwardness
Tipping is a normal, expected part of safari and climbing culture here, and it is a meaningful share of crew income. It is also the thing travellers most want a straight answer on, so we give one: when you book with us, you get a written guideline with suggested ranges per day for guides, cooks, porters and camp staff, and an explanation of how group tips are pooled and shared.
Two principles carry you through every situation. First, tips reward service on top of a fair wage, never instead of one; ask any operator, including us, what their crew are paid. Second, hand tips over openly at the end, ideally at the farewell where the whole crew is present, so the sharing is transparent.
Small practical notes
- A dedicated tip envelope per crew, prepared the night before, saves fumbling.
- Mobile payments are everywhere among locals; as a visitor, cash remains simpler.
- Haggling is normal in markets, done with a smile, and not done in shops with printed prices.
- Keep small notes for small purchases; nobody has change for a fifty at a fruit stall.
