Travel to Indochina: How much to tip?

Sounds strange but tipping is not the norm in Indochina.

But if you feel extremely satisfied with the service, feel free to give a tip. It is a gesture of appreciation. The key is how to show your appreciation properly. Below are some tips to make your trip to Indochina (Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos) much easier and more enjoyable!

However, keep in mind that the decision to tip and the amount is totally your choice as well as your comfort level.

1. Tour guides and drivers

Tour guides play such an important role in making your trips successful or not. They prepare all forms and documentation for you, take care of you throughout the trip, and provide you with the necessary information about destinations. Sometimes, they even help you solve unexpected problems.

Therefore, if you are satisfied with their service and accompanying, make sure to give them a tip. You can consider giving them 4-8$ per person per day.

(Photo Credit: Nadova Tours)

2. Hotel staff

The better the hotel staff, including maids, bellboys, valets, and front desk employees, treat you, the more comfortable your vacation is. To show your gratefulness and recognition to them, you can give them an extra amount of money.

The amount of tipping entirely depends on your level of satisfaction and budget. You can consider giving them an extra 1-5$ per person per day.

3. Restaurant staff

Again, tipping is not essential in Vietnamese restaurants. Especially when it comes to small and local restaurants, you barely see any tips.

However, when coming to fine-dining restaurants and receiving good services, you can give the staff 5-10% of the bill to thank them. (The same goes for Western restaurants in town).

(Photo Credit: Nadova Tours)

4. Coffee shop staff

To be honest, in Indochina, service fees are included in the price of coffee. Therefore, customers are not expected to pay an extra amount of money for services.

However, in some coffee shops where there are tipping boxes, you can consider putting in a small amount of money. Sometimes, this money is used to help people in need.

5. Spa staff

Maybe you don’t know: Spa and massage are must-try when visiting Indochina.

After long hours of walking and wandering around the streets, you can receive the utmost relaxation at any spa in Indochina. Most of the time, the skillful staff knows your exact problems and gives you the exact massage session that you need.

So, if your massage session is beyond great, you can think about giving them a small amount of tip money. Just 5-10% of your bills is alright.

Keynotes:

• Tip in the local currency: Here we provide recommendations in USD dollars as it might be easier for you to plan your trip and budget. When coming to countries in Indochina, you have to exchange money for local currency, such as VND regarding Vietnam, pay for services give tips in local currency.

• Check before tipping: You should check your bills before giving tips. As in many restaurants, the service fees are included in the bills already. So check the bill first, then decide whether or not to tip.

• The more luxury services you receive, the higher amount of tippings should be paid.

Again, tipping is not mandatory in Indochina countries. But it is a way to express your appreciation and thankfulness to the staff and support the local economy. So, why don’t?

For further information about Indochina, including information on culture, dining etiquette, tours, etc., feel free to inbox us! We can even create an exclusive schedule in which you can enjoy your time in these countries to the fullest. What you like, we provide!