TIPPING IN BHUTAN

Greetings travellers,

My name is Kinga & in this blog I will cover some information on tipping and its associated culture in Bhutan. As universally defined, tipping is not mandatory and the same applies to Bhutan as well. As a tourist visiting Bhutan, you do not have tip the guide & the driver if you do not intend to. The guide and the driver are paid a daily DSA for the work they put in. 

However, in saying, let me also highlight that Bhutan is a developing tiny nation with many citizens earning only enough to make a decent living. So even we & I personally when I go out, I always try to tip some because I'm aware that most people involved in the service industry do not make much from their mere salary. 
As for the people involved in the tourism sector and specifically the guide & the driver, they go to great lengths in ensuring that the guest/s that they are hosting are taken well taken care of. They put in a whole lot of effort in making sure that the guest are comfortable and having a good time. They do this not because they are expecting anything in return. It is genuinely how we treat others as Bhutanese; with kindness & compassion. 
More than the money involved, majority of us believe in being good ambassadors of our country. 

The hospitality is reciprocated by the guests in the form of gratuity or tips when they leave the country. Depending on how they felt and how they were treated, most guests tip accordingly. While it is not mandatory, I personally would recommend that if you had a truly great experience and was treated well by the guide and the driver involved, make sure to tip them. Amount doesn't matter. All of them come from humble backgrounds. Each dollar is approximately 83 Ngultrum of our currency at the current rate and even a small tipping would greatly enhance their capacity to spend it on their loved ones when they return back home. 

But if you had a horrible experience & was not treated well by the guide while in Bhutan, make sure to give them a hand shake when you depart because that is what they will deserve & a nice review of your experience on the agency's website through which you came through.

If you're looking for more insights for Bhutan, you can visit our tourism council of Bhutan website at https://bhutan.travel/

& if you need fast, quick and instant responses to your queries, then get in touch with us!

WELCOME TO BHUTAN!