Tipping in Seychelles

Our travellers often ask for our advice on how, who, when and how much to tip when on holiday in the Seychelles. With this in mind, we have highlighted below some of the issues involved and the etiquette of tipping, which we hope will help guide you in what can sometimes be seen as an area that is bit of a minefield.

Tipping is not typically expected in the Seychelles, as a service charge is usually added to/included in the bill.

However, here are some guidelines if you have received exceptional service and would like to leave something extra – it’s always appreciated:

Tipping at restaurants and bars

Restaurant bills normally include a service charge. Servers and bar staff don’t expect to receive tips, but giving something extra for exceptional service will always be appreciated. Around 5-10% of the bill would be considered a generous tip.

Tipping hotel staff

Tipping at hotels is at your discretion, and we’d suggest tipping at the end of your stay. A reasonable amount to tip a porter, for example would be around SR12, and SR10 for housekeeping staff. If you’d like the tip to be shared equally by all the hotel staff ‘behind the scenes’, you could place a general tip – the amount is at your discretion – in an envelope and hand it at the reception.

Tipping tour guides

If taking a tour, then around USD $5 for a half-day tour and USD $10 for a whole-day tour would be appropriate.

Tipping taxi drivers

Fares include a service fee, and so tipping is really not necessary. However, locals often round up the fare for convenience.