Practical Information - Madagascar - page 170

TIPPING I (and even vazaha residents) find this an impossible subject on which to give
coherentadvice.Yetitistheonethatconsistentlycausesanxietyintravellers.Theproblem
isyouhavetobalanceuptheexpectationofthetiprecipient-whomaybeusedtogenerous
tippers - and the knowledge of local wages. A policeman, school teacher or junior doctor
will earn around US$100 a month, while an experienced doctor or a university professor
might get US$200. At the other end of the scale, although the minimum wage is around
US$125, many manual workers are paid far less in the private sector; a waiter or labourer
would be lucky to be paid US$15 and some girls working as maids receive no payment at
all, just board and lodging. Near Toamasina is a small community where everyone breaks
rocks for road-building. They are paid US$1 for ten buckets of gravel. No wonder every-
one in Madagascar dreams of finding a job in tourism.
Some tipping is relatively simple: if a service charge is added to the restaurant bill, tip-
ping is not strictly necessary. About 10% is ample; a Malagasy would tip far less. Taxi
driversshouldnotexpect atip,thoughyoumaywanttoaddsomething forexceptional ser-
vice.
The most manipulative are baggage handlers, because they usually catch you before you
are wised up to Madagascar, and are masters at the disappointment act.
Thehardesttippingquestionishowmuchtopayguides,drivers...peoplewhohavespent
several days with you and given excellent service. I do try to ensure that the people who
work behind the scenes, such as cooks and cleaners, also get tipped. Guides know, and ac-
cept, that independent travellers often cannot afford to tip much, or at all. Generally speak-
ing, 5,000-10,000Ar per day is a sensible starting point. Keep in mind that it costs around
4,000Ar to feed a family of five for a day in rural areas, and adjust your tip accordingly.
Where it is essential not to over-tip is when travelling off the beaten track, where you
could be setting a dangerous precedent. It can cause problems for vazaha that follow, who
are perhaps doing research or conservation work and who cannot afford to live up to these
new expectations.
Finally, pay and tip guides in ariary rather than foreign currency.
GETTING AROUND
PUBLIC TRANSPORT You can get around Madagascar by road, air, water and rail.
Whatever your transport, you'd better learn the meaning of en panne - broken down. Dur-
ing these en panne sessions one can't help feeling a certain nostalgia for the pre-mechan-
ised days when Europeans travelled by filanzana (palanquin). These litters were carried by
four cheerful porters who, by all accounts, were so busy swapping gossip and telling stor-