Budget

Many travellers wonder whether and how much it is appropriate to tip in The Maldives. Here are our guidelines.

The build up to a holiday is incredibly exciting. However, if you don’t have your wits about you, you can be hit with some unexpected costs that really take the shine off all that anticipation. This article aims to empower you to minimise the hit to your wallet of those extra expenses that might pop up in your preparation for travelling. Here are our 9 top things to look out for:

Tipping isn’t common practise in Thailand. If you notice a group of locals, you’ll rather rarely see them tip at a restaurant for example. On the other hand, small tokens of appreciation for top notch service will be much appreciated. You’ll also notice in touristy places that tips are a given and 10% is added to your overall bill, so don’t be too surprised by this.

Thailand is famous as a great value, exotic beach destination. To experience the country at its best though, requires some financial investment – to escape the high-rise, block resorts and mass-touristy sights. Here, we’re sharing our top tips to get the best value out of your luxury family holiday to the country

Tipping is not common practice in Malaysia and most won’t expect it. In some tourist hot spots you may notice 10% service charge added to your restaurant bill. Otherwise tipping will be discretionary. Here’s our suggested guidelines for you holiday.

Tipping is not common practice in Malaysian Borneo and most won’t expect it. In some tourist hot spots you may notice 10% service charge added to your restaurant bill. Otherwise tipping will be discretionary. Here’s our suggested guidelines for you holiday.

Tipping is very much a western import and some guides may say it’s not customary. That being said it’s an important form of secondary income for Cambodians and does incentive good service. Here, we share on our thoughts on what is an appropriate amount to tip.

Tipping in Vietnam is very much a western import. In certain places however, it’s becoming an important supplementary form of income. You might find a difference between the North and South of the country: Saigon’s exposure to US culture has made tipping more of a thing although, to be honest, exposure to the tourist industry has meant the practice is now countrywide. Although tips are not expected, they are very much appreciated but it can sometimes be challenging working out how much to tip and when it’s appropriate to do so. Here we provide an insider’s guide:

Having only opened up to tourists relatively recently, there’s a nascent culture of tipping in Myanmar. We’d encourage tipping for particularly good service; wages are low so they’ll certainly be appreciated. That being said, do only tip on a merit basis and don’t feel obliged to do it. Here are our guidelines for tipping in Myanmar.

Many people planning a trip to Asia find the budgeting process tricky. There’s a big misconception that everything is priced low when really it’s just very good value compared to a European holiday equivalent, but not necessarily ‘cheap.’ Here, we share our top suggestions on planning a luxury family holiday to Vietnam and Cambodia.

Planning a family holiday to Sri Lanka can seem challenging, certainly for those wanting to make sure they get the best value for money. Here, travel expert Becky shares her top tips for keeping the costs down and getting ‘bang for your buck’.

Planning an Indonesian holiday can be challenging, with all the various islands, flight schedules, experiences and hotel options available. With lots of island hopping, the cost of an Indonesia family holiday can come as a surprise to some. This guide will help you to approach planning in a realistic frame of mind and will share some insider tips on how to keep prices down.