Cash or Card?

Ann from Irvine

Can anyone tell me about how much cash we will need? We will be using U.S. dollars. I know we need cash for the tip for our tour guide, but do we need cash to pay for laundry or alcoholic drinks or will we be able to charge these items? I would appreciate any feedback on this. Thank you!

ndvb

Don't take much cash, you won't need it. I think somewhere between $200-$250 (maybe $300) is enough. It depends on how much you are buying from small dealers. You'll need some for TD and driver tips...and other people waiters or hotel people if you think they went above and beyond the call of duty. You'll need some for souvenirs from the small areas. This all depends on whether or not you are a big shopper. I had some Euros left from the the trip to the Mediterranean just before the safari and I used them for the tour director. I brought more cash than I needed and listened to a post in here and brought it all in small bills. You really don't have to do that either. I spent about $100 on a few souvenirs and the rest of the stuff I bought was with a credit card. Yes, they did charge a surcharge, but if it is something expensive and you are shipping it home, it will be insured by your credit card if something happens. Just negotiate the surcharge into your price--I did. I figure the major item I bought and shipped was more expensive than it needed to be. I probably could have gotten it for less. Negotiate the shipping price into the total price if you can. If you don't feel comfortable negotiating then you can ask someone you trust to help you, or pay their price.

Speaking of negotiating. Do it and do it well. Don't be afraid to walk away--that is part of the "invisible hand" of a market economy. You'll see the same stuff later (sometimes cheaper; sometimes more expensive), unless you wait until the last day. If your conscience gets to you, then realize that was part of the negotiating process and they were bargaining from a stronger position than you. (I am not saying that paying more because you feel sorry for someone is bad; I am saying that is part of their bargaining position.)

It is actually kind of fun. We don't get to do that much, except for cars and houses. They won't let you steal the stuff from them....they know what it cost them to make the product and they aren't afraid to walk away from the deal if they are going to lose money.

ndvb

I forgot to reply on the payment for laundry and drinks. Both are provided by the hotel and all of the hotels take credit cards. One thing I think is important, maybe you don't, is that I have my credit card charged using the currency of the country I am in (i.e. Tanzanian and Kenyan Shillings) because the bank will give me a better exchange rate than the hotel will. Often, they will try and charge USD, but don't let them. Hopefully you have a credit card that does not charge a service fee for foreign purchases. If you don't, get one if you plan to travel much. Mine does not charge the service charge and has a mileage program.

Ann from Irvine

Thank you so much for your input on the cash and credit card issue. Your extra info on bargaining, shipping and getting the most from your charge card transactions was a real bonus!

Sealord

Ann from Irvine wrote:

Thank you so much for your input on the cash and credit card issue. Your extra info on bargaining, shipping and getting the most from your charge card transactions was a real bonus!

I brought about $700 (total for both of us) in new mostly small bills 1,5,10,20. Twice I played 'bank' for people who had broght 50's and no small bills. I wanted the cash mostly for contingencies and the possibility of a misconnect and a $500 cab ride to Ongorongoro. If everything goes well, you will need little money, if something goes wrong you are in an environment where cash is king. We did tip for all of those services we got that were not provided by Tauck, and we did not return with a lot of left over cash. Our tour director also advised us to carry passport and cash with us, and not rely on the hotel safes. You have very little 'public' contact, so you are not likely to get mugged. There is no need to get local currency, but you may end up coming home with some. They will accept dollars, but they will not take Tanzania currency in Kenya for example.