Cash, credit and debit cards

Ronable

What is likely to be the need for cash, and credit or debit cards while on the trip? I presume it depends on if you buy things in the lodges, or villages, etc. Are US cards without the European standard RFID chip usable?

Sealord

Ronable wrote:

What is likely to be the need for cash, and credit or debit cards while on the trip? I presume it depends on if you buy things in the lodges, or villages, etc. Are US cards without the European standard RFID chip usable?

I don't think we spent more that three hundred in cash, but we carried about $900 in case we miss connected somewhere and needed to buy a $500 dollar taxi ride to Ngorongoro ... small bills including a hundred one's, all new bills. (post 2009, big heads), and new but of course small 'head' ones. I actually used most of my stash playing bank and making change for people who showed up with nothing but old fifties ... which are worthless in Africa. I had an RFID card with me, but I only used a non-RFID card (1% foreign transaction fee with my credit union).

British

You can certainly get away without using any local currency. They are generally happy to take dollars. But contrary to what we were told about taking small denominations in dollars, our tour guide said the Locals like the bigger amount notes because they can get a better exchange rate when they change them. On our Tanzania tour we needed cash for a private tour before we joined the Tauck tour ($200) And we were told that the credit card machines sometimes don't work at the National Parks, but it did for our tour. We used credit cards for all purchases and for paying the bill for incidentals at the lodges. We used dollars to pay the Maasai at the villages for their trinkets--- which if you really like the talking sticks and the beaded neck collars that I like can be expensive. The bracelets and regular style necklaces not so much. It was the same when we went on the Kenya and Tanzania tour. You will be visiting the Cultural Center on this tour. You can pay for the art and anything else you use with credit card. We gave dollars for our tips. These days we have the tip money ready in an envelope and keep it separate with paper to write a personal note to the Tour Director. Some hotels do not have ATMs, as you are pretty much in the middle of nowhere most of the time, if you want to buy the odd souvenir on the street you would have a problem, but you will certainly be okay in any other situation.

Merlin321

So Sealord and British, we are on the Sept. 13 Tanzania and Kenya Tour. We plan on doing the Lake Tour and probably the National Park Tour on the 11th and 12th prior to the start of the Tauck tour. We have two chip cards that don't charge international fees, so including tips and the cost of the extra tours, how much cash and in what denominations would you recommend we bring?

British

If you do the Arusha National park tour, you will need $200 cash for the guide plus a tip, plus I think it was about $170 for the two of us to get into the park and include the walking tour, but we used CC for this part. If you omit the walking safari that is $35 less each. For the lake tour, I think it was $35 each plus another $35 each for entry into the lake park, that we also paid in cash. Plus another cash tip. At this point you can see how much of the Tauck prices go on park fees.
Use of an ATM is only possible when there is an ATM to use.
I only did the Tanzania tour this time around, Sealord may be able to help with ATM recollection. Or if you read the info on your hotels, it may tell you there. I already mentioned being able to use credit cards at the hotels on the Tanzania tour, we had one hotel that only accepted cash, but that does not affect you. I have no idea what souvenirs you may be attracted to when you visit the Maasai. Like I said, I spent a lot there, over $200, I knew what I wanted before I went because I have been to Africa before, so was prepared.
Sealord reminded me that only notes over 2009 will be accepted. As long as you have a fair amount of small notes to give, it appears it is less important than was stressed on our last trip
That's the best I can tell you.

Merlin321

Thanks British.

The $200 for the Arusha Nat'l. Park guide is for 2 or per person? Sounds like for the extra tours and gratuities for the director, drivers, etc. we should bring about $1,000 to $1,200 in cash (I guess if we're going to bring $1,000 we may as well be safe and bring $1,200). It sounds like about $200 in small bills and the rest in larger bills. Will they take 100 dollar bills, or is that too big? Should we stick to twenties and fifties?

British

Sorry I give up, call Tauck

dgordon622

I am also trying to decide how much cash to bring. Do the hotels charge a large surcharge for credit cards? I have heard that they do. Also, do the hotels and Tauck during tours provide unlimited bottled water? Do we need to pay for extra water? Does anyone know where the water is bottled? In Africa or elsewhere? Thanks!

Sealord

dgordon622 wrote:

I am also trying to decide how much cash to bring. Do the hotels charge a large surcharge for credit cards? I have heard that they do. Also, do the hotels and Tauck during tours provide unlimited bottled water? Do we need to pay for extra water? Does anyone know where the water is bottled? In Africa or elsewhere? Thanks!

Unlimited bottled water. In the hotels if you run out, order more, tell them you are with Tauck, it is free. After dining, take the left over water bottle with you ... someone. Money ... Bring $1,000 per couple, new bills ( post 2009), nothing bigger than a twenty, including 100 singles. If you do end up with local currency, they don't accept Kenya money in Tanzania, nor Tanzania money in Kenya. I never saw an ATM machine, nor a bank, and certainly not an American Express office. (;-)

Sealord

Sealord wrote:

Unlimited bottled water. In the hotels if you run out, order more, tell them you are with Tauck, it is free. After dining, take the left over water bottle with you ... someone. Money ... Bring $1,000 per couple, new bills ( post 2009), nothing bigger than a twenty, including 100 singles. If you do end up with local currency, they don't accept Kenya money in Tanzania, nor Tanzania money in Kenya. I never saw an ATM machine, nor a bank, and certainly not an American Express office. (;-)

Actually, my wife added a correction ... we used around two hundred singles. If you don't want change in local currency, it helps to be able to pay 'exact' amounts.