Easter tourist in Jerusalem - maybe not so fun! Photo: Hoyasmeg

Written by Maak

If you want to experience Easter first hand, Israel (Jerusalem or Bethlehem) and the Vatican City, Rome are the fairly obvious, but not the only, choices. Here are a few alternatives if you are looking to celebrate Easter somewhere with unique traditions or untraditional customs.

Jamaica’s Easter Carnival

Photo by: PUMA

Jamaica's biggest cultural celebration, the Jamaica Easter Carnival started in 1990 and has increased in popularity ever since. Up to 100.000 people flock to Kingston for the Carnival, which starts on Easter Sunday with Beach Jouvert – a parade that starts at daybreak and ending with a colourfull “Road March”, a costumed street parade where top local and regional bands play calypso and reggae, complemented with socha parties and a children’s parade.

The Easter spirit is evident throughout Jamaica during the Easter period, with Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Negril have wonderful entertainment and parades. Whilst you are there, remember to sample another Jamaican Easter tradition, eating cinnamon and raison buns together with cheese – bon appetite!

Semana Santa, Seville, Spain

Photo by: Sacred Destinations

The Holy Week up to Easter is one of Seville’s most important and spectacular celebrations, and has been for centuries, with up to 1 million people flocking to Seville to see the celebrations.

Starting on Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday), and ending on Domingo de Resurrección (Easter Sunday), 57 brotherhoods walk through Seville’s narrow streets from their own church, to pay a religious visit to the Cathedral of Seville, the third largest Cathedral in the world. Most brotherhoods carry two floats, a float with a Christ, representing the distinct stages of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and a float with a Dolorosa (Mary the Virgin in pain) under a canopy. Some of the floats have exquisite sixteenth century statues decorated with gilt and silver, and are often accompanied by bands playing flamenco style hymns.

The biggest procession starts at midnight on Easter Thursday, where ca. 60.000 monks participate winding their way through the night to arrive at the Cathedral on the morning of Good Friday. Whilst the week has a solemn flavor, you will see bars and restaurants packed with local families till late into the night.

Read more at www.spainonline.com/semana-santa

São Bras de Alportel, Portugal

Photo by: Dave Appleton

Situated in the eastern Algarve, this small town, with only one church, draws visitors each Easter to participate in its unique Easter ceremony.

Men hold torches, decorated with flowers, while running through the streets celebrating the resurrection of Christ. They shout “christ is Risen” and responding "Hallelujah". When they reach the parish church, flowers are carefully laid out, so the priest may walk over them.

Similar ceremonies used to take place in other Algarve towns in the 18th and 19th century, but now the tradition is alive only in São Brás. Legend has it that the procession was not originally of a religious character. After pillaging Faro and Cadiz in 1596, and bent on more, the seamen of Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh went to the hills. Armed only with clubs and branches, the villagers São Brás defended the town and sent the invaders back to their ships. The São Brás men returned home with their clubs and branches decorated with flowers to celebrate their victory. A mass was held in the Igreja de Matriz to give thanks for the victory - an event still thought to underlie the present day Easter celebrations which begin and end at the very same church.

See Katrina Barry's pictures from this fantastic event here.

New York, United States, Easter Parade


Photo by: xrrr

A New York tradition since 1870, the Easter Bonnet Parade takes place along 5th Avenue – which is closed for traffic for the day. The parade is an informal parade where everybody can participate – as long as you are wearing an Easter Bonnet. And all kinds of people do participate with bonnets of all colours and shapes, and decorated paper birds, flowers and Easter eggs bunnies! Many participants also carry Easter baskets, equally colourful and lavishly decorated
 
Dogs, cats, snakes and other pets also join their owners and it is quite common to see dogs wearing elaborate hats and bonnets as well as their owners. You can also just go down to watch the parade, as thousands upon thousands do.

After taking in the Easter Parade you can take a stroll to Central park and participate in the Easter Extravaganza with lots of fun and games for children of all ages.

You can read more at: www.ny.com/holiday/easter

Scoppio del Carro, Florence, Italy

Photo by: -DjD-

Scoppio del Carro, literally translated to ‘the explosion of the cart’, is a tradition that dates back to the 11th century. On Easter morning a thirty foot antique cart (over 500 years old) is dragged through the streets of Florence, by a team of beautifully decorated white oxen. At Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore the cart is loaded with fireworks while a wire, stretching to the high altar inside the cathedral, is fitted with a mechanical dove. During Easter Mass, the fuse in the dove is lit, which ignites the cart and sets off a spectacular explosion. According to popular legend, if all goes well and the cart is exploded it will mean a very prosperous year for the people of Florence.

According to legend, a Florentine nobleman by the name of Pazzino de Pazzi was the first to climb the walls of Jerusalem carrying the flag of the crusaders. For his courage, the commander and chief of the crusade, Goffredo di Buglione, rewarded Pazzino with stone splinters from the tomb in which Jesus was laid after his death upon the cross, which he donated to the city of Florence upon his return. The splinters were subsequently used to start an annual “holy fire” during Holy Week and start this tradition. 

Read more about the Scoppio del Carro at www.ultimateitaly.com

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Photo by: Dai B

The Holy Week celebrations in the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico attract visitors from around the world, largely due to the dramatic rendering of Christ's suffering on the Cross. However this, and all the other activities during the two weeks of celebrations are century old traditions, not staged for tourists.

Two Sundays before Easter, a statue of a bleeding Jesus is carried ca. 6 kilometres from the town of Atotonilco amidst fireworks and carpets of flowers and in the following two weeks is moved from church to church around the town.

On Good Friday, every church in town organises a procession, with the often-filmed pageant where a real-life Jesus figure drags his Cross, followed by the mourning Mary Magdalen and the saints and flanked by Roman centurions.

Celebrations culminate on Easter Sunday with the Firing of the Judases. Huge papier-maché figures of hated politicians, devilish historical figures and the betrayer of Jesus himself, Judas Iscariot, are blown up in a crescendo of firecrackers.

The final parade takes place on the Wednesday after Easter Sunday, when the statue is returned to his resting place in Atotonilco.

Read Geri Anderson’s personal description of the two week festival at San Miguel de Allende here.

Antigua, Guatemala

Photo by: RobertoUrrea

Easter is celebrated widely in the largely catholic Guatemala, but nowhere as splendidly as at Antigua – ca. 25km from capital. The paving stones of their streets are decorated with complex mosaics of brightly coloured flowers. Over these carpets of flowers, robed men carry heavy statues of Christ, as penance for their year’s transgressions, whilst children wave incense through the streets.

Alfombras, the brilliant carpets that pave the way for the processions date back to colonial times and mix Spanish, Catholic and Mayan traditions, and were once popular throughout the Spanish world, but today has largely died away. Sand or sawdust is used to level the cobblestones, and is dyed different colours and interwoven with bright flowers, other plants, and pine needles. The result is designs so intricate, it seems tragic when the processions pass over and trample them!

Read Sandra Kennedy’s fascinating article about the Easter festival in Antigua here.

Photo by: stari4ek

Written by Maak

Simple, cheap and accessible, absolutely no existing transportation solution could be better for reducing greenhouse gases, untangling snarled urban streets, and improving human health than getting more people to cycle.

For the tourist, biking is a fantastic way to get acquainted with a city. No problems parking, you can stop and start at your own pace, you can cycle where cars aren’t allowed (sea walls, nature paths, downtown areas) and with the cost of fuel only going in one direction (upwards) it’s a cheap and environmentally friendly way to get around.

Cycling is making a major comeback in many cities and is increasingly becoming a major part of urban planning – making a great way for the tourist to get around.

Here are seven cities that have gone out of their way to promote cycling. There are many more, Berlin, Barcelona, Basel, San Francisco and many others are going out of their way and making significant investments to promote cycling – making the cities more attractive places for residents and tourists alike.

Amsterdam, Netherlands


Photo: Prodromos Sarigianis

Bike capital of the world; 40% of Amsterdam’s traffic is by bicycle and the 750.000 residents own an estimated 600.000 bicycles. Bikes are by far the most popular means of transport, partly due to that fact that it’s almost impossible to drive a car around the narrow streets with canals, and due to the high price of parking – if you are lucky enough to find a spot to park.

Just about everybody cycles in Amsterdam – and it’s not unusual to see mothers, 2 kids and shopping all on the same bike. With its extensive network of routes dedicated to cyclists, plenty of places to park (Amsterdam is building a 10.000-bike parking garage at the main train station) and its bike culture, Amsterdam is a great place to cycle.

Read more at www.iamsterdam.com where you can also find links to guided tours – by bike of course.

Copenhagen, Denmark


Photo by: Canadian Veggie

With a vibrant bike culture, I'm not sure that many Copenhagerners agree that Amsterdam is the world's bike capital. Approximately a third of Copenhagen’s resident’s cycle to work daily – including myself. With an extensive network of dedicated paths, separated from the main road – including traffic lights specifically for cyclists – cycling is a quick and practical way to get around.

The local council is planning to on doubling its spending on cycling infrastructure during the next couple of years, and already parts of town are car-free and taking a bike for free on the subway system enables you to cycle further afield.

To encourage tourists to enjoy Copenhagen by bike, the city provides more than 2000 public bicycles, which can be found throughout the downtown area. Simply deposit 20 dkr to unlock your bike from one of the 100 cycle racks and enjoy your trip. Your money is refunded, when you return the bike to one of the racks.

Bicycle taxi’s are one of the latest trends in Copenhagen, you don’t need to tread the peddles, just lean back in a comfortable seat and enjoy the scenery.

Read more about all the cycling options Copenhagen has to offer at www.visitcopenhagen.com or if you need some inspiration about how chic Copenhagers are on a bike, take a look at www.copenhagencyclechic.com.

New York, Sydney and London are amongst the major cities that have sent delegations to Copenhagen to be inspired by Copenhagen's cycle culture and how to move traffic from the four-wheeled type to the two-wheeled type.

Portland, Oregon, USA


Photo by: Salim Virji

Portland has a varied bicycle network that connects all parts of the city with almost 400km of cycle paths, parking and a strong cycling culture with the highest percentage of bicycle commuters in the US, with up to 9% of commuters taking the bike in some neighbourhoods. 60% of Portland’s police force patrols via bicycle.

Portland's Create-a-Commuter program is the first project in the United States that provides low-income adults with commuter bicycles as well as a session on commuter safety. The bikes come outfitted with lights, a lock, a helmet, a pump, tool kits, maps and rainwear – needed in the Pacific Northwest.

On February 11th, 2010, Portland’s city council unanimously adopted a 20-year plan to further increase investment in cycling and bicycle related facilities.

Read more about what Portland has to offer at: www.portlandonline.com

Trondheim, Norway

Photo by: nick wright

Trondheim is an environmental friendly city that promotes cycling and where 18% of the population of Trondheim is using their bike as a daily means if transport to work or school.

The problem in Trondheim is that it’s hilly, and cycling uphill isn’t much fun! Therefore, Trondheim has come up with a pretty novel solution – the world’s first bicycle lift that carries cyclists, still sitting on their bikes, uphill. Inspired by ski technology, the cyclist puts their foot on a footplate and is transported uphill.

The 130m lift was set up in 1994 and can transport 360 cyclists per hour and so far, there have been no accidents.

Read more about Trondheim’s Trampe at www.trampe.no

Bogota, Colombia


Photo by: pattoncito

Perhaps not the first place to come to mind when cycling, but with less than 15% of residents owning cars, cycling is much of a necessity. Unfortunately, Bogotá's drivers have a culture of disrespect for traffic laws that causes more than 56,000 accidents per year, killing about 900 people among pedestrians, drivers, passengers and cyclists, every year.

Notwithstanding this, there is a great cycling culture in the city. Twenty-five years ago, the city administration started a car free program called "Ciclovia" where ca. 70km of roads are closed for cars each Sunday – more than 1m people turn out to enjoy this freedom.

The local council has a long-term bike plan, and ca. 350km of cycle paths have been created – often separated from the normal roads, to make it safer to cycle. Since the construction of the lanes, bicycle use has increased by 5 times in the city. It is estimated that there are between 300,000 and 400,000 trips made daily in Bogotá by bicycle.

Read and get some ideas about to see in Bogota, on a bike, at: www.bogotabiketours.com

Curitiba, Brazil


Photo: felippecesar

Cycling in Curitiba is a real pleasure. Curitiba is perhaps the most well-planned city in the world, certainly in Brazil and was designed from a master plan in 1965 which included a plan for pedestrian and alternative transport – most notably buses and cycles. The city has been pushing cycling as the go-to mode of transportation during the past 45 years and has resulted in bike lanes everywhere.

70% of Curitiba’s population use public transport or bicycle to get to work each day.

Montreal, Canada


Photo by: designwallah

Montreal has embarked on a $134 million plan to revamp the city’s bike trails and create a more bicycle-friendly atmosphere. The city currently has a total of 450 km of dedicated cycle paths downtown, and plans to expand these in the coming months.

Montreal also boasts an urban bike-share infrastructure, the Bixi program, touted by Time magazine as one of the 50 best inventions of 2008. For 5 CAD it is possible to borrow a bike at one of 300 stations, and take a trip around one of Canada’s most beautiful cities.

Read more about what Montreal has to offer and BIXI at www.tourisme-montreal.org

 
Photo: Donna81

Written by Maak

It’s a well known behavioral trait, that overcrowding breeds stress. When people are cramped together in confined spaces, small things can be blown out of proportion and cause major irritation for others occupying the same space.

As low-cost flying becomes the norm, travelling is easily within the reaches of almost everybody, flights are generally pretty full, and given the stress factor of flying - beyond being in a confined space, there is the whole airport and security experience nowadays – people have short fuses and easily get annoyed at their fellow passengers. I am sure that everybody who travels fairly regularly, has, at some time, been irritated at a fellow passenger or flight attendant.

But how rude are our fellow travellers - and I know it isn’t you, but all the other travellers that are rude.

Online travel provider Travelocity (owner of Lastminute.com in Europe), recently surveyed over 16,000 North American travellers to establish what annoyed passengers most of all when travelling. You can see the whole poll and its conclusions here.

Based on the feedback from the Travelocity's surver, and my own personal experiences I have selected 7 general rules when flying, where just a little courtesy can go a long way to making everybody’s trip a little more enjoyable.

1. The overhead locker

Make sure your luggage fits into the overhead and can sit under the seat in front of you and store it considerately and close to where you are sitting.

29% of respondents complained about passengers bringing oversized baggage onto the flight and then trying to stuff it into the overhead bin, often with little or no respect for other baggage already up there. This is then aggravated when you try and find somewhere for your regular piece of hand baggage there’s no room left!

Another overhead related irritation, is the careless storage of luggage. Collect your hand luggage and place them together and if possible on top of each other in the bin, leaving room for others to store things, without having first to move your items.

Then there are the passengers that store their luggage at the front of the plane, and sit further back. Later when the plane lands, this is often then used as an excuse to move forward whilst everybody is waiting to disembark (see point 3).

2. Let me get on first

If you want to get on the plane first, stand in line, and don’t jump the queue.

We’ve all experienced it, somebody jumping the queue to board; coming in from an angle to get on the plane earlier. Over 21% of participants complained about this. Why do people jump the queue to get on first - unless it’s to make sure there’s room for their oversized baggage? We all take off at the same time and I’d prefer to be on the plane as short a time as possible.

3. Let me get off first

If you have a tight connection, speak to flight attendants, if they agree and there is room, they will try and move you forward, and the people around you will hear and be understanding. Otherwise, just wait your turn and use your energy once you are off the flight where there usually is plenty of time to overtake fellow passengers.

We all want to get off, but there is always somebody who tries to push his or her way towards to the front of the plane, just to get off split seconds in advance of the rest of us. The normal excuses are having a connection to catch or that they have stored their luggage further forward (as if this was any excuse).

This has led to a new bread of passenger “the aggressive aisle stander” who doesn’t budge a centimetre as fellow passengers try a push past.

4. Kicking, grabbing and reclining the seat and the arm rest

Try to be as considerate of the person in front and behind you as at all possible. Never recline the seat during the meal and ask if the person behind you is using a laptop – so it doesn’t bang shut as you recline – or even fall off, which I saw on one flight. Don’t use the seat in front to pull yourself up, and try and control those legs so they aren’t stuck into the seat in front.

You have just napped off, and the passenger in the seat behind you decides to go to the washroom and grabs your seat as they get up. Then there is the child (or adult) repeatedly kicking your seat, something sixty percent of participants indicated as rude behaviour – in fact the highest number in the Travelocity poll.

Passengers who stand and rest against your seat whilst talking to somebody behind you, is another rude behaviour I often hear from travellers.

Reclining the seat is another hot topic, with over 30% of the people indicating that people who recline seats are annoying. I assume the main reason for this is the fact that there is already so little space, that people feel even more confined when the seat in front is reclined.

Finally, just because you are stuck in the middle seat, you don’t have the right to both armrests, as a kind of compensation. You are just going to have to try to work it out.

5. Personal hygiene

Take a shower before taking a flight, and if your feet smell, don’t take your shoes off.

Forty-five percent of respondents cited personal hygiene as an annoyance when flying. In my experience, smelly feet are the major issue, but over use of cologne or perfume, general lack of personal hygiene, and passengers that have eaten odorous food before taking a flight – or even worse, during the flight – are also issues passengers consider as problematic when flying.

6. Speaking loudly, bad language, arguing

Keep your personal conversations quiet and the subjects appropriate for everyone to hear and remember to bring things along to entertain your children.

The person next to you just isn’t interested in the problems you are currently having with your pet dog, or your boss – the rest of the plane aren’t either. Keep subjects appropriate and find out whether your seatmate is interested in conducting a conversation with you. Fifty-four percent of participants highlighted that speaking loudly and bad language was a problem when flying.

Other related pet peeves are out of control children and family arguments – flying is stressful, but sitting on the plane isn’t the time to make a big issue out the money your better half spent on duty free.

7. Do something nice, be helpful

Be courteous and respectful of other travellers, and the flight attendants. Friendly behavior is contagious, so hopefully they will return the favour.

Travelling used to be something to look forward to – perhaps even a bit romantic – OK I’m probably a bit older than most of the readers, and remember how proud I was and how envious everybody else was when I announced in school I was going to fly. Even though flying has become stressful, by doing something nice, being pleasant to your fellow passengers and respectful of the flight attendants, we might bring back the fun of flying.

If it goes wrong anyway, taking three deep breaths to calm yourself, always helps!

Photo by: Steven Bloom

Written by Maak

March heralds the start of spring in the northern hemisphere, it’s warmer, lighter and a time to celebrate the end of winter – although sitting here watching the snow fall in Copenhagen, I’m not at all sure when or whether spring will be arriving. 

I’ve highlighted a mixed bag of events to consider this March, including the “Black Sun” from my native Denmark. But there are many other events taking place, including Turin’s (Italy) chocolate festival, Bognor Regis’ (UK) Clown Parade, Sydney’s Comedy Festival and Antigua (Guatemala’s) celebration of Semana Santa (the Holy Week); to mention but a few.

Black Sun, Romø, Denmark


Photo by Tommy Hansen

Black Sun is a natural phenomenon where up to 1 million starling’s gather at dusk – roughly 1 hour before sunset – to settle in the reeds and marshes for the night. The starlings arrive from all directions during a very short period of time (ca. 30 minutes) and often gather as one gigantic flock flying back and forth across the reeds and thickets finding a place to spend the night.

The starling’s form a blanket across the sun, in what is often called the Black Sun ballet thanks to the beautiful formations the starlings make. As the starling’s go to rest more or less at the same time, it is as though the flock is being sucked downwards towards earth – a truly amazing sight.

Black Sun takes place in southern Denmark, near the border to Germany, in spring (from around March 20th until April 25th), and again during the autumn, (ca. 15th September until 20th October).

Read more at www.romo.dk

Fallas Festival, Valencia, Spain

Photo: Sean_the_photoman

Fireworks, fireworks and more fireworks. You may not be able to see them in the narrow streets of Valencia’s old town center, but you can certainly hear them, and one thing is sure, it will be even louder tomorrow, during the 3 weeks the festival lasts.

Fallas is a tribute to St. Joseph, the patron saint of Carpenters, and the festival is a tradition that dates back to the 13th century, when the wood shavings from the workshops were burnt to celebrate the end of winter. Over the years wooden monuments were built out of the wood – often of a satirical nature – and burnt after a procession through the city.

The 3 week festival that culminates with a week of processions where more than 300 elaborate papier-mâché figures, the fallas, are set up in the streets and judged. At midnight on the final night of the festival, the sculptures, laden with fireworks, are set alight by the Fallas Queeens    

The main processions and fireworks, takes place between the 15th and 19th of March this year, whilst there are firework events between the 1st and 22nd of March.

Read more at www.fallas.com

Holi, Barsana, India

Photo by: JKP, Barsana Dham

To mark the onset of spring, Northern India explodes into a rainbow of colours as everybody takes to the streets with brightly coloured powder (gulal). On the night before Holi, bonfires are lit and an effigy of Holika (a demon) is burt to signify the triumph of good over evil.

Next morning the festival erupts and people of all ages smear the brightly coloured gulas, that they have purchased from street vendors in the weeks up to the festival, over each other. Gulas can be used dry or mixed with water and splattered from water balloons or pistols. The result is the same, a riot of colour and a jubilant crowd.

Get there early, and remember not to wear your best clothes!

Read more about the Holi festival in Barsana and throughout India at www.holifestival.org

Strong Beer Season, Munich, Germany

Photo by: eef_ink

No doubt, you are aware of Munich’s Oktoberfest, the world famous beer festival that attracts the crowds from all over the world. However, are you also aware that each March, Munich holds a Starkbierzeit festival, a mini-beer festival where the breweries bring out their most potent brews? The first day of Starkbierzeit, is attended by a start-studded audience and covered by TV. The most famous Starkbierzeit address is Paulaner Keller (Hochstrasse 77), which was built on the site of the monastery, where monks first brewed the beer, before it was turned into a beer hall.

So if you fancy a mini-Oktoberfest without the crowds then Starkbierzeit is probably for you. And with spring approaching, to take in some of Bavaria's culture and traditions. The festivities run until March 27th, but you really do need a taste for strong beer.

Read more at www.muenchen.de

Written by Maak

When I travel, tipping is one of the more niggling problems that I encounter. In China I’ve had the waiters running after me to forcibly return my tip, whilst in the US I’ve experienced a waiter telling a group of us that the 15% tip we had added to the bill was not sufficient. In Argentina tipping is outlawed – at least theoretically, whilst in Germany, its legal but not practiced – I’ve even experienced a German take the money from the table and give it back to me, telling me that German waiters have a base wage and 6 weeks holiday, whilst in Japan it can be considered rude to tip at all.

So to tip or not to tip …  it's not straightforward.

Even when we’ve established that we should tip, the next problem is, “how much should you tip?” The norm in one country is extravagant or not enough in another.

Then there’s the question of who we should tip – and will the person that deserves the tip actually get it?

And if all that wasn’t enough, there’s the situation where out of politeness they may say one thing but mean something else, In India a friend left a tip, but the waiter said that “this is not necessary” and held the money in front of him, so my friend took the money and began to leave. An Indian colleague intervened and explained that it was customary to say it wasn’t necessary, but really the waiter was thanking you. Embarrassed my friend returned the tip! 

It would be so much easier if everything was included and we didn’t have to think about it!

William Michael Lynn from The Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University is a recognized expert on tipping who has written over 30 publications on this topic. His research has shown that the quality of the service we receive is not always reflected in the size of the tip we leave. His research concludes that excellent service only draws a marginally higher tip than average service, but other things the server might do can make a difference, including:

Touching - Waiters experienced a tip increase from 11.8 percent to 14.8 percent of the check total when they briefly touched the shoulder of the customer.

Squatting - Waiters who squatted next to the table when taking orders and talking with customers increased their tips from 14.9 percent of the bill to 17.5 percent of the bill in one study, and from 12 percent to 15 percent in another study. Apparently, the eye contact and closer interaction creates a more intimate connection and makes us want to give the server more money.

Giving candy - A study that involved giving customers a piece of candy with their bill showed an increase in tip percentage from 15.1 percent to 17.8 percent.

Being helpful - A study of hotel bellhops revealed that just taking a few extra minutes explaining to guests how to operate the television and thermostat, opening the drapes for guests, and offering to fill the ice bucket increased tips from $2.40 to $4.77.

Here are few tips for tipping that should help you get through your trips without too many awkward and embarrassing moments.

1. Find out what is customary in the country you are visiting

As I mentioned earlier, customs vary from country to country. A great place to start is the guidebooks that often have a section dedicated to tipping. I do sometimes find that the guidebooks are vague, and therefore often resort to another great resource Magellan’s worldwide tipping guide - Mallegan’s is a travel accessories store, and they have put together a list of general tipping guidelines per country.

2. Find out who you should tip

Again rules differ per country, in Japan you do not tip a taxi driver, in the US you most certainly do. In my experience you always tip the bell-boy/porter who carries your baggage to your room, but beyond that who you tip will differ greatly from country to country. If possible see what the locals do (not always that easy), as your guide or the concierge at your hotel. And by the way, a definite faux pas is to hand out chocolate or similar instead of cash.

3. Check whether service and tipping is included on the bill or not.

In many countries, the tip is already included when you receive the bill – however you may not realize it, as it is written on the first page of the menu when you ordered and not mentioned on the bill. In countries like Greece, Hong Kong and Italy, the bill contains a service charge, but this has nothing to do with the tip and you should leave a tip in addition to the service charge.

If in doubt, ask the waiter (or perhaps the headwaiter) whether the tip is included in the bill.

4. See what the locals do

OK, you didn’t research and now you sitting in a restaurant and don’t know whether to tip or not. Take a look around and see what others are doing – is there money on the empty tables; are people just paying and leaving, not waiting for the waiter to come with their change; or has everybody else given the bus driver a few dollars. In all these cases, you probably should be tipping.

On the other hand, if there is a small glass bowl or mug with coins in, then it’s probably a sign that you don’t need to tip.

5. Carry the local currency and know how much it is worth

Travelling from the airport in a taxi and you will most likely encounter your first tipping dilemma. Make sure you have some local currency with you to pay the tip. In general, it is always good practice to give cash when you tip – in that way you can make sure that the person you intend to have the tip gets the tip. Adding a tip on your credit card payment may be convenient, but you actually have no idea who gets the tip.

Most airports have ATM’s or exchange rate counters here you can get enough local currency to cover your first tips.

And remember, never tip with your own local currency, the recipient probably has no idea what your currency is worth, and it will cost him or her time and money to exchange it.

One of my worst tipping experiences was sitting in a taxi in Brazil after giving the driver what I believed was a fair tip. He was obviously of a different opinion and made sure I was aware of it – although he spoke no English and I no Portuguese. I held my own believing it was a fair tip until the bell boy came to see what the issue was – it turned out I’d given him a note that was only 1% of the value I believed it had – due to a devaluation that had taken place but where the notes were still in circulation!

6. Don’t ask

In general, you should never ask your waiter, bell-boy or guide whether they should have a tip. Beyond causing a conflict of interest in a cash-strapped service industry, you may, in many countries not get the right answer. As I mentioned earlier, in India your bell-boy or waiter may, out of politeness say it is not necessary, even though his income is mostly comprised of tips.

7. Be Nice

The service may not be great, but in countries where tipping is practice, the bellboys, waiters, tour guides, bus-drivers and everybody else involved in service industries rely on tips to feed their families and pay the rent.

If the food is bad, it probably isn’t the waiters fault, if the tour didn’t live up to expectations, or the bus sat fast in a traffic jam it probably isn’t the tour guide or drivers fault. Remember, whilst there are always a few rotten apples, the vast majority of people in the service industry are interested in doing a great job, because they rely on it to survive. Customs and language barriers and many other circumstances may result in you seeing things differently than they actually are.

Go further:

The art of Haggling