To tip or not to tip when you are exploring the Osa Peninsula. This being my 15 th year living on the Osa Peninsula, this is what I do. I will break it down into groups.
Tipping in a Restaurant
Restaurants will add 10 % to the bill for service, which goes into the kitty to be divided at the end of the day among all the employees. Let’s say your waitress’s service was excellent; halfway through your meal, they asked if everthing is ok. Or they suggested what is best on the menu for the day. They refilled your water glass without being told. All in all, they were top-notch.
They only get minimum wage, which is $3.00 an hr. The high season is when they make most of their money. For myself, if they did a great job, I will add another 10% to the waiter. Plus, I know a lot of the people in the restaurant business. The next time I come back, they are happy to see me, and of course the service is 100%
Sodas
Sodas are a family restaurant. Usually, they do not add a 10% service charge to your bill. I always give the server a tip. Even if my meal was only $8.00, I will give them 2 mil as their own tip. If you see a lot of people eating at a soda, it is a good conclusion that they have great food. Mama is in the kitchen cooking.
Tour guides
Tour guides get a percentage of the total cost of your tour. A certified tour guide goes through several Costa Rica programs to become a tour guide. They are always going to school for more certificates in the low season.
Once again, they did a great job. Did they find a bird or an animal on your bucket list? Did they tell you the history of the park? If you are a large party, 4 or more, giving your guide an extra 5 mil per person would be good, or a machete.
The Machete
I did a tour to Corcovado with my guide, and we became good friends. She mentioned her birthday was coming up in a couple of days. So I asked her what she wanted for your birthday. She said a machete. Oh yeah, not your typical gift most of us would want. But in the heart of the jungle, a good machete is worth its weight in gold. When we got back to town, I bought her a machete. We are still friends 14 years later.
Boat tours
Boat tours will follow under two categories
Whale and Dolphine tour
Whale Dolphin tours. Once again, was it a great tour? Did they provide water and fruit? Did you see wildlife? If yes, then a small tip would be good.
Fishing charters
Fishing charters: the boat will spend a lot of money on gas. Right now gas is over $ 5.00 a gallon. A single-engine fishing boat will spend over $200.00 on gas, and that does not include maintenance, insurance, and all the certifications it takes for it to be legal. If there is a mate.
The total number of fish you can have on a boat is 5. That is per boat, not per person. This is how we do it. The boat we use is a single-engine boat with the captain and a mate. We catch 5 large tunas. We keep one and give the other 4 to the captain. The captain will sell the fish, and we tip the mate, who did all the work $100.00
To tip or not to tip:
To tip or not to tip is your choice. Of course, bad service does not deserve a tip. But Puerto Jimenez is a small town, and the coconut telegraph is always on. The mate on the fishing charter will tell everyone that you tipped well. In turn, you will get great service from everyone.
This morning I went to town, got a flat tire and blew out a flip-flop, and it’s still a Pura Vida Day. Enjoy your visit to the Osa Peninsula, a place we call Home.
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