Tipping at Misool Eco

[Seasicktoo]

Hello, This will be our first time in Raja Ampat staying at Misooll Eco. We are a family of 4 and wondering about tipping. We are from the United States if you tip is it in dollars or local currency? Thanks

 

[Cert1967]

Whatever currency you wish to use will be readily accepted

USD - no problem

 

[Seasicktoo]

What is the $ range per tank? I would assume the service is real good.

Thank you

 

[rmorgan]

We tip based on the overall cost of the stay, as there is no "per tank" fee. They may have a recommendation for you. We are usually in the range of 10% of the overall cost--the dive crew are the tip of the spear, as it were; there are cooks, groundskeepers, boat crew, housekeepers . . .

 

[matts1w]

The bottom line is that there is no expectation to tip. Numerous tourists from different cultures come to Indonesia to dive, and tipping isn't anywhere on their radar. The same is true for local tourists.

All this being said, I am an American and the tipping expectation seems to be part of my DNA. I leave at least 100.000 IDR per day in the community tip box.

Be sure to search the Indonesia forum here to understand what happens to your tip money in the scuba and restaurant industries.

 

[Living4Experiences]

Americans tend to overtip and 10% is what's used as the magic number. You may want to inquire with the resort about their tipping structure. Do you tip individuals or is it a shared pool of tips for everyone? Indonesian wages are a very low compared to the U.S., around $350 USD per month for minimum wage. If your cost is, say, $20K and you use a 10% guideline, that's $2000. That is out of balance with the local economy. Misool's pricing is in USD, which is not in line with what it really costs to vacation in Indonesia. But this is how it is for diving in Indonesia. However, if you're going as a group of four to Misool, the money may not matter to you. YMMV...

 

[matts1w]

I wrote this a while ago- still holds up today:

Most places pool their tips and split them accordingly during Ramadan, Neyppi, Christmas, or the like. I also know that in many cases, the extra money one hands off to a dive guide when no one is looking, likely goes into the community pot, too. Understand it could put him/her in a crappy situation if others suspect he/she was keeping it for themselves. Preserving harmony is very much the Indonesian way, so it might be far better to put the tip in the tip box, so all is clear to everyone there.

Also, I have had more than one resort manager explain to me the importance of the tip box and pooling tips. Without a common pot, the most senior and/or strongest dive guides will cherry-pick guests from countries that tip and pass off the guests from non-tipping cultures to the least experienced staff. This obviously creates problems. The tip box also ensures a dive guide does not potentially make a poor decision and keeps an under-the-table tip.

Lastly, the above comment about standard of living and local salaries is spot on. Boats putting in people's heads that a couple should leave close to a $1000.00 USD tip for a scuba trip is... I don't get it. That is an incredible amount of money when one considers a G.P. doctor working in a hospital or clinic in Jakarta makes about $1000 USD a month. I truly hope liveaboard companies encouraging their guests to leave western-sized tips are also paying their Indonesian employees western-sized salaries. (Hint: they are not).

I know there are at least two active members here who run successful dive companies in Indonesia. I would love to see how they handle the tipping situation.

 

[CWK]

How much is Misool charging these days? Is it USD1,000 per day yet?

 

[Luko]

Here is what a decent operation in Raja Ampat writes about tipping a week stay,
Extract below from their website FAQ page. That's Cove Eco resort, FYI 1,5M IDR =100USD

- Tips are not required, we are making sure that you are having the best time with us and it does not require any tips.
- If you feel you would like to give some gratuity, our team will accept anything that comes from the heart. Either in the common tip box if you would like everyone to share it, or you can offer it directly to the person of your choice.
- 200K-1.5M IDR for the overall team is considered really great if you wish to offer tips, but again, it is not required at all.

Why would an operation that charges you twofold need more tips?