Tipping and America go hand in hand.The American way of offering tips to those who help you should be practiced by all who visit, regardless of what the policies are in your own country. The following is a top 5 guide to tipping for anyone visiting this beautiful country.

1. Have some dollars ready. When you exchange your money into dollars, set aside a bit for tipping and make sure you always have around $10 in singles in your wallet at any given time.It makes it a lot easier to find the right value of tip you want without asking for change back. If you need to ask for change though, don’t be embarrassed as it happens frequently.

2. Bars. If you are buying your drinks from the bar area then look to give a $1 tip per beverage. This ratio should come down little if you are buying a large number of drinks in one go. If the beverages are served to you all night at your table then you should really leave a 10% tip on your bill at the end

3. Restaurants. This one is really determined by the version of eating joint you are at. Those at the lower end of the market only need tipping the region on 15%. For more formal sit-down meals you should expect to pay along the lines of 20-25% of the cheque.If the service goes beyond what you were expecting or the staff were particularly useful then do add a little on the tip to thank them for their efforts.

4. Bags. A porter who takes your bags up to your room will be expecting a tip of $1 per bag. This will be the same at most hotels, health spa resorts and serviced villas alike. Give more if you think it is warranted but it is advised not to go lower or offer change to the porter. Bag carriers at airports should be tipped between 2 to 4 dollars per bag

5. Poor service. don’t reach for you tipping dollars if you don’t find the service is up to scratch. But be sure to explain your choice. Most service providers want to hear where they can improve and won’t be offended. If you have poor meal or you don’t like the beauty products used during a visit to a health spa for example, speak up and let them know where improvements can be made.