Manners & Etiquette

Review cultural etiquette tips to travel respectfully.

Africa

Indian Ocean Islands 10

BIOT

  • Handshake
  • Casual verbal greetings
  • Photography strictly restricted within military facilities
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Comoros

  • Right-hand handshake
  • Greet with 'Salaam Alaikum' and place right hand on chest
  • Light kiss on cheek (close relationships)
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TAAF

  • Handshake
  • Bise (light kiss on cheek, often omitted in limited environments)
  • All contact with and feeding of organisms prohibited by Antarctic Treaty and environmental protection laws.
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Heard and McDonald Islands

  • Prior approval from the Australian government is mandatory for landing
  • All clothing and equipment must be thoroughly decontaminated to prevent invasive species introduction
  • All waste must be removed from the islands
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Central Africa 11

Cameroon

  • Handshake
  • Respectful gesture of placing right hand on chest
  • Greeting with 'Bonjour' or 'Good morning'
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Chad

  • Handshake (using right hand)
  • Light bow with right hand on chest
  • French 'Bonjour!'
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Rwanda

  • Handshake and elbow tap
  • Polite handshake supporting right hand with left hand
  • Light embrace among close acquaintances
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Northern Africa 5
Southern Africa 11

Zambia

  • Handshake
  • Lightly placing right hand on chest
  • Hug among close relationships
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Eastern Africa 8
Western Africa 18

Ghana

  • Handshake
  • Light hand clap with right hand
  • Hug or shoulder touch between close acquaintances
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Mali

  • Handshake (right hand only)
  • "I ni ce" (hello) in Bambara
  • Lightly placing hand on chest as a sign of respect
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Mauritania

  • As-salamu alaykum
  • Handshake (between same sex)
  • Right hand placed on chest as sign of respect
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Niger

  • Handshake
  • Light touch to chest with right hand as greeting
  • Salaam Alaikum
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Senegal

  • Handshake (right hand only)
  • Place right hand on chest and say 'As-Salamu Alaykum'
  • Light cheek kiss (bisous)
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Americas

Caribbean 28

Guadeloupe

  • Handshake
  • Bise (light kiss on both cheeks)
  • Tipping guideline: around 10% appreciated at restaurants and taxis
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Central America 7

El Salvador

  • Handshake
  • Hug and light kiss on cheek among close acquaintances
  • Addressing with honorific "usted"
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Guatemala

  • Handshake
  • Light embrace and cheek kiss (close acquaintances)
  • Buenos días / Buenas tardes / Buenas noches
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Honduras

  • Handshake
  • Light hug and cheek kiss (close acquaintances)
  • Buenos días / Buenas tardes / Buenas noches
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Panama

  • Handshake
  • Light kiss on cheek (among close acquaintances)
  • Slight nod equivalent to bow
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North America 5
South America 15

Falklands

  • Handshake
  • First-name basis
  • Deep-rooted culture of showing respect to military personnel and veterans
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SGSSI

  • Handshake
  • Strictly maintain minimum 5m distance from wildlife.
  • Clean shoe soles upon landing to prevent introduction of alien species.
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Peru

  • Handshake
  • Light kiss on one cheek (between acquaintances)
  • Saying "Hola"
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Antarctica

Antarctica 1

Asia

Central Asia 5

Kazakhstan

  • Handshake
  • Placing right hand on chest with slight bow
  • Light kiss on cheek (relatives/close friends)
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Turkmenistan

  • Handshake
  • Right hand to heart with light bow
  • Always remove shoes and avoid soiling carpets when entering homes
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Southern Asia 6

India

  • Namaste (with hands together)
  • Handshake
  • Left hand considered unclean; use right hand for eating and religious acts
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Eastern Asia 8
Southeast Asia 11

Cambodia

  • Sampeah (prayer hands)
  • Handshake
  • In temples, remove hats and shoes and wear clothing that covers shoulders and knees
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Laos

  • Nopa with hands together in front of chest and bowing head
  • Handshake (business)
  • Add Sabaidee greeting
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Thailand

  • Wai (prayer gesture)
  • Handshake
  • Criticism of royal family or monks may be charged with lese-majesty
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Western Asia/Middle East 16

Iraq

  • Handshake
  • Right hand to chest salute
  • Light cheek kiss (same gender)
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Jordan

  • Handshake
  • Placing right hand on chest
  • As-salaam alaikum and response Wa alaikum salaam
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Syria

  • Handshake
  • As-Salāmu ʿalaykum
  • Light cheek kiss (among close acquaintances)
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Europe

Central Europe 8

Slovenia

  • Handshake
  • Light kisses on cheeks (twice)
  • Arriving a few minutes early for appointments makes a good impression
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Northern Europe 9

Faroe Islands

  • Góðan dag
  • Handshake
  • Punctuality is appreciated, though locals are tolerant of weather-related delays
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Southern Europe 11

Andorra

  • Handshake
  • Light kiss on both cheeks (among close acquaintances)
  • 'Bon dia' in Catalan
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Cyprus

  • Handshake
  • Light kiss on the cheek (close acquaintances)
  • Yassas/Yassou (Hello)
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Vatican

  • Handshake
  • Peace greeting (Pax Domini)
  • Wear clothing covering shoulders and knees inside basilicas
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Monaco

  • Handshake
  • Bise (light kisses on cheeks)
  • Formal attire is preferred in public spaces
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Eastern Europe 18

Albania

  • Përshëndetje (Hello)
  • Mirëmëngjes (Good morning)
  • Mirëmbrëma (Good evening)
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Azerbaijan

  • handshake
  • place right hand on chest with light bow
  • light kiss on cheek (close relationships)
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Armenia

  • Handshake
  • Kisses on right and left cheeks (close acquaintances)
  • 'Bari Luis' in Armenian (good morning)
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Bulgaria

  • Handshake
  • Light kisses on both cheeks (close acquaintances)
  • Head gestures for yes/no
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Romania

  • Handshake
  • Kiss on both cheeks (close relationships)
  • Formal address with Domnule / Doamnă
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Western Europe 10

Mann

  • Handshake
  • Say "Hello"
  • Manx greeting "Fastyr mie" (afternoon greeting)
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Oceania

Oceania 27

Fiji

  • Calling out "Bula!"
  • Handshake
  • When visiting a village, perform sevusevu (greeting ceremony) with the chief.
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Kiribati

  • Handshake
  • Saying "Mauri!" in Gilbertese
  • Elders and visitors are customarily given priority for seats and food
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Guam

  • Handshake
  • Greeting with "Håfa Adai"
  • Shoes are often removed when entering homes
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Vanuatu

  • Handshake
  • Light nod
  • Traditional nose-touching greeting still exists among some tribes
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Niue

  • Handshake
  • Light kiss on cheek
  • Niuean greeting 'Fakaalofa lahi atu'
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US Minor Outlying Islands

  • Handshake in English is standard (among stationed personnel)
  • Entry to protected areas requires prior permission from U.S. Department of Interior or Department of Defense
  • Strict restrictions on bringing invasive species and food for ecosystem protection
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Tonga

  • Handshake
  • Mālō e lelei
  • Sunday is a day of rest when most shops and leisure facilities are closed, so plan tourism accordingly
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