How To Avoid Tourist Traps In Kenya
A tourist trap is a beautiful way of life established by locals for the sole purpose of getting money from the tourists that visit their country. There are a wide range of goods and services on offer to the tourists, such as souvenirs, food and refreshment that are cleverly organized to get tourists to part with some of their money. Usually, a tourist does so willingly without regard to the value of the goods and services on offer. While some of these services are worthless, others are worthy and have a genuine value. Kenya is not immune to these kind of business. Each of the county that you are bound to visit has its fine share of tourist traps that a tourist has to contend which include;
1). Mombasa – This is the second largest city in Kenya. In these Indian ocean coastal town, life can be very alluring; There are so many souvenir shops lined up along the beaches where you will find African dresses, artifacts, paintings and jewelry on sale. If you happen to be white colored, be wary of the prices they will offer you. These prices could be three times higher than those offered to locals. You will also most likely have to deal with the local beach boys; they also have an assortment items to sell and an offer of other services including everything else that you may need while in Mombasa, but the further away you are from the beach, the cheaper the items on offer.
2). Narok – This is an agricultural town that lies on the Great Rift Valley floor, 100km west of Nairobi. It is mainly inhabited by the Masai community and its famous for production of large quantities of wheat and maize. The town has very few standard hotels and you are most likely to suffer from diarrhea if you indulge. Here, you have to be very careful with the supplies that you buy, though its advisable that you refill your gas tanks on your way to the Masai Mara Game Reserve. Beware of the artifacts and souvenirs that are offered for sale; some are less professionally made, while you could get the good ones at a price ten times cheaper in Nairobi.
3). Nakuru – This is the fourth largest town in Kenya and is located within the agricultural heartland of the Great Rift Valley. It is famous for abundant wildlife, rich farmlands and a great alkaline lake that hosts thousands of pink flamingos. The town streets are nicely laid out and the people are social and welcoming. In Nakuru, you will find thousands of wildlife spread in the park just a few kilometers from the town center. Some of the animals you are likely to see here include; the Cheetah, the famous pink flamingos, baboon, gazelle, white rhinos and the buffalo among others. It is a darling of the tourists that flock here in their hundreds, making artifacts and jewelry out reach for the normal visitor. Some of the artifacts lined up for sale could cost ten times less along the streets of London.
