Packaged Africa

I have often read articles on Africa. Having taken, in 1999, a 7-day trip to Tanzania and a 7-day trip in Kenya in which we visited several reserves, I know that it is a complete waste of time to visit the Giraffe Manor in Nairobi as well as The Ark (famously written up) in Kenya and the Mt. Kenya Safari Club (also written up often). My friend and I agreed. If one is going to Kenya or Tanzania, there are many other places to view the animals than those mentioned above.

The Mt. Kenya Safari Club was the biggest joke, I felt. More of a resort, it’s a nice place to eat at and to walk around manicured grounds and drink in the bar, if that is what one goes to Africa for (and I know that some do because we saw them there spending most of the day talking and drinking and not seeing anything of Africa).

It has nice rooms and good food but certainly is not close to being out in the area where you can see animals in a natural setting.

The Giraffe Manor is a little like a city zoo with a few animals put into a small enclave and then fed by tourists.

The Ark is a little like setting out a block of salt and then waiting for a few animals to visit with a floodlight shining on them. It’s not what you see when visiting other parks where you actually have to go out and look for the animals in a natural setting.

I would think that if you travel to Africa, you would really want to see animals in a natural setting as opposed to a zoo-like atmosphere. On our trip, we preferred Arusha National Park in Tanzania.

JOSEPH GIOVANINI
Columbus, IN