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Welcome My name is Tess. I'm a 9-5 New Yorker and traveler. My hobbies include destroying suitcases, photo-bombing tourists in Times Square, and taking long romantic ADHD walks around the globe. Welcome!

Apr 23, 2014

Experience Poverty ..in Luxury

Emoya Spa & Hotel make Luxuriating in poverty a guilt-free experience. 



Can someone tell me what this about? 
 
At first Glance, I thought this was the set for Beyond Scared Straight – South Africa. I quietly thought yea, this is a pretty shitty place to end up because shantytowns are horrible places.

And then I saw the video?  And I thought; is this even ethical?
Emoya's make shift shantytown, seen here, has heated floors and internet Wi-Fi!
 

  When I think of dream vacations for an African safari the idea of cozying up to a oil barrel of flames just outside of my ultra plush corrugated metal shack like the real poor folk of South Africa does not come to mind.

Sierra Leone - I have visited shantytowns and there is nothing luxurious about them.  Most times you want to be sure your vaccinations are up to date before going inside one. 
 

 And although nothing captures those special moments and creates  genuine memories quite like poverty housing. The lack of sanitation, the disastrous hygiene conditions, and water born diseases that really puts the stamp of authenticity on shanty town living scares the fuck out of me and is not to be mocked !

 
Emoya gives you a tour of the grounds! 
The YouTube audience is disgusted. Proof of that is in the comments section. 
One person suggested that the Emoya Spa & Hotel owners kill themselves. 
While other suggested more subtle things like hoping that their children get cancer (ouch)
 
 
 
I've heard of themed accommodations when traveling but some people take shit way to literal and beyond too far.  This is mockery.  As a black American I would be scared to death to stay here thinking that it was a trap and they would Solomon North me back into a pre-apartheid like era.

This is a very real Shanty in Sierra Leone. This pic was taken during my travels in 2009 if you cannot see the date stamp I so lazily did not edit out!    


Furthermore, If I had the dire misfortune of being one of the millions of South Africa's actual shantytown residents, I think I would burn this bitch down to manicured land these rat bastards unceremoniously built it on. Cancel my reservation and my apologies to the wildlife.

These are very real Shantytown residents.
Sierra Leone