jan,
i red your trip report on your recent trip to kenya. very much appreciated.

one paragraph puzzles me a bit:

This is the first time on safari that I began to feel resentment of policies. We all know that tourists are charged a higher rate than the residents/citizens in both park fees and lodge/camp rates. This had never bothered me until now. However, the past two weeks I’ve seen so many WEALTHY Kenyan families showing up in parks and lodges paying a heck of a lot less than I and I felt it unfair. As tourists we hope our higher park fees and lodge/camp rates will allow poor families to see what we see when we see their beautiful country and wildlife, and learn to appreciate it as we do. However, when you see family after family pulling up in their LandRovers, with several nannies, drivers, etc. it makes me think we are being played for fools. I have mentioned this to KWS and to lodge/camp owners, but there is really no politically correct way for them to distinguish which citizens can afford to pay full rates. It was because of the political turmoil that occurred and the tourist agencies trying to promote local tourism that this was so very obvious this time. I don’t like feeling this way, but it did happen. No easy answers.

we all know that is common practice - all over africa! we in europe could only dream of it!
of course it's not right because only wealthy kenyan can make it to the parks and reserves and they take advantage of the "resident rates" doesn't matter whether they are far more wealthy than many tourists from europe or america who safe every penny for such a safari.

once i met a wife of the red cross official responsible for east africa. they occupied several of the elephant pepper camp tents having their rich relatives flown in from england.

another occasion we met with bank managers from nairobi.

other ones were wealthy businessmen of indian decent from nairobi.

as long as tourists flock in.........and pay the rates - who cares

I find this topic very interesting but yet highly strange - the situation I mean. Even if it is Africa - why should there be different rates for people in the same lodge? This is descriminating. If we all go to a 5 star lodge or hotel - then we know we shall pay higher prices. That is why we chose a 5 star hotel; but why should a German, Italian or American pay more than a Kenyan - (who may earn 4 times more than the latter 3) to go and sleep in the same place?

If we tried that here in Italy - where we charge non Italians more than the Italians; this is looking for trouble and will become a major issue. Of course you have the odd tai driver etc that tries to pull a fast one; but this is illegal here.

I fully agree that as Kenyan you ar charged less for park fee as it is the land of "your" country - so you have the right to go cheaper but with restaurants, trips, lodges, shops, etc etc I feel this is wrong and totally agree with Jan.

If you want a cheaper accommodation go to 3 star hotel.....
If you both come to Rome for a week and we all 3 stay in the same hotel; we will be charged the same rates and I believe this will be the same in Germany or the USA.

nico,
exactly! we don't have that in germany too!
senior citizens, unemployed, student fees for parks and reserves etc. it's perfectly fine with me. but hotels....as you say: discrimitating!

Glad I am not the only one that felt this way about it. Look at kenyalastminute.com.(resident rates). Three nights at one of my favorite places for $60.00 and I pay over $200.00 for one night! Now if there are some poor people who want to stay there, then I am only too happy to have my $200.00 help pay their way. However, what I was finding was wealthy people, far wealthier than I, paying a small per centage of what I was paying, going on the same game drives, eating the same food, etc. Doesn't seem fair at all.

I know the Kenyan Tourist Board is encouraging local tourism so that at a time when foreign tourists are not arriving for one reason or another, locals will help fill the lodges/camps. Yet when you or I try to get resident rates, we have to prove we have been in Kenya for three months. KWS has their rates on their website, and before I left on the February trip I tried getting an "annual pass". The travel agent said it was for residents only - though it didn't say that on the website. They contacted KWS and they were indeed correct (seems a little like false advertising if they don't stipulate it).

They must not have any discrimination laws in Kenya that would address this disparity.

They are always greedy - try and milk the wrong people who care and bring money into the country....

jan, i also feel betrayed because the wealthy only can take advantage of the resident rates because kenyan joe average (clerk, workers with decent jobs) has by far not the funds to take advantage as it is still far too much!

on fodors was the same topic but there - believe it or not! - most of the members say they consider it "fair! that locals pay far less doesn't matter whether they are rich or poor.........
it came to my mind that there must be a lot of people around whit either money like dust or just state not what they really think