点评:We had a fabulous 3 day, 2 night safari that included Tsavo East, the Taita Hills Sanctuary, and a stay at the Salt Lick Safari Lodge. It began with excellent communications and contracting with Lucas—with everything delivered as promised.
Our guide Pascal was really exceptional. Despite a delay being able to get off our ship, he was patiently waiting and got us moving immediately. He altered our lunch plan, after asking our thoughts, to let us maximize our safari time and make up for our late start. He’s a very competent driver, experienced guide, and a way cool person to spend time with. He knows the parks, the animals, and coordinates well with other guides. He was committed to having us see all the animals we wanted to see at close range, as well as show us many we have never heard of or seen. We got phenomenal pictures with iPhone cameras—and even better memories.
Some of our favorite moments were when we turned everything off and just got to watch and listen. It’s amazing to see a lion, lioness and cubs at close range, be surrounded by zebras, watch giraffes watch an elephant parade, or simply be surprised by yet another creature you never knew existed.
The Salt Lick was also a delightful place to spend two nights. It has such unique architecture, a warm lodge and deck environment and it sits in an expansive nature setting. The food and staff are the best.
Our stop at the Maasai Village on our return to the ship is the only part we had mixed emotions about. It is that perplexing crossroads between tradition, poverty and tourism. While it touched our hearts to meet the people, particularly the children—and to walk into a mud and dung house—there was much that felt extractive in nature, both demanding and overwhelming.
As people around the world seek to maintain their cultures and also adapt and evolve, I find myself wondering how tourism can be part of a larger solution and not part of the problem.
翻译:我们进行了一次精彩绝伦的三天两夜的野生动物之旅,行程包括察沃东部国家公园、泰塔山野生动物保护区以及盐湖野生动物园旅馆。一切都始于与卢卡斯的出色沟通和合同签订——所有承诺都一一兑现。
我们的向导帕斯卡尔非常出色。尽管我们下船的时间有所延误,但他耐心等待,并立即安排我们出发。在征求我们的意见后,他调整了午餐计划,以便我们最大限度地利用时间进行野生动物之旅,弥补出发晚的不足。他是一位非常称职的司机、经验丰富的向导,而且和他在一起非常愉快。他对公园和动物了如指掌,并能与其他向导完美配合。他尽心尽力地让我们近距离看到所有我们想看的动物,还带我们认识了许多我们从未听说过或见过的动物。我们用iPhone拍下了精彩的照片——以及更美好的回忆。
我们最难忘的时刻之一,就是关掉所有电子设备,静静地观察和聆听。近距离观赏狮子、母狮和幼崽,被斑马环绕,观看长颈鹿注视着象群游行,或者仅仅是被一种你从未听说过的生物所震撼,这一切都令人惊叹。
盐湖度假村(Salt Lick)也是一个令人愉悦的住宿地点,我们在这里住了两晚。它拥有独特的建筑风格,温馨的小屋和露台环境,坐落在广袤的自然环境中。食物和服务人员都堪称一流。
返回船上途中,我们在马赛村停留,这是我们唯一感到五味杂陈的地方。这里是传统、贫困和旅游业交汇的复杂地带。虽然与当地居民,特别是孩子们见面,以及走进泥土和粪便搭建的房屋,都深深触动了我们的心,但这里很多地方都给人一种掠夺的感觉,既令人感到压抑又令人难以承受。
当世界各地的人们努力维系自己的文化,同时也在适应和发展时,我不禁思考,旅游业如何才能成为解决问题的一部分,而不是问题的一部分。