A fake slum for luxury touristsALISSA WALKER, CATHERINE A TRAYWICK
Last updated 11:28 27/11/2013
It's estimated that one in eight people worldwide live in so-called slums, which, in some cities, makes visiting these informally maintained neighbourhoods unavoidable.
Although controversial, the practice of "slum tourism" has become a popular way for tourists to engage with poverty on a personal level.
But why go visit an actual slum when you can simply stay at a luxury resort that looks like a slum?
For the right price, discerning travellers can experience firsthand how the poorest of the poor live - without having to sacrifice first-world conveniences like WiFi, heated floors, and jacuzzi tubs.
The Emoya Luxury Hotel and Spa near Bloemfontein, South Africa offers Shanty Town, a dozen shacks made from scrap wood and corrugated metal that it thinks is the perfect setting for your next corporate retreat or wedding anniversary.
The resort has gone to great lengths to recreate the joys of slum living without the nuisances of crime, disease, or poor sanitation.
"Now you can experience staying in a Shanty within the safe environment of a private game reserve. This is the only Shanty Town in the world equipped with under-floor heating and wireless internet access," it boasts.
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