I'm going to tell you something that doesn't usually make it into travel content.
There's a moment that happens in Kenya — and in a lot of places in Africa — where you arrive somewhere and there's singing, dancing, a welcome. Locals performing in front of you. And my honest, immediate reaction was discomfort.
Not because anything was wrong. But because from where I was standing, it looked like tourists watching locals put on a show. And I didn't want that. I don't want cheesy. I don't want forced. I don't want something that only exists because I showed up with a credit card.
So I asked.
What I Actually Found Out
I asked guides, locals, people working in tourism, people who just live there. Directly: does this feel performative to you? Is this something you feel like you have to do?
The answer surprised me. They said this is part of their culture. This is how they welcome people. This is something they do anyway — and yes, sometimes they get paid for it, which they appreciate. One person framed it in a way that helped: it's not a performance in the way I was thinking. It's more like a luau in Hawaii. A cultural expression being shared, not manufactured for an audience.
That reframe helped. But I want to be clear — it didn't fully resolve it for me.
Where I Actually Land on This
I still wrestle with it. And I think that's okay.
I opt out often. When I'm traveling and something feels staged or extractive, I trust that instinct and I move on. I'm not going to tell you to push past that discomfort if it doesn't feel right to you, because sometimes it isn't right.
What does matter to me — and what changes the calculation — is who's involved behind the scenes. When I'm working with partners on the ground who I trust, who I know are paying performers fairly and treating them with respect, that's different. That's the piece that actually shifts things for me. Not a reframe about cultural authenticity, but knowing that the people in front of me are being compensated well and treated as professionals, not props.
That's a hard thing to know as a traveler unless someone has done the work of vetting it for you. Which is part of what I do.
Want to travel with someone who's already asked these questions? Our free Safari Comparison Guide is a starting point — it breaks down Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa by experience, values, and travel style.
The Honest Take
It's okay to feel unsure about this. It's okay to opt out. And it's worth asking the questions I asked — not to arrive at a clean resolution, but because the answers tell you something about the place, the partners, and what kind of traveler you want to be.
The difference between something being done for you and something being shared with you is real. It's just not always easy to tell which one you're in — and that's worth sitting with.
Ready to travel with someone who's already done the vetting? Book a discovery call and let's build your Kenya trip the right way. HERE