Did you know what slum tourism is? It’s a new fascination — traveling through various slums. It’s quite an extreme option, but no less interesting for that. Fortunately (or unfortunately for some), there are plenty of slums in the world, some of them quite impressive.
1Dharavi. Mumbai, India
Perhaps the most famous slums in the world, especially after the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire.” Filth, stench, poverty, beggars, and a separate caste of dhobis — washermen who wash clothes while standing knee-deep in foul-smelling water. The average salary is 1-2 dollars a day.
2Favelas. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Also well-known slums, although recently they have become a true tourist attraction. Previously, entering the favelas could mean losing your property or even your life, but now the police and even special guides work here. However, this does not affect the poverty and filth.
3Orangi. Karachi, Pakistan
According to unofficial sources, more than 2.5 million people live here, making it the champion among Asian slums. As in other slums, there is omnipresent stench and filth, although the crime rate is relatively low. However, not much is recorded here in general.
4Khlong Toei. Bangkok, Thailand
A residential area for migrants. The dwellings, if they can be called that, are situated between a railway track and a foul-smelling stream. Thus, cases of being hit by a train or drowning are not uncommon.
5City of the Dead. Cairo, Egypt
One of the most unusual slums. Overall, it is an ancient necropolis and a modern cemetery. Local residents earn money by digging graves and maintaining them. They live on the cemetery grounds. Many spend their entire lives there.
6Kibera. Nairobi, Kenya
No one has been able to count how many people live in the slums on the outskirts of Nairobi. Estimates range from 200,000 to 2 million. There is nothing here — no schools, no hospitals, no electricity. You can bathe in a highly polluted river. If you’re lucky, you’ll only suffer from skin irritations.
7Nezahualcóyotl. Mexico City, Mexico
It’s best not to visit here at all. Typical filth and poverty are only half, or even a quarter of the problem. The crime rate is extremely high, and the “Latino” gangs are known worldwide. For “cholos,” any white person in their neighborhood becomes a potential target.
8Khayaelitsha. Cape Town, South Africa
Overall, a walk through Cape Town itself without security can end badly for a tourist, let alone in the slums of Khayaelitsha. Most of the local population are victims of apartheid and they have nothing, and likely never will.
9Hutongs. Shanghai, China
Perhaps Chinese slums can be called relatively clean. Of course, if compared to other slums. The population can even work in the “big city,” and just sleep here. There is crime, but not as high as in similar places in Mexico or South Africa.
10Barrios. Caracas, Venezuela
The city itself, and the country as a whole, are extreme. There is an opinion that the barrios are no different from Caracas, except that the center is a bit cleaner. As for crime — the scales are almost balanced here. Especially given the recent economic upheavals in the country.
