What is Gambia like as a holiday destination?

[Loopylou22]

thinking of going in March with my boyfriend....

[heathfield]

Browse the brochures, pick a hotel, then look up what others have to say about it here

[Loopylou22]

i'm looking for personal opinion. i have looked through brochures, just wondered what people on here had to say! thanks all the same.

[Breezy23]

Went about 7 years ago and loved it. Went with The Gambia Experiece and stayed at the Bakotu. We went in January, don't know how different the weather would be in March but ours was lovely, hot . May be worth getting a copy of GE's brochure as they are specialists to this country and give a lot of background information as well. Lots of different things to do, however the prices aren't cheap as they have to import most things, slightly cheaper than the UK as far as I can remember. Favourite memories are sailing along the Gambia river on a pirogue, visiting Juffere (remember Roots and Kunta Kinte?) , buying bananas off the small local children then feeding the monkeys that visited the hotel in the late afternoon. Local kids are very appreciative of any pens, pencils etc as they have to buy all these for themselves and it is mandatory for them to attend school, no matter how poor.
All in all a lovely time and only 6 hours flight away, only downside was the malaria tablets, they can give you an "odd" feeling in your stomach.

[parkers]

Hi,

My parents go every year and they absolutely love it...
The 1st time they went they said it was a huge culture shock as they had only ever been on Spanish package holidays.
There is alot of poverty and begging, but it is not intimidating.
They said the best thing to do is get yourselves a 'friend' as in a local cab driver, as once you have your 'friend' the rest of the guys leave you alone.
They will wait for you outside the hotel and they will take you whereever you want for such a small amount of money...
My parents went to see a local school and where the locals live - they talk non stop about it..
They always take a couple of reams of paper and a load of cheap pencils as the children beg on the side of the roads for pencils and paper..
Plus they have the most gorgeous beaches..

You'll have a great time - enjoy... !!

[cascarelli]

Depends what you want from a holiday? The hotel we stayed at had a barbed wire fence around it. Every time you venture outside the enclosure you'll be harassed, which does become very tiring. The beaches are lovely but, again, you'll keep getting approached. Do get a 'guide' if you go out - unfortunately they will take you to the tourist haunts where you'll be expected to purchase something. Our taxi driver kept a machete between the front seats of the car which was a bit disconcerting. The country was nice but the harassment made it a bit of a nightmare. Personally I wouldn't go back.

[Rubyschmoo]

I've just come back from there last fortnight. It's my 8th time personally and about the 14th for my parents.

We normally go around the end / start of the year, which is still v hot. (One unusually hot day last week said 49 degrees on the pool thermometer!) Not sure about the weather in March, but make sure you take plenty of high factor sun lotion!

All but one time, we've stayed in the Corinthia Atlantic Hotel in Banjul which is idyllic. It has v good reviews and is right on the river. It also has a restaurant at the airport and does the catering there - which would suggest it's good!

I've only ever stayed elsewhere in the Senegambia Hotel which wasn't as good in my opinion. We were in one of the 'garden rooms' in the grounds which were labelled 'Cell Block H' by those staying in them. If you go there, demand a suite. One different thing there is that they have vulture feeding time every morning where the birds fly in and the kitchen staf feeds them scraps.

If you go out the hotel, take a guide with you otherwise you will be 'pestered' by people wanting you to come to their shop, take a trip etc. 99% of the time, they're friendly - just a bit annoying!

The scenery is beautiful - great if you like birds - or just to lie on a beach.

Enjoy!

[knobbynonuts]

Over the past 5 years we have been going there once or twice a year and love it but of course it is not everybodys cup of tea and you must remember you are in a third world country and some of the hotels are not all that but how long do you spend in the hotel room when in november,december,january,march the temp is around 80-90 degrees every day (left out feb as have not been in feb yet but still the same temp.)
Think rubyschmoo when she mentioned cell block 8 must have been talking about the kololi holiday beach hotel in the senegambia strip we had a room there in cell block H in last december but for just over �100 a week upgrade (you pay when you get there) we got a realy nice bungalow withh a great big living room complete with sofa and comfy armchairs and a large bedroom with 2 double beds and cosidering we paid just over �200 for a weeks b+b there each that is not bad and apart frpm cell block H it was a realy nice hotel set right on their own private beach.
As for prices don not go to travel agent book online as I said we got a week b+b last december with thomas cook for Just over �200 each.

[knobbynonuts]

Hi again loopylou22 thought I might run out of space on last post so back again (yawn) Some people say that you get pesterd when you go out of the hotel grounds and this is very true but to me it is part of the holiday and a place like this you just have to get out and see the sights not only on trips but by your own means as well, just say a nice polite but stern no thank you (but you have to mean it and back it up by your body language as well and I dont mean hit them, and after a few days the bumpsters will realize that you mean it and not bother you so much as word will get around.Ah have just realized the hotel rubyschmoo was staying at as we also saw the vulture feeding there at around 11 am it was the senebambia beach hotel that wasa 5 minute walk from our hotel, but we still had a cell block H in ours. Also the cabs are very very cheap and old and rotten (we was walking along the road once and a back wheel fell of a cab) if you see an cab office (bits of wood propping up a roof) and they have prices posted outside dont pay them in my opinion and dont ask a cab driver on the street how much to somwhere as they ussually say at least 2-3 times as much as if you know in the first place how much it is, then you can tell them your price.
Anyway have waffled along a bit to much about the gambia now so am watching the rest of the arsenal match without typing.....

[Loopylou22]

Thank you for your replies, I have now booked my holiday and am going to The Corinthia Atlantic for a week in march!(So Rubyschmoo you post was particularly helpful) Can't wait!!!!

Knobby you have given me some great advice too! Especially about the cabs....

Thanks everyone.

P.S Just had my Jabs and my arm feels like its going to drop off!

[daoda]

Hi!

I was in Gambia in September 2010 (at the end of the rainy season), and without doubt it is an absolutely recommendable trip.

The country is very beautiful and, as it is small enough, most of the interesting points (all the beaches on the south coast, natural parks as Abuko or Makasuto, fishermen villages as Tanji) as easily accesible from the resorts. Of course, if you have time it is wonderful to do a visit upcountry (Tendaba, maybe George town) to see real Africa, small villages, wonderful riverside landscapes...

I would like also to recommend our taxi driver there, Yaya. He was our guide for several days, and it is a very nice and reliable man. He has a good car, is a very nice person, and as a guide he'll offer to you wonderful places to visit. He only speaks English. His mobile is [phone]. I have no special interest about promoting him, just that I think is a good man and also a good driver and guide.

Just only one thought, many people try not to visit Gambia during the rainy season. I think that at the end of the rainy season the landscapes (much more green) are really pretty!

Enjoy Gambia!
David

[daoda]

Hi!

I was in Gambia in September 2010 (at the end of the rainy season), and without doubt it is an absolutely recommendable trip.

The country is very beautiful and, as it is small enough, most of the interesting points (all the beaches on the south coast, natural parks as Abuko or Makasuto, fishermen villages as Tanji) as easily accesible from the resorts. Of course, if you have time it is wonderful to do a visit upcountry (Tendaba, maybe George town) to see real Africa, small villages, wonderful riverside landscapes...

I would like also to recommend our taxi driver there, Yaya. He was our guide for several days, and it is a very nice and reliable man. He has a good car, is a very nice person, and as a guide he'll offer to you wonderful places to visit. He only speaks English. His mobile is [phone]. I have no special interest about promoting him, just that I think is a good man and also a good driver and guide.

Just only one thought, many people try not to visit Gambia during the rainy season. I think that at the end of the rainy season the landscapes (much more green) are really pretty!

Enjoy Gambia!
David