A week in Gambia?

NoNameNoNumber · 29 Dec 2015 at 11:55

Anybody been? Seen a few cheap deals to the Kololi and Kotul area of Banjul. Something a bit different and it avoids heading too far east (Sharm etc)

How expensive it Gambia to eat and drink for a week, friendly locals? I guess the sun is a given!

Any tips or advice?

NoNameNoNumber · 29 Dec 2015 at 20:58

Cyclone · 29 Dec 2015 at 21:14

I came back from Gambia this morning

Its a beautiful country, deeped in history , ie slave trading. Also very poor, so you get a lot of people wanting to sell you things for money. Another name for these people are Bumsters, and can be very annoying. But a firm NO will send them away, but be prepared to say it every few minutes.

Its Gambia's winter at the moment, I had 3 days of sun out of 7, but its still warm. Also you need to check out what jabs and malaria tablets you need. Don't go until you have sorted these out.

Meals are about 400 delasi, which works out to around £6/7 (60-62 delasi to the pound, depending where you go). Beers are around 60 a bottle and quite nice - Julbrew.

I stayed at a hotel at Kololi beach, Flight is around 6 hours if going by Gatwick. It was my 3rd time there and I would go again.

There are lots of lovely places to visit. I can list a few if you want, or you can have a look when you get out there.

NoNameNoNumber · 29 Dec 2015 at 21:16

Ah nice, fancy that! Where abouts did you go? We were looking at kololi or katu iirc...
Did you stay in a big complex or a small b&b?

Tosno · 29 Dec 2015 at 21:24

Bumsters are very friendly, if I had 30 million left over now, I wouldn't be a soulless landlord but I would hire an army of Gambian Bumsters and invade a neighbouring country :cool:

Cyclone · 29 Dec 2015 at 21:26

NoNameNoNumber said:
Ah nice, fancy that! Where abouts did you go? We were looking at kololi or katu iirc...
Did you stay in a big complex or a small b&b?

I stayed at the Palma Rima, Kololi. 3rd time there but never again. Its ok if you just want to laze by the pool but if not there's nothing else to do.

Yeah some bumsters are friendly but most aren't. Admittedly they just want money but a lot wont take no for an answer.

Malevolence · 29 Dec 2015 at 21:27

Tosno said:
Bumsters are very friendly

That would make an excellent signature, especially as it will be out of context.

Tosno · 29 Dec 2015 at 21:31

Malevolence said:
That would make an excellent signature, especially as it will be out of context.

Fill your boots

Paul11 · 29 Dec 2015 at 21:34

ive been 5 times....

very friendly

try to stay on or near the strip for easy access to night life/ restaurants..

senegambia hotel is very good

Django x2 · 29 Dec 2015 at 21:35

I went once, it was a dive, but then I was poor back then.

Probably tainted by the fact that for one whole night, all I could hear was the women in the hotel room next door throwing up, and then in the morning, her friend asked if I could check on her because she couldn't wake her. She was stone cold dead blue, 2 days after Christmas....

Cyclone · 29 Dec 2015 at 21:42

Paul11 said:
ive been 5 times....

very friendly

try to stay on or near the strip for easy access to night life/ restaurants..

senegambia hotel is very good

I went Saturday night, was thousands of people there. Bars/clubs/live music was brilliant.

Tosno · 29 Dec 2015 at 21:42

Django x2 said:
I went once, it was a dive, but then I was poor back then.

Probably tainted by the fact that for one whole night, all I could hear was the women in the hotel room next door throwing up, and then in the morning, her friend asked if I could check on her because she couldn't wake her. She was stone cold dead blue, 2 days after Christmas....

SexyGreyFox · 29 Dec 2015 at 21:45

For the last four years it's the only country one of my mates goes on holiday and he can't praise it enough.
I have no idea where he goes though.

Mr Badger · 29 Dec 2015 at 22:05

Never been there myself, however going back a few years my parents, my brothers and a former work colleague/mate had holidays (separately!) to Gambia. All of them said it was awful and they wouldn't go back. From the positive reports here maybe it has improved a bit recently?

Amp34 · 30 Dec 2015 at 08:03

Went to Gambia on a package tour for a week a few years ago now. Hotels will be the big difference, remember they are "African standard" (so you want 5* only). The locals are "very" friendly, in fact many won't leave you alone (we gave up walking on the beach as there were the two of us and then always someone else tagging along...). Food is cheap,

Basically those places are your standard package holiday fare - stay at a good hotel, expensive food food inside, cheap food outside, pestered constantly if you leave the hotel.

That said it we did a few day trips and it's a really nice place to go, once you leave behind the hotel areas.

Would like to go back but would stay as far away as possible from the main tourist areas, it's definitely one of those countries where if a local talks to you, he's probably after something...