i've been to the gambia and as long as you don;t give into the sob stories your ok.. if walking on the beach the bumster do approach you, ignore them can the best thing, if you talk to them they find you the next day and expect you to talk to them.. i just walked into the seas where they then left you alone..

the weather is great and the resorts and hotels in the kololi and kotu areas are fantastic, my friend came back recently and just stayed by the pool all day which is great as they wanted that..

most of the hotels have private areas on the beach which is looked after by a security guard, they won;t let anyone bother you if you stay in those areas..

I was watching the holiday program on ITV tiis evening and one of the places they featured was the Gambia.

It looked interesting and I would like to hear from people who have been.

I saw it as well- looks really interesting. I would like to hear from others as well!

An interesting report - good to see a sensible presentation of a resort for once on the Holiday program. Always been in two minds about going to the destination - program made it quite appealing.

Thanks Briarskeg,
That was a great report from your friend and other people.
I have enjoyed reading it, though I'm undecided if it's the place for me.
It's good that you can get this sort of information to weigh up the pros and cons.

Cheers Tom

We saw the programme on Monday and felt that, while it gave a good into to the Gambia, it totally ignored the 'negatives' on the place, such as the bumsters and the poverty. Presumably they did this to encourage people to go there, but comparing it to the Canaries is very misleading. We had a fab time there, and would recommend it to anyone, but you do need to be prepared for the culture shock.

If you are thinking about going there then I would be happy to answer any more specific questions.

Thank you Corinne76,

I shall bear that in mind. It would not be until next year at the earliest though.

Tom

Hi Tom,

Just been reading reports on Gambia, I went to Gambia Dec 2003 and dont think I would go back. There was a group of us (8) and we befriended 2 Gambians who stayed with us all holiday. This was fine because it wasnt just me and hubby I wouldnt have like it them being with us if we were on our own.

The hotel we stayed in charged us to use the sunbeds, needless to say we only used the hotel the 1st day. The shack we then went to had security guards making sure the sellers dint approach us. We like to walk along the beach but we couldnt do this there as we were pestered by the locals trying to sell us things, even hard drugs didnt feel at easy at all.

The 2 Gambian lads took very good care of us and we still keep in touch now and 2 of our friends went back last Dec and had money stolen out of the safe in there room.

Of course this is only my view but hope it help you

I`m afraid to say the we had a very unpleasnt experience when we visited the Gambia over 10 years ago and dont feel inclined to return...whilst only having been there for about 4days we were right at the center of a military coup...to be by the poolside and hear guns going off was not not my idae of a hloiday...there has not been one there since I dont think but it has put us off...didnt like the poverty either and it was £1000 down the drain as far as I`m concerned...but good luck if you fancy it...

Hi Tom, I missed the TV programme on The Gambia becasue I was there at the time! I must say I had a fantastic time-I foudnd it very peaceful, the people were very friendly, the trips on offer diverse and plenty of nightlife even now when the season is coming to the end. Add to that the weather, good beaches and tasty food and it makes for a much more exciting holdiay destination than Spain or the Canaries. The bumsters are annoying but as long as you are assertive from day one then they will leave you alone!! There are lots of people looking for tips etc but when you remember how little these people earn its not surprising!

The Gambia is a great place to visit if you enjoy something more than "England Abroad". We stayed at the Atlantic Hotel very near Banjul and I really enjoyed it being so close to all of the "real" Gambia, warts and all. The Banjul market is great for those who enjoy ethnic markets with all of the sights and smells and the inevitable haggling that takes place when you buy.
There were other hotels further away from Banjul, more tailor made to the "isolationist" holiday-maker, but the Atlantic offers "on the beach" coupled with local action right on your doorstep. Flying time of under 6 hours from the UK makes Africa easy to reach and add to that, no time difference, English spoken and cheap prices and you can have a great holiday.
Outside of the hotels there are scenes of poverty, inadequate sewerage, and yes bumsters who want to sell you everything, be your friend and share your holiday money - what's new!
Go and enjoy it, you will surely have a great time.

I have been to the The Gambia. I have a problem in that all the foreign currency you spend in the hotels goes straight back to the UK. They do not encourage you to eat in local places where the locals need the money. One big Company Gambian Experience sends all the money back to the UK but says they put 'some' money back in to the local ecomomy. Ha Ha!! I was disappointed with this and will not travel there again

I have been to the The Gambia. I have a problem in that all the foreign currency you spend in the hotels goes straight back to the UK. They do not encourage you to eat in local places where the locals need the money. One big Company Gambian Experience sends all the money back to the UK but says they put 'some' money back in to the local ecomomy. Ha Ha!! I was disappointed with this and will not travel there again

That may or may not be true, but hotel staff get paid wages/tips and local stallholders etc benefit from the tourist trade. If you/we don't go back then they will inevitably lose out.
Every visitor has the option of being dictated to by their travel company or exercising free will and choosing where and how they spend their money.
When we were there we bought from local village markets, Banjul market, local village stalls and we used local transport, (buses and taxis) and we bought fruit etc from the beach girls - this all helped the local economy.

I advise using your own mind and helping the local people while you do.

We booked all our trips through Gambia Tourist Support (http://gambiatouristsupport.com/homep.html) who are a charity who put money directly into education and work projects in the Gambia. They also own a restaurant in Kololi that employs mainly Gambian Staff. I would highly recommend looking at the website and then joining them before you go over there. The trips we did were great, particularly as we were able to set our own agenda and timetable. Much better than being herded around like sheep by the tour operators!

Can anyone who has been to the Gambia recommend any hotels they have stayed at please? I have seen a few nice ones but just asking to see if anyone recommends anywhere first. Thanks in advance x

The HB option in many of the hotels in gambia can be a bit of a waste of time, B&B i feel is by far a better deal. There are plenty of restaurants locally that are good. The better areas are kotu and kololi which are most central, whereas the hotels at the banjul end (palm grove and the atlantic) although both nice, are a little far out and are a taxi ride away for meals etc.

It would be worth viewing the gambia tourist support website (can mod please enter details!!??) as they can provide a good source of information for first time visitors.

Caroline & Kirsten

We would recommend the Senegambia Hotel in Kololi - you can see our review on this topic:

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/the-gambia/kololi/senegambia-beach-hotel/

Caroline is right to recommend the GTS website as a source of info and help - you can find it on this link:

http://gambiatouristsupport.com/homep.html

Any other questions - just ask!

Theyre a great source of information, and great people, its just that i didnt have time to look up the link! We helped them out by taking loads of stuff a couple of years ago, inclusing some desparately needed veg seeds! (tons of them, dont ask where they came from its a long story!)

gambia is a lovely country, and if you get the chance, experience the ferry!

Caroline & Kirsten

Hi
I have been to the Gambia 6 times now.
We have stayed at Tafbel in Kololi and Badala Park in Kotu.
Kololi is better for nightlife and eating and we always think Kotu has a better beach, but that is our taste.
Its better to go self catering or bnb, as its cheap to eat lunch and dinner.
The GTS is a good site to visit, also http://home.clara.net/nalle, which is run by a Gambian guy, you can also email him from his site, He also tells you about hotels etc, lots of info anyway.
If you need any other questions answering, just ask me.
Cher