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Introduction video Gambia Overview Discover the River Accommodation Birdwatching Fishing Chimpanzees Photo gallery Plan your holiday Login to web site Holiday reviews Contact us! |
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From: Erika & Martin Lindsay We particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to explore the interior of Gambia. We enjoyed the mix of topography/birds/fauna and having the opportunity to experience an insight in to local life through the various activities offered to us, in particular drumming, cooking and visiting the local villages/markets. Our stay was greatly enriched by the very warm hospitality and excellent service received from the staff at Bird Safari Camp and indeed throughout our travels. We particularly recommend staying in a tent, for an enhanced rustic experience and from a practical point of view it is cooler than a hut. We were impressed with our stay, albeit brief, at the Footsteps Eco-Lodge. The lodge is beautiful, the food excellent and we were warmly received by Mark, David and their staff. We recommend this for a stay on the coast. The lodge is an ideal compliment to Bird Safari Camp for clients seeking a two centre holiday. Although not right on the sea, we believe it is a higher quality property, located in more beautiful surroundings than the Safari Garden Hotel. Bintong Bolong Lodge is in a beautiful location. Therefore it did not matter that the accommodation was basic. The staff were always obliging. We of course rested during the heat of the afternoon. There was an issue of water supply in the afternoon during our one day stay. Not sure if this is a regular occurrence. Kind Regards Erika & Martin |
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From: Monica and Anna Rusbatch We are back in cold, snowy England! Oh to be back in The Gambia! Just want to say how much we enjoyed it all and to thank you for arranging everything for us, we were so glad you had suggested two days at CRT as it was fantastic, the highlight of the trip. Good luck with Bird Safari Camp and Hidden Gambia, Love from Monica and Anna |
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From: Hugh Anderson This is a rather belated note to say how much Caroline and I enjoyed our holiday and appreciated the way it was organised. Please pass onto all your staff our real appreciation for their friendliness and helpfulness. By happy accident (for your staff) by the time we reached Footsteps we realised that what we had set aside as our remaining spending money for our time there must have got put together with the money we had set aside for the staff fund and then put into the box in one lump. Certainly we had nothing left by the time we reached Gunjur! Should it have gone into the fund, we could not think of a better place for it to have gone. Only trouble was we had nothing to offer your driver who kindly took us to the airport. This was difficult to explain. My brother and his wife will hopefully be joining you at some stage. Certainly I have enthused him with the several beauties of The Gambia. Unfortunately to get something organised this side of the rainy season will be difficult. Look out therefore for a certain Rob Anderson come October or November. Many thanks and regards to all. yrs. Hugh |
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From: Steve Packer Thank you for a most enjoyable holiday in the middle and upper reaches of the River Gambia for which I now have much greater respect not previously thinking of it as one of Africa’s great waterways. Our mix of coast and river camps worked well. Footsteps Eco Lodge provided us with a good start. It is a friendly place with good food and well maintained accommodation. Some might wish that is nearer to the beach but we enjoyed its wooded environment. Tendaba – as you had suggested – is OK for one night but has probably seen better days. We have already mentioned to you the small but not insignificant fact that at low tide the steps on the jetty are a disincentive for some people to go across the river to the creek – the main reason for stopping in Tendaba. This could be remedied quite easily. Bird Safari camp will remain in our holiday memories for the people who work there who we found to be uniformly friendly and helpful. Malang’s food was by far the best on the trip and Sam could not have been more responsive to everybody’s wishes. We think that you could usefully spend a bit of attention to the accommodation; all quite small things – towels that dry rather than wipe [Ed - done this: 100% cotton towels for all!]; mirrors in places that enable you to see yourself; hooks where clothes don’t get wet and thick blankets in cold tents [Ed - done this too: double blankets for those who need them!]. And we could have done with a bit of warm water. But these are quibbles for we enjoyed ourselves greatly. In no small measure – especially for Leilani – this was the result of Dembo’s technical birding skills. He was uniformly excellent throughout although he has not yet learnt to give of himself a bit more beyond his bird work. The Chimp Camp was great – if expensive. Michelle was warm and very professional and the set up both in the camp and for the local communities is clearly carefully conceived and thought through. Safari Garden was OK but seemed it a bit tired to us. May be it was the lack of water [Ed. - this was a general problem due to a mains water pipe fault nearby - now resolved] or the demands of the Plymouth Banjul rally or the pressures of developing the new lodge in Kartong. Nothing really untoward but we felt that our three nights there was enough. We should like to send some photographs to Bird Safari Camp. What address should we use? We hope your Mum has a good time. All best wishes to you and everyone at BSC for 2008. Steve and Leilani |
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From: Shirley Scholefield What a great time we had with each and every person at Bird Safari Camp! Shaun and I were so sorry to leave. What a lovely send off we got from all the staff - that made us even more sad to go. How you get attached to these great people in such a short space of time! This is a place not to be missed... Neither of us are bird watchers, though we do like all animals, so people shouldn't get the idea it's a holiday only for bird watchers - it's not. Having said that, the bird guide Ebrima was brilliant - he even managed to teach us some of the birds! The food was so nice and Binta looked after everyone so well and Sam the manager was very attentive to what anyone needed. The huts were nice and clean and if you wanted any washing doing that also gets done for you. I have mentioned a few staff in particular, though to be honest, it's very good team work from everyone. Everything was so well organised from the pick up from the airport to the drop off at the end of our stay. I could go on and on about this lovely place - can't wait to go back for longer next time. So, if you are looking for something a little different that's peaceful and relaxing with freshly baked bread every morning, this is the place to go. Mark, a big thank you to you and your lovely staff for making us feel so welcome. We will be back! Shirley Scholefield & Shaun Addison |
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From: Patricia Midgley I would, on behalf of the three of us like to thank you for a truly memorable holiday. We were so lucky that we were able to keep the plans flexible as we are certain that it added a new dimension to our adventure! Our final stop with Maurice and Geri at Sandele Eco-Retreat was memorable in a different way, hot water and starched sheets the order of the day! And special evenings with 2 lovely people. We also need to thank you most sincerely for trusting us with your bankers loans without which we would have had a miserable time. I have a cheque for £200 which I can send to Orion or would you like another way of us sending it? Please let me know soon about the transfer and just to let you know it is -4 degrees and snowing hard!! Regards and thanks for everything Pat & co |
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From: Oscar Merne In stark contrast with The Gambia, it is cold (frosty), stormy (winds up to 130 kph) and very wet here in Ireland. It would make one want to turn right round and go back to the tropics! Very many thanks for a wonderful trip up the Gambia River, and back to Farafenni. And for being so trusting with the payment! We had a good ten days in Senegal. Thousands of Cattle Egrets and Long-tailed Cormorants roosting in the trees in the centre of Koalak, lit up like Christmas trees by the street lights. The Giant's Causeway/ Fingal Cave structure of Les Isles de la Madeleine off Dakar and the Red-billed Tropicbirds there, the fantastic flocks of waterbirds, etc. at Parc National des Oiseaux de Djoudj on the Mauretanian border, the 250-year old city of St. Louis, etc. Back in The Gambia we spent our last nights at Madiyana Lodge on Jinack Island: so peaceful, and we saw 130 bird species and the resident pod of African Hump-backed Dolphins. Our visit overlapped with Alison and Rick, just back from your up-river trip. Hear the swimming pool is great and that your 250 HP engine has arrived for the Safari Queen. It should knock quite a bit off the less interesting leg of the journey on the very wide part of the river. My final total for birds seen on our trip was 311 species -- quite respectable since I wasn't bird-watching all day every day. JJ and Ibrahim were great in helping on the up-river trip. If I get the time, I'll write a trip report and post it on www.dublinbirding.ie, which has some other Gambian trip reports. I'll mention Hidden Gambia as an excellent way of seeing lots of good sites and birds up-river. All the best for Christmas and the New Year. Oscar and Margaret |
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From: Jess Tyrrell Wanted to say thank you so much, again, for our wonderful stay at Bird Safari. My mum loved it and was mind-blown by the numbers of wonderful birds! Sure she'll be back! Hope things going well in UK. See you when I see you... Cheers, Jess |
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From: Julia Kingsford I wanted to write to thank you so much for our really wonderful holiday. We had the most amazing time and a week on from our return to the UK, none of us can stop thinking about it. The trip was the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation and gave us such a wonderful opportunity to see the real Gambia. Your staff couldn't have been more helpful and charming. Charles, the volunteer at Bird Safari Camp, was absolutely wonderful and a real unexpected boon and we couldn't have been more pleased with the Lady Hippo (who lived up to her name by showing us some very close specimens) and of course with Bird Safari Camp. Sam made a wonderful manager in Alfu's absence and in all we felt more like we were staying with old friends than at a hotel. Indeed my mother and sister would be more than happy to take Charles' place at the camp whenever required (and all that stops me from volunteering is my full time job!). Though our guide Buba, was very helpful with birds, we felt our limited birdwatching experience prevented us from truly appreciating him, and we'd like to commend our driver Sakulay and Sam who both made the trip particularly special. Our only disappointment was with Tendaba. Such a contrast to your lovely camp - we found the staff surly, the rooms uncomfortable and the food poor. However, that couldn't take away from the pleasure we took in the trip. In an ideal world there'd be less travelling, and though lacking the comforts of Safari Queen, our return journey on the smaller boat was enjoyable for its speed, but even the bumpy roads provided a fascinating experience. The only change for the trip we'd like to suggest is charging more and making it all-inclusive (or at least providing this option for the up-river part of the trip). Not being aware of what things would cost up river, or indeed entirely knowing what we would need to purchase, we found the transportation of money a concern and all decided that we'd have been happier to pay an extra £50 (far more than we actually spent on extras) for the pleasure of knowing whatever we needed was covered. [Ed. Fair comment - from 2007/8 we'll be doing exactly that.] If there's anything else you'd like to know of what we thought, please feel free to ask. Once again, thank you, and we look forward to hopefully visiting Bird Safari Camp again in the future. Many thanks, Julia |
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From: Jinty Copeland Thank you SO much. We had the most wonderful holiday - one we would certainly like to repeat. I have already recommended it to friends. You have something exceptionally special and unique in Hidden Gambia - I cannot rate highly enough the courtesy of the Gambian hotel staff (particularly at Bird Safari Camp), guides and drivers. They dealt with a 9 year old girl (not mine! - who because of her age, was in need of entertainment and attention - and she was such a good little girl) and my somewhat ageing, limping be-sticked husband with the same patience and willingness, always there to help. We were particularly pleased that we were able to get a proper feel for the country as we drove through the villages, waited at the ferry crossing and wandered the market at Basse. Thanks again! Jinty |
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From: Henri Copeland I've just been out in the Gambia for Christmas & New Year and just wanted to say thank you for a fabulous holiday - we all had a really great time. Lamin & Musa (our guide & driver) were fantastic, as were all the staff at Bird Safari Camp. It was a great trip that suited all 3 of us - my father loved all the birdlife, and my mother & I really enjoyed all the extras (djembe lessons, cooking etc). The best thing was that the holiday had an independent travel feel, rather than packaged - you've definitely tapped into a good market there; independent travel without the hassle! I would be really interested in any jobs either UK based or out in The Gambia if any come up. Hidden Gambia is exactly the type of company I would like to join. To give you an idea of my background I previously managed a watersports company and now run an e-commerce website. I have been toying with the idea of setting up a similar thing in Brazil, but with windsurfing instead of birds (I think the hippos and crocs might be a slight hazard to windsurfers in The Gambia, but the breeze really did shoot down the river during the day!) Thanks again for a really great holiday, with any luck I'll be able to head out to Africa again next year as well. I hope the rest of the season goes well. Regards Henri Copeland |
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From: David Rothwell Just wanted to send you a quick e mail to say what a fabulous time we had over in the Gambia. You employ some fantastic people out there. I would especially like to single out our guide Tombong and driver Sutay who were some of the friendliest, informative and professional people I have ever met anywhere in the world. They are truly a credit to your organistion. Gambia is an amazing place to visit and I will have no hesitation in recommending Hidden Gambia Ltd to anyone who wants to visit this wonderful country. David Rothwell |
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From: Anne McNeil I thought I would drop you a line to say thank you. We had the most wonderful trip. It was better, even, than we had imagined it would be. All the local staff were terrific. Their enthusiasm and kindness was exemplary. Our guide, JJ, and driver, Suteh, really made it their business to make sure that we got what we wanted from the holiday. Tombong was wonderful. Lamin was really highly spoken of by his group - we didn't talk to him much, but he was obviously an expert. The staff at Bird Safari Camp were wonderful, too - there is a sense of fun in the operation, and real friendship. I found the church I was christened in... drove on the road my father built (the Basse road) and we were invited to lunch by a midwife at the hospital. I went knowing nothing about birdlife, but JJ and Tombong both - well, their energy carried us into this part of the holiday - and the kids and I all loved bird spotting. It is such a special country, I am determined to go back before long. We made many friends. My only thoughts about Hidden Gambia, which I mean in order to be helpful, as I will be thoroughly recommending it to friends and acquaintances, is that the more information you can give upfront, the better, so that you can attract the right sort of travellers, who won't perhaps be complaining about small things, but would be able to look more at the big picture. So: I would flag up to people that there is no hot water at Tendaba or Bird Island for washing - as there is just no fuel available for providing this. I am sure that people will be understanding if they know why. We certainly were. A retired couple at our hotel who had just completed the trip, had found this to be hard at the start I know - although they sorted it out with the maid I think. And they loved the experience - they talked very highly of it. The road journey is incredibly dusty of course - and quite gruelling. I don't think the advance literature really prepared us for it. People should ensure they take water - it is absolutely necessary. And a snack is a good idea. It was a long time to wait for food on the second day - which arrived on the Lady Hippo at 3pm. I should say that the food was excellent on board the boat. I am sure if people are prepared, again, they will be understanding. Maybe just encouraging the driver to stop on a banana stop - which is what we did later on in the holiday - would help. And my own feeling is that the holiday would be too difficult for under nines. My two were older - but the younger girl in the group struggled I think on the road journey. It was such a long way in the heat and dust without a stop. [Ed - Now that the north bank road has been newly tarmacked, there is far less dust than was experienced by Anne. Our itineraries are by far the best way of getting up-country - they cut out all the hassle of ferry crossings and only involve one hour of poor roads - along the south bank road on the way to Bintang. Most of the travel is by boat! Anyway - thank you for your help. It was partly your own enthusiasm on the phone which encouraged me to make the booking - this and your obvious and genuine love of the country. I wish you the best with the organisation and I will certainly pass on details to those of my friends who have an interest. Good wishes Anne |
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From: Steven Addinall Dear Mark, |
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From: Graham & Leena Condell Hi Mark, |
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From: Jacqueline Benz After 2 weeks of Gambian sun I'm back home in Switzerland... where the sun didn't shine for the last 2 weeks and it's so cold that you could turn the fridge off and use the balcony instead... I just want to tell you, that I had a wonderful trip with hiddengambia.... Transportation was perfectly organised, (timing, that you could think you're in switzerland .-) ), safari garden, paradise inn and bird safari camp where well choosen places and a special thank to the staff... the drivers, the people on the Lady Hippo and Safari Queen and specially Ousman, our bird guide... He never got tired to point out another bird, besides his excellent bird knowledge, he could also answer our questions to the culture, other wildlife than birds and trees. So I would like to thank you for 2 weeks wonderful, relaxing vacation in Gambia. I wish hiddengambia and his staff all the best! thank you Jacky |
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From: Larry Hubble, USA All 3 of us had a wonderful time on our first trip to The Gambia. Our guide was excellent and his knowledge of the area, of birds and birding spots made the experience much more enjoyable than trying to do it ourselves. Our stay at both Tendaba and BSC was very enjoyable but I must say that I enjoyed BSC more. The food was terrific and all the staff were very friendly and helpful. We bumped into the BSC manager (can't remember his name) again at the coast at Safari Garden Hotel a day or 2 before our departure. Safari Garden Hotel was also an excellent place to stay for the coastal portion of vacation. We had a chance to get to know Geri & Maurice a little bit over dinner one night. We very much enjoyed talking to them and learning about their plans for an ecolodge near Kartong. For me the highlights of the trip were the boat trip upriver to BSC (we saw five Hippos including a baby) and another boat trip into Bao Bolong (across from Tendaba) but most of all it was the people we met especially the friendly Gambians. We will be visiting Gambia again in 2 or 3 years time. Thanks Mark, for helping make our first trip to The Gambia a very enjoyable one. I've attached a couple of photos. One is of Kathy and Martin relaxing at Safari Garden. The other is of YaYa, myself and Kathy at Abuko. Regards, Larry |
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From: Barbara Alberts The boats trip with the Lady Hippo was really one of the highlights for my friends! Lady Hippo was in Tendaba on Sunday and we startet as planned on Sunday in the afternoon. Nice crew, very good food, everybody was happy! Afterwards we stayed in Rheakunda-Lodge in Sanyang for three nights and I recommended you to the owner and gave her your e-mail address, because she is very interested in a boats trip for their guests in January or February. I hope she will contact you. Best regards Barbara |
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From: Mogens Jensenius, MD, PhD Thanks for your email. Actually, we had - and I'm honest - planned to give you a brief feedback within the next few days. First of all, our travel option by boat was a definite hit. Very comfortable. Much more convenient than spending hours on the bumpy road. We were 4 travellers plus 2 (sometimes 3) other persons, and we had plenty of room on board. WE also enjoyed the tour from Georgetown to Basse with the taxi. The road was excellent, and we had no problems with necks and backs. Finally, our guide Tombong, was 110% helpful and kind. We can only give him our best recommendations. Just one small "complaint": our hut (number 5) at Bird Safari Camp had a mouse visitor 2 nights in a row. We also had a frog indoors, but guess this is part of life in the bush. [Ed. Since this, we have re-roofed all the huts at Bird Safari Camp and improved the doors which has greatly helped in keeping the wildlife outside!] Mark, thanks a lot for your very pleasant travel arrangement. We have already talked about Hidden Gambia to friends and colleagues, and hopefully you'll get more Norwegian customers in the years to come. All the best from a beautiful, white Oslo (minus 2, lots of snow). Mogens Jensenius, MD, PhD |
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From: Dr Andrew Winn Just to let you know that Melissa and I had a great time in The Gambia. We particularly enjoyed Tom who was a great guide, I've promised to send him a cd of South American birds just for interest, for when he gets himself kitted out with his portable cd. He mentioned something about the bird fairs which happen in the uk from time to time, and that he hoped one day to visit one. I'd just like to give my vote for him being sent, as I couldn't fault his enthusiasm, knowledge and manner with us tourists. Mel and I usually go on DIY trips, but for a quick week away we decided to give a tour company a go and we enjoyed the experience and definitely got the most out of such a short visit. Cheers and Merry Xmas. Dr Andrew Winn Senior Project Officer Manchester University |
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From: Lynn Reynolds Can't thank your staff enough, food brill, boat trip excellent, surroundings even better and the staff more than helpful… Wish we had stayed longer… Regards, Danny and Lynn |
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From: Paul Minter We thoroughly enjoyed the trip up the river and had a good time at Bird Safari Camp despite a bit of a problem with the generator, though that didn't inconvenience us too much. The only problem we encountered was that I suffered a severe allergic reaction to an insect bite. My tongue swelled up as did my face around the mouth, so much so that my wife (who is a doctor) insisted that we go to a hospital. Fortunately the symptoms abated almost as quickly as they had come on and by the time we got to the clinic at Bansang my tongue was not quite so enlarged, so all was well. Our time in the central and eastern part of The Gambia was very interesting and enjoyable - we saw Basse Santa Su, good views of hippos near MacCarthy Island, plenty of baboons, a crocodile, Pels Fishing Owl and Finfoot among many other birds, so we were delighted. Our stay, brief though it was at the Safari Garden hotel in Fajara was also very pleasant. We found the drive along the North Bank from Farafenni to Kuntaur not too bad - the worst aspect was the dust when we had to get off the main road at road works - it made the interior of the vehicle rather stifling. The road on to Basse was pretty good. I would like to say a big thank you to our guide, Tombong and driver, Borra who were without exception helpful, courteous and friendly as well as being always good humoured. Our companions on the tour, the three Americans were also excellent company and we all got on very well together, so a good time was had by all. I would be very happy to recommend this holiday to anyone interested in The Gambia and in particular to those who enjoy wildlife. Best Regards, Paul Minter |
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From: Peter Al-Sheikhli Many thanks for our trip which was absolutely great. Incredible punctuality, very pleasant helpful people and amazing wildlife. Cham AKA 'I'm tellin' you' our excellent driver asked if you might bring a big print of a photograph out to him the next time you go to Gambia. Kind regards Peter |
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From: Tony Bates I had a great time on the trip - 239 species of birds - including 69 I had not previously seen in The Gambia, at least 11 species of mammal (if I include the mouse in the bar at BSC!). Superb bird guide in Tombong. It was also really interesting bumping into the Plymouth-Dakar rally veterans at Safari Garden - an interesting BBQ evening listening to their tales and folk-songs. Highlights included the evening mangrove trip at Tendaba, as we got so close to the birds, and the early morning trips on the Lady Hippo at BSC. The food was good quality throughout, but it would have been good to have had more traditional African cuisine. It would be easy to be negative about the state of the plumbing at various places, the broken tiles in the swimming pool at BSC [Ed. We're re-working the pool now], tents with zips that don't work [Ed. repaired these] or 6 hours on a boat without a loo [Ed. Both the 'Lady Hippo' and 'Safari Queen' have a flush toilet - Tony travelled all the way up-river on our 7m fibre boat the 'Sangamarr' which does require the odd 'bush stop'] - and for that reason I have many friends that I could not recommend the trip to as I know they would have problems - but for me these did not detract from a great experience. Staff at all the hotels and camps were fantastic, friendly, cheerful, helpful - if not always terribly efficient. On refection I carried too many clothes around - it is so easy to get things washed and dried that I could have coped with less. I'll go back to sorting out my photos now, thanks for a great and relaxing holiday. Tony |
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From: Stuart Conant, Massachusetts, USA We liked Tendaba but found the rooms dark, hot and the linens were not fresh and my bed had sand in it --- we really liked the boat trip into the inlet though ---- we did it early in the morning and it was beautiful. The Safari Garden Hotel was great and Geri and Maurice were most accommodating -- as well as the rest of the staff ---- we thought the lunch and dinner meals were excellent and creative but breakfast was the same everyday -- I think they could have thrown in some toast, scrambled eggs, etc to vary that menu. The guests were interesting --- as you suggested they might be --- we met a number of the drivers from the Plymouth -Dakar (Banjul) challenge ------ great fun and laughs --- and consumed a few Julbrews. The location was perfect and quiet. Lastly ---- it was tough for us to calculate the tipping situation and felt it would be helpful if you gave travelers a "guide" as to what we should be doing --- particularly for Borah and Tombong ---- we were never sure whether we excessively OVER OR UNDER tipped. We loved the entire trip --particularly the up river portion ---- and would highly recommend it to other adventuresome travelers ---- again, thanks for a job well done and everything ran like clockwork --- no waiting -----something new and different for me in The Gambia. Thanks again -- Stuart, Jon and John PS Back at the coast, we visited Kololi and we most impressed that they have controlled the bumsters ---it was very refreshing --- 5 yrs ago they were like flies ---- we really did not feel like we were ever swarmed by them --anywhere. I guess they are getting the word out. |
Have you been on holiday with us? If so, please add your gambia holiday review.
Chimpanzee Project - 
Madiyana Camp, Jinack - 
Tendaba Camp (155km inland) - 
Bird Safari Camp (300km inland) - 
BaoBolong Wetland Reserve (155km inland)
