Anyone been to The Gambia?

[huskie69]

Me n the missus are looking to get away next Feb. We don't want any rain, we want guaranteed Sun and no kids running about to knock over our limitless supply of booze.

We've been struggling to find somewhere which ticks all the boxes with the exception of Gambia.

Africa's never really appealed to me but Gambia seems alright. I'm not the adventurous type - I'm not really interested in going to the markets and haggling for tat, I don't care about excursions up river to look at some birds or to marvel at some kids in a school. I just want to chill out for a week or two getting pissed in the sunshine.

So.. the Gambia - any good?

One thing which does put me off a bit is the price of things - for an extremely poor country they don't half hike the prices up a bit - £7 for a tuna sarnie
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[Chalky.]

I've been, it's nice. Sounds like you won't use it to its full "potential" though.

What about one of the Canary Islands?

[huskie69]

Chalky - give me a break down of the 'potential' ...

It seems to be a bird spotters heaven and everything else I've read basically warns travellers about travelling too far from the resorts unless you're on a guided tour etc.

Also, we're both late 20s and the impression I get is that a lot of older baby boomers go there - are there many young-uns too?

Been to Canaries twice, nothing against them but I want guaranteed sunshine without the sprogs and brits complaining about the crap bacon in their £3.00 'full English'.
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[Chalky.]

[Whosthedaddy]

We went years ago to Banjul, it was an eye opener!
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[17-in-87]

I've been 3 times, the in-laws go twice a year

Weather is always good, drinks are relatively cheap - what hotel are you looking at?
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[huskie69]

[huskie69]

[17-in-87]

The Ngala is very upmarket - that would explain the cost of a tuna sarnie lol.

Me and the missus stay at the Senegambia, the Kairaba is also nice but if you're after luxury the Ngala is probably the one.

The strip is busy - you'll get hassled daily by bumsters, normally selling belts and friendship bracelets - they are no problem once they know you aren't interested, if they ask if you have been to the Gambia before just say yes, they then assume you know how they work and leave you alone.
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[Polarbear]

oh yes, but working in the shit hole areas.

If you go outside the happy parks when not on tours, employ a minder. For 20 dollars a day + food he will keep you out of trouble.
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[Whosthedaddy]

We stayed here

https://www.laicohotels.com/en/hotel/gambie/banjul/laico-atlantic.html
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[kitty kat]

My husband & i have been twice. Tuna sarnie for £7 ... where did you see that? We had a 3 course meal with drinks in a fantastic restaurant for £10 each.
The beaches are beautiful but you will get hassled. It starts at the airport and doesn't stop until you leave the country. Just to sit by a pool seems a waste of a beautiful country & lovely people.
We had no problems leaving the hotel & walking a long a dirt track late at night. I don't know where you have got your information from, but try reading trip advisor. Gambia is known as the smiling coast, it is the friendliest country I have ever been to and we are hoping to go back there this winter.
We have stayed at Palma Rima bungalows, kololi - basic but they have Gambia's largest swimming pool and this New Year we stayed at Palm Beach, Kotu - just a short taxi ride from the senegambia strip. Just remember that the 1st Saturday every month is National Cleaning Day and no vehicles are allowed on the streets until about 2pm, everyone has to clean their shops, vehicles restaurants

If you just want to get pissed then go all inclusive in the Canary Islands

[kitty kat]

Just looked at the pricing for Feb at Ngala Lodge, wow you are looking at about £1200 per person per week, we didn't spend that on 2 of us for a week at new year, in fact we paid less than £1000 for our holiday.

It looks lovely if you want to be sheltered from the world outside & not see anything at all of the country you are visiting.

[huskie69]

Thanks for all your info guys. Very useful. I am a bit of an explorer normally but all our recent holidays have been way too hectic - constant driving about looking at spectacular views and not really taking the time to chill out - so we really want a relaxing break this time. Canaries and indeed Turkey, Egypt etc are out of the question that time of year - just too bloody cold, and for that reason the Gambia really caught our eye what with it being dry season and temperatures typically in the high 20s.

I guess the question I'm asking is 'is it safe' for a couple of pastey Brits who want to stay somewhere a bit more exotic than the usual places?

[Tungtvann]

I can't comment on Gambia specifically, but as with many African countries frequented by Westerners, stray outside the 'safe' areas alone at your peril.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/gambia

Always good to check the FCO when planning visits to these countries.

[Whosthedaddy]

Walk the backstreets away from the main trail and you'll see why its part of the developing world.
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[shereen]

Have you thought about South East Asia? Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia?

All excellent locations.
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[Tungtvann]

[huskie69]

[Motorhate]

I went to the Gambia back in 1997 with my ex. Never-a-fucking-gain.

It was hot. Really fucking hot, I got blisters on my head from the sun which popped in the night and my scalp stuck to the pillow, which wouldn't have been much of a problem, had I not got the shits from the terrible food out there. These weren't the normal everyday shits. Oh no. This was like a big brown express train heading straight out of my Japanese flag at 100mph. So as I leapt out of bed to lay a dirty spine in the bog, half my head stayed on the pillow. I'd only been seeing my ex for about two months and hadn't got to the stage where you can fart, shit etc. in front of her. So now she's awake with me screaming to the bog because half my head is sitting on the pillow, I'm sitting on the porcelain chariot with my bomb doors open trying to shit my eyeballs out. After about 20 minutes I was empty and in agony from head to arse.

Then, I had some local hassling me for money and for my trainers (!!) which I thought was odd but little did I realise it was a calm before the storm. To say there were beggars there is like saying, there's a drop or two of liquid in the Atlantic. They wouldn't leave me alone until I told one or two to fuck off sharpish. Anyway, then my ex-tries to liven things up by booking a type of tour inland of the place. Fuck me the heat … oh my jesus the heat. It was unbearable. I decided then that this place was to fucking much and I wanted out. The next day she books us on a horse ride - I say horse, a fucking clothes horse would have had more life in the nag they'd given me. That was until one bright spark decided to slap his arse. Lester Piggot I am not and I confirmed it that day. I ended up flat on my arse on the beach with a load of fuckfaces laughing their bollocks off at me. Humiliated I went back to the apartment. That night I was eaten alive by mosquitos. Fucking bumps and itchy spots everywhere. The beer was shit too, a cross between ants and cats piss.

The next day a bloke comes up to us and invites us to his house. Fuck that I say, you've got more chance of knitting fog but my dopey ex agrees and thats settled. I can't let her go on her own *if I have known how she was going to turn out I'd have let her. So we end up going. At night its pitch black, no lights and we get a taxi to his place. I say taxi, I've seen better kept stock cars. Anyway, we get there and they've cooked a meal for us. I took one mouthful and it was fucking vile. I don't know what it was but I'm guessing it was a bag ladies period (not that I've tasted one) but that's what I reckon it was. I politely decline and say I'm a veggie (!!!! ) which I'm not. He says no problem we have some oranges which we grow on our own tree. Great … I say. I eat a couple of oranges. They're just about edible. A bit later my ex says she wants to take a leak. No problem, here's the toilet. I say toilet - it was a latrine - a hole in the ground, situated - guess where - next to the fucking orange tree. Oh great, I've just eaten the best part of a whole families guts in them two oranges. These are the highlights of the holiday, the rest was even worse.

So - in a nutshell - don't go to the Gambia. Its shit. Literally.
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[garth]

^^ Brilliant.

I was supposed to rate it funny, but clicked agree accidentally.

[huskie69]

Thankyou motorhate for your honest review - absolutely brilliant, you should be travel writer!!

I can sympathise with you on the whole blisters thing too. I went on a boat trip in Turkey a few years ago. Had my legs dangling off the side of the boat all day in +30 degree heat, full sun.
Forgot suncream :'(
Next day, woke up with blisters the full length of my thighs - they must have been holding about a litre of fluid each. I couldn't walk for week and got charged £180 for the hydrocortisone cream the onsite doc gave me

I now don't go anywhere without factor 50 - and I ain't even a ginge!
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[Motorhate]

[Whosthedaddy]

Middle of nowhere at a game reserve and bought a bottle of water. Tasted a little funny but bottled water does at times depending on make right? Nope, it had been filled from the hose out back...brown rain for a few days!

It wasn't till it was too late that we see the bloke doing it, should. Have opted for the bottle of coke instead.
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[Tungtvann]