The Gambia

The Gambia, December 2006

I just returned from a family Christmas break in Gambia. The flight out was an interesting one, especially flying over Morocco, from the High Atlas Mountains in the north near Marrakech to the Sahara desert in the south. I’ve been thinking about planning a snowboarding trip to the Atlas Mountains, so I was pleased to see good snow cover, especially as the conditions in Europe are so bad this year.

Gambia is a third world country, but it has a few well developed resorts dotted along its beautiful Atlantic coast, mostly north of the capital Banjul, home of the country’s only international airport. From Banjul it was a half hour bus ride to Kololi Beach, our home for Christmas. Gambia was greener than I expected. The weather is of course very hot; averaging close to 90 Fahrenheit all year, though the evenings and mornings are pleasantly cool. Our hotel was basic, but very pleasant and well laid out, set in big gardens of flowers, palm and coconut trees and with it’s own resident troop of monkeys which visit the apartments as the heat eases off late in the afternoon. Other, less frequent visitors include peacocks, giant lizards and the odd vulture.

Most Gambians speak English very well as Gambia only gained independence from Britain 1965. I found the locals universally friendly and helpful, though you do get some hassle from what they call ‘bumsters’ - street hustlers who try to sell you everything from native jewelry and paintings to skin cream. Kololi itself has a few mini-markets, a small craft market selling local goods, lots of bars and restaurants, a few slow but reliable Internet cafés and three good hotels: Kairaba, Senegambia and Holiday Beach, the latter having rooms from around £40 per night. I found the Gambian food very good, particularly the fresh vegetable dishes. I’d also recommend trying the local curries which have mild sauce containing nuts, cheese and cream. For well priced and high quality food, I’d recommend GTS, which is located near the entrance to the Holiday Beach. Here a one-course meal with a round of drinks will set you back about £5. A bottle of beer in a bar costs between 60p and 90p, while an average meal costs between £4 and £8 per head with drinks. The supermarkets are also well priced, though not that well stocked. I’d recommend the Kololi mini-market, which has a laid back store owner, a good selection of stock and sells large bottles of locally distilled spirits for under £2.

Gambia has two native beers: Julbrew, a pleasant lager of average volume and Julbrew Export, a darker and stronger ale with a slightly flowery taste. While the Gambians don’t have any vineyards, they do make a palm wine they call ‘Jungle Juice’. Buying Jungle Juice can be an adventure in of itself as it isn’t stocked in the mini-markets. I got a bottle by asking at the local craft market, where I waited for twenty minutes in one of the stalls, drinking strong, sweet tea while a runner was sent with an empty plastic bottle to collect my drink. Palm wine is sweet, slightly fizzy and I found it quite pleasant, though I was probably ripped off at £2 for a liter. Still, I also liked the ‘Gunpowder’ tea I was served and so I bought some to take back to England.

I thought I’d leave you with a few thoughts and recommendations. Don’t be afraid of the bumsters who follow you everywhere – they’re harmless. Don’t go swimming in the sea when the red flags are up – they had to rescue two people during our stay. At Sunset, try the beach bar of the Holiday Beach Hotel - its beautiful. If you fancy loud and lively music try Ali Baba’s, if you fancy good food and don’t mind the wait try GTS. Finally, no matter how good it looks, avoid cold-meat if you want to avoid ‘Banjul belly’.