Frequently Asked Questions

As a result of UK Government legislation, we are required to collect Advance Passenger (passport) Information from all customers (including infants) travelling to and from the UK by air. If we do not receive this information, tickets cannot be processed.

When did it start?

• It applies to all flight travel from 1st November 2009.

What information is needed per passenger?

• Full name, as per your passport including any middle names.
• Your date of birth.
• The travel document 'type' eg: passport.
• Your nationality.
• Passport Country of Issue.
• Passport number and expiry date.

When is the information required by?

• Either at the time of booking or at least 7 days before travel in order for your tickets to be processed in time. Failure to do so will prevent tickets from being issued. Any API details received within 7 days of departure will result in a Ticket on Departure being arranged, for which you may be charged.

How can I provide this information?

• Please visit our API page on our website where you can input the information. Alternatively you can call Administration on 0845 330 2044.

What if I book late?

• Our website will not confirm a booking within 7 days of travel, unless you input your API details, so please have them to hand.
• Ticket on Departure information will not be provided until we have your API details.

Although seats are pre-bookable and we endeavour to provide requested seat numbers depending on availability, they may be subject to change by the airline at short notice, which is unfortunately out of our control. Seat numbers may also be adjusted if there is an unexpected change in aircraft, which again may occur at short notice. Therefore the airline is not able to confirm seat numbers prior to your departure date.

Although inoculations are not compulsory for entry, we strongly suggest you consult your doctor before booking who will recommend certain medication, including anti-malarial tablets as a precaution. Children and pregnant women may require special vaccination procedures.

For up-to-date advice visit the World Health Organisation at www.who.int/ith and the Department of Health leaflet (Ref T6) “Health Advice to Travellers” is available free from your GP, travel agent or by phoning FREE on 0870 155 5455.

For British passport holders, visas are not required for entry into The Gambia. You must be travelling on a full 10 year British passport, valid for at least 3 months beyond the date of arrival back in the UK. 

One way travel to The Gambia is not permitted for British passport holders without the correct documentation. Please check with the Gambian High Commission for more details.

Other passport holders should contact the Gambia High Commission for visa requirements.

The telephone number for the Gambia High Commission in London is 0207 937 6316.

Although some restaurants and hotels in The Gambia do accept credit cards, it is not wise to rely on them. Debit cards are still more restricted; Solo, Visa Electron and Switch cards are not accepted. You should always check that your card will be accepted and whether there is any surcharge.

We advise that you don't take Amex Travellers Cheques in dollars as you will get a poor rate when exchanging them. All other Travellers Cheques in sterling should be changed without problem.

Any amendment will be subject to availability, amendment charges (excludes flexible ticket holders), plus any difference in costs. Further details should be obtain from our Administration department on 0845 330 2044 or at admin@gambia.co.uk

If you are already out in The Gambia and wish to amend your booking, please contact our Resort Office in The Gambia on 4463867 or 4463864 for price and availability. To extend a flight only ticket in Resort it would be a minimum of £160 and you are only able to extend for a maximum of two weeks. For package holidays the cost would be £160 for the flight extension plus any difference in accommodation costs. You cannot extend from a package holiday to a flight only booking.

This is 5 kilos. Dimensions differ from airline to airline but should be no larger than 43cm x 28cm x 23cm. Please ensure that you only carry one piece of hand luggage and that it does not contain any sharp objects. Most airlines will only allow one piece of hand baggage per passenger, which includes ladies handbags and laptops.

Transfers are included if you have booked a package holiday with us. Private transfers can also be arranged from £65 return. 

Charity excess is only given to ‘Registered’ charities on our winter flights and you will be required to supply a registered charity number.

• Due to the high number of charity requests it is done on a first come first serve basis.
• Airline restrictions mean our charity allowance is limited to 30 kilos per flight.
• We are not able to give excess if you are travelling on a Thomas Cook flight.

An alternative option would be to freight goods, which is also less expensive. This can be done through ‘Redcoat Travel’ on 01293 522440. Please contact Administration on 0845 330 2044 or at admin@gambia.co.uk for excess availability.

Due to limited aircraft availability in summer, our LGW flights currently operate on a Boeing 737-800 with Viking Airlines. Please be aware that Viking Airlines are unable to guarantee any excess baggage in addition to the 20 kilo allowance per person as limitations may be set due to weather and wind conditions on the day of travel. In the winter, flight only passengers on our Monarch and Hamburg International flights will receive a 25 kilo allowance per person, exclusively through The Gambia Experience. We also have a limited amount of excess baggage, which we can allocate but this is for registered charities only, and again we cannot guarantee that unallocated excess baggage will be accepted. Generally speaking the cost of excess is £7-£10 per extra kilo, however, this is subject to change depending on the airline and excess baggage is not guaranteed to be checked in. If travelling on a Flexible Ticket or upgrading to Premium Class (winter only - subject to availability from London Gatwick) you would benefit from a 30 kilo allowance.

Some GP’s suggest that you will need to show your yellow fever vaccination certificate at immigration and will be refused entry if you don’t show it.  If travelling to Gambia from the EU you are not required to show your certificate as proof.  You will not be refused entry to The Gambia if you haven’t had the inoculation on this basis alone.  However, we do strongly suggest you consult your doctor, obtaining professional advice before booking.

For up-to-date advice visit the World Health Organisation at www.who.int/ith and the Department of Health leaflet (Ref T6) “Health Advice to Travellers” is available free from your GP, travel agent or by phoning FREE on 0870 155 5455.

If you have any special requests for your holiday accommodation or flights, please ensure they are requested at the time of booking as procedures for flight requests vary from airline to airline and they require as much notice as possible. We shall be pleased to pass on your request to the airline or hotel, however we cannot guarantee that they will be met.

If you are travelling with Hamburg International you are required to register any excess baggage, sports equipment and seat requests online on the airlines web site www.hamburg-international.de. The airline requires 3 full working days notice.

These can be expected 2 weeks prior to your date of travel and will include our information booklet "Your Guide to The Gambia" which we hope you will find useful.

The Gambia's currency is the Dalasi, with £1 Sterling buying around 43 Dalasi in September 2009. As with all currencies, the Dalasi rate to the Pound can fluctuate. Dalasi is available in the UK but you will get a better exchange rate in The Gambia. Currency can easily be obtained at most hotels, banks or bureaux de change and there are a few ATM's where cash can be obtained from a VISA card. The largest note that is available is the 100D and the smallest is 5D - it is always worth trying to keep your smaller denominations as many stall traders will not have enough small notes for change if you pay with a larger note. Although some restaurants and hotels in The Gambia do accept credit cards, it is not wise to rely on them. Debit cards are still more restricted; Solo, Visa Electron and Switch cards are not accepted.

Vegetarians are increasingly catered for; many hotels and restaurants will offer a vegetarian dish and some will accommodate with dishes made to order.

Prices vary with a good 3 course evening meal in a top quality restaurant costing on average about £30 per person excluding drinks and service and a simple meal and beer can cost under £12 per person.

Located midway between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator, The Gambia enjoys virtually uninterrupted sunshine and high daytime temperatures with almost no rainfall from November to June. On the coast, The Gambia experiences only small fluctuations in temperature from winter to summer; however from July to October the humidity level is high as the tropical sun will be punctuated by short but spectacular showers. Although the months of heaviest rainfall are August and September, we have found that most rain occurs at night and has not detracted from our clients' enjoyment of their holiday. Nevertheless, a lightweight rain mac or umbrella may prove useful in these months. Between January and April, evenings and early mornings can be cooler than people expect. For those planning to travel inland away from the coast and the benefit of the sea breezes, it is important to note that temperatures during the summer can reach 42°C.

To view a climate chart - Click here

We would advise that you take medicines to treat dehydration, small ailments, stomach upsets, insect bites and cuts, along with mosquito repellent and sun tan creams, as such items are expensive and not always available in The Gambia. A practice which should be avoided in any hot climate is drinking very cold drinks straight after coming out of the hot sun as this can cause stomach upsets. Bottled water can be bought in most hotels and supermarkets at a reasonable price. A Department of Health leaflet (Ref T6) "Health Advice to Travellers" is available free from your GP, Travel Agent or by phoning FREE on 0870 155 5455.

ATM machines are still not overly reliable and credit and debit cards are still not widely accepted. Sterling or travellers cheques can be exchanged at hotels, local banks, exchange bureaux and Euros are now widely accepted.

Occasionally, despite the best efforts of all concerned, flights are delayed for reasons beyond our personal control. In the event that such a delay occurs, we will always do our best to provide a snack or meal when appropriate and in the case of an overnight delay, suitable accommodation. Please note that the choice of accommodation for flight delays is made by the airline and is not part of your original package holiday.

To assist us to improve our service and ensure standards are maintained, we will be most grateful if you would take the time to complete our questionnaire in resort and return it to our resort staff prior to your departure. We will also donate £10 to the Gambia Experience Schools Project for every 100 questionnaires received.

Your details will also be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a holiday to The Gambia by completing the questionnaire.

Insurance is a must. We feel it is so important that we insist you either take our special travel insurance or arrange a policy yourself at the time of booking which must provide cover equal to our own standard policy.

The coastline of The Gambia does suffer from erosion. The beaches were replenished at the end of 2003 and although some have since suffered again there are still wide sandy beaches at Kololi, Kotu, Bijilo and Cape Point.

Mosquitoes are most active around late afternoon and through the evening. We strongly recommend the use of a good insect repellent to prevent being bitten, in conjunction with anti-malarial tablets as prescribed by your doctor.

Gambians are friendly and hospitable people. Crime against tourists is low. Some Gambians have chosen to make their living outside the hotels and on the beach selling excursions, handicrafts and fruit or offering to show tourists around the local area. However, not all tourists appreciate the attention of these boys who can sometimes be persistent to the point of being a nuisance but not alarming or threatening.

A noticeable change over the last few years has been the increase in the number of restaurants offering quality dining for excellent value and The Gambia is gaining an international reputation with more quality chefs from around the world now living and working in the country.

There is a wide variety of restaurants in The Gambia ranging from casual beach bars to formal gourmet dining, serving a range of cuisine from Italian to Lebanese. Of particular note is the abundance of freshly caught seafood including lady fish, barracuda, snapper, butter fish, lobster and huge Atlantic prawns. Vegetarians are increasingly catered for; many hotels and restaurants will offer a vegetarian dish and some will accommodate with dishes made to order. Click here for our restaurant guide.

The dress code in most restaurants is casual, but in the evening gentlemen are usually required to wear long trousers.

Depending on your hotel, some of the restaurants may be a taxi ride away but these can be pre-booked with waiting time until you are ready to return to your hotel.

The Gambia is on GMT, so there is no time difference. During British Summer Time, The Gambia is 1 hour behind us here in the UK.

Yes. With only 6 hours flying time from the UK and no jet lag you can be relaxing by the pool by late afternoon, sipping a cocktail and watching the sun set. In fact long weekends, flying out on a Friday and returning on the Tuesday are becoming more popular for a quick 4 day break relaxing in the sun.

Surf can be high with strong undercurrents on the coast of The Gambia, so some activities may not be advisable. We would recommend you seek further advice from your local representative or our resort office on the forecast and what sports are available.

Generally speaking many hotels situated in the busier resorts of The Gambia offer a 'Bed & Breakfast' board basis, due to the affordability of meals and drinks, plus the accessibility of restaurants in the hotels and surrounding areas. At The Gambia Experience, we encourage clients to support the local economy as part of our commitment to Sustainable Tourism where possible, although January 2010 saw the introduction of an 'All-inclusive' option at the Sheraton Gambia Hotel. Buffet style dining is available with the added benefit of choosing from the à la carte menus at an additional cost, varying your meal options.

A ferry service between Banjul and the North Bank. The service doesn't always run to schedule and can be subject to change without notice leaving people stranded on the North Bank. The ferry carries both vehicles and foot passengers, and can get very crowded and is not a very comfortable journey but great for the adventurous looking for real local atmosphere.

Generally take clothes that are comfortable and loose fitting, preferably cotton; we also recommend a hat as protection against the strong midday sun. Although dress is not formal, in the evenings most hotels and restaurants require gentlemen to wear shirts and long trousers. A jumper may come in handy for early morning excursions.

The standard of living in The Gambia is obviously much lower than ours as it is a developing country, so poverty and begging are common. Having said this, most Gambians are extremely hospitable and it is not uncommon for locals to invite tourists to their homes.

These are an unpleasant fact of life, especially in hot climates. The hotels we feature take what steps they can but total eradication is not possible.

The Gambia is not suitable for diving. The Atlantic Ocean does not give The Gambia crystal clear waters. Depending on the time of year the surf can be high and there may be strong undercurrents in places.

The Gambia has no migrating wildebeest, giraffes or any of the large animals commonly associated with Africa. However without leaving your hotel you can see a breathtaking variety of bird life, in addition to monkeys and lizards. Baboons and crocodiles can be seen nearby and then far up the river, hippos.

It must be stressed that good road surfaces, traffic and direction signs are still not too common, however the road quality on the main highways has improved over the past several years. There is no rail service but you will find taxis readily available outside your hotel.

Taxis can be hired for a specific journey or for a half or full day, in both cases it is best to agree the price in advance; there is a price board together with a taxi supervisor to help. The taxi waiting time is charged at approximately £1.00 per hour. Bush taxis are available which are often very crowded but offer a very economical way of travelling and a way of absorbing part of the local flavour.

The official language and language of instruction in most schools is English (The Gambia is a former British Colony). However, various tribal languages are used by the Gambians to converse between themselves.

Car hire is available for the more independent, although rather expensive and definitely not recommended. Please contact our Resort Office for details. Another method of transport gaining popularity is the bicycle, which allows you to explore the area around the hotel at a leisurely pace, but be sure to remember that they drive on the right-hand side of the road.

The Gambia has introduced a smoking ban in public places which includes enclosed restaurants, bars, hotel receptions and rooms.

The interior photograph is selected as being typical of that hotel, however your room may differ in decor and/or layout.

There can be occasional problems with electricity, however most hotels have their own back up generator. Slight disruption in supply can effect the efficiency of air-conditioning and supply of hot water during periods of high demand.