The Smiling Coast

17 January 2012 - etc Magazine - Laura Cartledge

Peering out of the egg-shaped plane window at the grey, heavy sky and rain soaked runway it is hard to believe that in just six hours I will be in a completely different world. Yet sure enough as we start our decent the clouds part and beneath us Africa unrolls it’s warm red earth to welcome us.
The Gambia, known as the smiling coast of Africa, lives up to its reputation instantly as passengers exchange excited grins, eager and excited to get out and explore.The adventure begins with the baggage reclaim as a three-deep crowd clambers to be reunited with their belongings.And as boring black suitcase after boring black suitcase rolls past I regret not having brightened up my luggage.
Finally we make it to the bus and are given a very welcome ice cool bottle of water and a handmade wicker fan by The Gambia Experience team – and as I take my first sip it becomes clear we are going to be very well looked after. All aboard we make our way to the Coco Ocean Resort & Spa located in the coastal resort of Bijilo. It is only a 30 minute drive but it flies by as we all press our noses to the glass already captivated by the country. The roadside rolls past like a film reel with scenes of shop fronts adorned with hand painted signs, and men relaxing under trees while women with children strapped to their backs walk along balancing buckets on their heads. Before long we turn into our resort where the bustle of the streets is replaced by an instant air of calm. It is easy to see why the hotel is regarded as the most luxurious one in The Gambia and has become the place to stay for celebrities and discerning holidaymakers. The cool white walls, marble lined interior, domed roofs, high ceilings and abundance of lanterns create a Moroccan feel which at first seems strange, yet the way they all work together to maximise the natural light has something magical about it.
Following welcome drinks we are shown to our rooms and it is all I can do to keep my jaw hitting the floor when the glass front slides back to reveal floating, full length, white cotton curtains which reveal just a peek of what lies beyond. The floor was a checkers board of marble with a step up from the area with two sofas to the biggest bed I have ever seen. While the wall behind had two doors, one on each side of the bed, which concealed the ensuite - as luxury means not having to walk around to get to the bathroom. After a quick shower and change it was time for dinner. The hotel has a tasty choice of restaurants and menus with international chef cooking up the best cuisine from around the world. The main restaurant offers al fresco or more formal dining and with the weather being the perfect balance of balmy with a breeze we settle outside and tuck into a tasty avocado salad followed by succulent fish.
Well fed and worn out we retire for the night. The next morning I would like to say it was the cheerful bird song outside my room which awoke me but I am afraid nature was a bit closer than that, as a spider has been tempted by the plush pillows and massive mattress of my bed and it was he, crawling along my arm, that saw me spring into the second day.
After a breakfast of freshly baked pastries, freshly squeezed juice and perfectly poached eggs it was time to explore what else the hotel had to offer. Including tiered swimming pools stepping down to the sea, beach cabanas, rooms available for event hire which are understandably popular for weddings and a beautiful spa with everything you would expect and more. In fact there was so much to see it was almost possible to forget the wonders of the country just beyond the resort walls. Luckily our itinerary for the day began with a trip to Makasutu Cultural Forest, a 1000-acre conservation area and home to a unique eco resort in the heart of the African bush. Despite the growing heat we did manage to explore the dense palm forest and learn about the plethora of wildlife that called it home.
Our guide Mucki from West Africa Tours, provided a unique, informed and hilarious commentary, spotting a kingfisher he announced The Gambia boasts seven varieties of the bird, in comparison to England’s one.“That’s The Gambia seven, England one,” he would repeat. Meaning every sighting, be it of bird, lizard or baboon, would see England lose as he announced the score, football-style, with a grin of delight.
We then took to the water in canoes made from hollowed out silk trees to get a great view of the mango groves before returning to land and being entertained by a troop of baboons.  At Makasutu we also saw the Mandina lodges, which have previously been awarded “Best Overseas Eco Development Project” by the British Guild of Travel Writers. Situated on stilts along the water edge the floating and jungle lodges look almost as if they have grown there rather than being built. Over a delicious lunch we meet owner Lawrence Williams whose passion for the area, and Africa, has fuelled a street art project called Wide Open Walls which works to bring art to the local communities. Lawrence came to the area as a backpacker after university and has never left, and when the time came for us to tear ourselves away and get back on the bus it was easy to see why.
For dinner we headed to Ngala Lodge, a stunning small intimate boutique style hotel which radiated an authentically African feeling from its rich red walls and tastefully picked traditional features. The food was equally as spectacular from the spoonsized amuse bouche, to the goats cheese and spiced vegetable spring rolls served on pickled cabbage with a garlic dip.They were honestly the best I have ever tasted and I could quite happily have eaten a bowl full, however that would have meant missing out on the delicious thai style banana crème brulee.
Day three of my stay coincided with Tobaski a public holiday with biblical foundations which has unfortunate repercussions if you are a ram… luckily our day didn’t include making any sacrifices instead we took a two hour catamaran trip up river from Lamin Lodge to Sitanunku Lodge. A new addition to The Gambia Experience portfolio Sitanunku is the perfect place for birdwatchers, fishers or those seeking a romantic hideaway. While some of us cool off in the plunge pool others take to the river in kayaks before we sit down, once more, to eat. On our return trip the sun is just beginning to set and the light at Lamin Lodge is captivating, making it the perfect end to another great day. After a breakfast of banana and chocolate pancakes we pop into Omakan hotel which is ideally placed for guests wanting to be closer to the Gambian village community. Something our next stop also includes as it is time for the part I have been looking forward to the most – the school visit.
First we head to a secondary school which has been helped by The Gambia Experience before  visiting the primary school in Brikama which has been made possible, in part, to the work of Bognor Regis based charity Nyodema. Everyone was so welcoming and excited within minutes I found myself sat behind a little desk surrounded by smiling faces. It was exactly how a primary school should be full of life and fun.Too soon it was time to go. In fact time is a funny thing in The Gambia, to the point it is opening joked about. If you are told a journey, for instance, may take half an hour “Gambian time” you can expect it to take anywhere between ten minutes and two days. Of course this is partly due to the fact there are only seven sets of traffic lights in the country and that rams and cattle will always have right of way. However the relaxed pace does have its benefits as it feels like you are there for longer than you are. My four days honestly felt like it was a fortnight – but in a good way. The country still has so much for me to uncover which is just as well as I definitely plan to return.
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