Top 10 reasons why we fell in love with The Gambia

Here we describe just a handful of reasons why we fell head over heels for The Gambia and its people.

30 years ago, we started offering British holidaymakers the chance to visit this charming and vibrant little West African country. In celebration of our 30^th year, and to hopefully inspire you to consider a visit, here are the top 10 reasons why we fell in love with The Gambia…

 

1. The welcoming people

As soon as you arrive in The Gambia, you’re met with nothing but smiles from the local people. After all, it is known as ‘the smiling coast’. To make things even easier, the official language of The Gambia is English, and most Gambians are at least bilingual.

 

2. The beautiful climate

Although mainly considered a fantastic winter sun destination, The Gambia is in fact hot all year round, averaging at 30°C, making it perfect for a summer escape too.

 

3. The wildlife opportunities

A wondrous place for avid twitchers and wildlife lovers alike, The Gambia provides the opportunity to see some wonderful animals, from crocodiles and primates to monitor lizards and over 560 species of bird.

 

4. The gorgeous beaches

You won’t struggle to find a nice spot on one of The Gambia’s golden beaches. Palm trees are a common feature, and many of the beaches stretch as far as the eye can see. Bijilo is a great place to head in the summer, while Kotu is particularly alluring when in search of some winter sun.

Above: Kotu Beach outside Kombo Beach Hotel. 

 

5. An experiential holiday

Visiting The Gambia doesn’t have to solely be about the beaches - you can explore the river and its inhabitants, visit local schools, walk in the forests and get in amongst local life that’s untouched by tourism. And, perhaps the best part is that all of these activities and more are not too far away!

 

6. The culture

Gambian people adopt a fantastic culture – the dancing, African drumming, clothing and music are captivating and leave you wanting to experience more.

 

7. The food

With many traditional dishes on offer such as chicken or fish benechin, yassa, akara and domada, you’ll get to experience some interesting new flavours. Find out more about traditional Gambian food here. 

 

8. How easy it is to get there

Being just six hours away from London, you don’t need to worry about losing too much valuable sunbathing time. It’s also the same time zone as the UK during the winter months, and -1 hour during the summer, so jetlag isn’t a problem either – you can enjoy yourself as soon as you arrive!

 

9. The local markets

There are lots of little local markets dotted around the country, all filled with beautiful fabrics, fresh fruit and veg and impressive handmade wooden sculptures. Haggling with the sellers is good fun, and they don’t hassle you much should you wish to move on.

 

10. Great value for money

Eating out in The Gambia is a great experience, and one which won’t cost a small fortune. You’ll be spoilt for choice as you can find restaurants offering local delicacies as well as Lebanese, Indian, Italian and Asian cuisine. Local beer such as Julbrew beer can be bought for around £1, and a three-course meal for two for roughly £25-30.

 

If you’d like to experience all this and more, visit our website for more information, or give our knowledgeable reservations team a call on 01489 866939.