West African honeymoon - Part 3 - Ngala Lodge

The perfect end to a West African honeymoon, Kathryn from our Marketing department shares her experience of the lovely clifftop boutique hotel, Ngala Lodge.

Having started our honeymoon in The Gambia in a floating lodge in Makasutu Forest, before heading across the border to Senegal and Fathala Wildlife Reserve, a few days at the beachside Ngala Lodge was the perfect way to end our holiday of a lifetime.

Ngala Lodge is one of my favourite hotels. The clifftop location overlooking the ocean, the welcoming staff, the sometimes quirky décor and the excellent restaurant all add up to something pretty special and unique.

Our room was spacious with a separate living area, an en-suite bathroom with bath tub and a walk-in shower. Being on the corner of the building, our garden and terrace area were extremely private with plenty of room for our own hot tub, which we tried out on our first night while enjoying a bottle of bubbly from the hotel.

The Ngala Lodge restaurant was as excellent as ever. My steak on the first night was particularly good, as was the restaurant’s signature dish, ‘HOT from THAILAND’-- local prawns, chicken, butterfish and bacon simmered in coconut curry sauce, with lemongrass, lime leaves and chillies, plus coriander dumplings and garlic bread. If you like things hot, I’d highly recommend it! The only problem is having enough room for a dessert – they are also extremely good.

The staff were perfect – friendly and attentive without fussing, and many remembered me from previous visits.

We spent our days here wandering around the flower-filled gardens, relaxing by the pool and enjoying a clifftop cocktail at sunset, all interspersed with lazy walks along the beach – you get the idea.

Neill hadn’t seen much of The Gambia before, so I suggested we go out for lunch one day to my favourite beachside eatery, Calypso Beach Bar. I love the location at the far end of Cape Point Beach by a saltwater creek, and the food is always very good. If you sit at one of the thatched cabanas by the water, you’ll most likely see a few crocodiles, storks and perhaps a kingfisher or two.

above and below: Calypso Beach Bar

Along the way, we stopped off at Bakau craft market and I helped Neill hone his bartering skills. I topped up my African jewellery collection (a girl can’t have too many necklaces surely?), while Neill bought a striking wooden mask.

All too soon it was time to leave Ngala. We flew home daydreaming of monkeys and rhinos, drifting along the river in a dugout canoe, beautiful sunsets, and star-filled skies. So many wonderful memories that we’ll fondly look back on over the years to come.