The Gambia may be on the same time zone as the UK, though true to African
fashion, life operates at a very different pace - here GMT time translates
as “Gambia Maybe Time”. The west African country is only five hours away by
plane and ideal for a winter sun break.
The smallest nation in mainland Africa, The Gambia slices Senegal in two,
tucked between its borders and the North Atlantic Ocean. Until 1965, The
Gambia was a British Colony and English remains the official language.
The bright yellow bottles of Boots sun lotion which smatter the beaches easily
give the British contingent away, but The Gambia also receives a large
number of tourists from Germany and The Netherlands.
If you are contemplating a trip to The Gambia, the most important thing to
know is that there are only a handful of cash points and all of them have a
mind of their own, so bring cash.
Don’t worry about exchanging British Pounds into the local currency (Dalasi)
in the UK, as you may find a better rate in The Gambia, where most hotels
will exchange currency. The majority of restaurants and shop merchants do
not accept credit or debit cards.
The next thing to know about The Gambia is that, despite its close proximity
to the equator, it does get chilly during the winter months. The average
temperature in The Gambia in December and January is 30 degrees, but thanks
to high winds it can feel about 10 degrees cooler, especially at night. The
water may not be as cold as in Brighton, but it is also nowhere near the of
the cosy warmth of the Caribbean or the Red Sea, so if it’s blazing
temperatures and balmy seas you’re after, then November is a better time to
visit. July through to October is the rainy season, so most tour operators
do not send holidaymakers there in this period.
The Kairaba Hotel, located about 20
minutes drive from the airport on Kololi beach is by far the best place to
stay in The Gambia. Unfortunately, the hotel’s website does not do the
resort justice, so we wound up booking at the Ocean
Bay, located nearer to the capital city of Banjul on Cape Point beach.
The room rates at the Ocean Bay are marginally cheaper than The Kairaba and
the food and drinks are also better priced, but in terms of scenery and
atmosphere, The Kairaba is a much better choice.
There are a variety of restaurants and bars, including a sundown tiki lounge
and a London-style bar, which has an impressive collection of South African
wines and is popular with tourists and well-heeled locals, who pop in for
the bar’s nightly two-for-one happy hour. There is also a strip of local
restaurants and bars and an ATM located just outside the hotel.
The African Queen, which is adjacent to The Kairaba, serves up decent local
fare and is a buzz of activity. If you go there, ask for “Heidi”, a German
expatriate, who mixes up her own fruity liqueur and sells it by the bottle
for about £8. The Senegambia
Hotel, located next door to The Kairaba, is also a good choice and is a
favourite with bird watchers.
Though the Ocean Bay Hotel is not as aesthetically appealing as The Kairaba
and Senegambia, and lacks many of the amenities available at those
properties, it has a decent spa, whose star is a Gambian masseuse with a
Masters in sports therapy from Cardiff University, of all places. The Ocean
Bay also possesses a more local flavour and is closer to the tiny town of
Fajara, which is home to some of The Gambia’s best restaurants.
The Butcher’s Shop, Mamas and the Cotton Club are a few to try. Walking
distance from the Ocean Bay are Chapmans and Calypso, a seaside beach bar
and restaurant which hosts live bands in the evening and is a must for lunch
(tip: order the shrimp sandwich).
The wide sandy beach of Cape Point is a better sun spot than the pebbly sands
of Kololi Beach, though neither is good for swimming due to strong currents.
For this reason, tourists are hard-pressed to find water sports, such as
jet-skiing and snorkelling, though half-day and full-day fishing trips are
widely available. In late afternoon, when the tourists trade in their
sunloungers for a stool at the beach bar, the shores become awash with local
kids who play football well past sundown, and welcome spectators.
If shopping is your aim, you will be kept busy by the endless number of stalls
flogging local art and jewellery. Street vendors, of course, try what they
can to entice you to buy their wares, but very few are aggressive and
bartering is acceptable.
Though The Gambia receives a good influx of UK and Continental tourists due to
its close proximity to Europe, the economy is mainly dependent on
agriculture and livestock and it is very much a developing nation. The
humble accommodation of the locals is oddly juxtaposed with rows of mansions
owned by expatriates and diplomats leftover from the imperial era.
Strolling along Kofi Annan Street, where the Ocean Bay and United Nations
compound are located, the holiday mood is dampened by posters warning of
AIDS and Malaria. Unlike other sun holiday destinations, where crushing
poverty and disease are neatly hidden out of tourists’ view, in The Gambia
life’s realities are part of the tourist experience.
Need to know
For more information go to the Gambia
Tourism Authority website. The current exchange rate is about 50 Dalasi
to one Pound. An average meal for two at a local restaurant costs about £10.
Meals at hotels and finer restaurants will cost upwards of £30. A bottle of
JulBrew, the local beer, which is very drinkable, is about 90 p.
