http://www.holidays-revealed.com/forum/forum/ http://www.eblah.com en http://www.holidays-revealed.com/forum/forum/m-1317044922/ http://www.holidays-revealed.com/forum/forum/m-1317044922/#num1 John is here.


Gambia is a well-known place for his festival and Hotels. I was gone last June. Really, It is a beautiful place for Travel and their people also very friendly.  




]]> Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:48:42 JohnBona http://www.holidays-revealed.com/forum/forum/m-1238441058/ http://www.holidays-revealed.com/forum/forum/m-1238441058/#num1
Banjul Airport it was to say the least chaotic, lots of baggage carriers try to take your luggage off you, just say "No" and take them back off them, all want is your money.

The airport was about 30 mins by coach to our hotel, The Kombo Beach Hotel the coach that had no air conditioning, it was relly hot, it would have been good to have had a bottle of complimentary water (as we have previous holidays to other countries)

As said we stayed at the Kombo beach hotel in Kotu, it was our first visit to the Gambia. Check in, is just inside the main gates, there was a table with envelopes with our name, the key and room number on it. The porter took our luggage and brought it to our room.

The hotel had clean comfortable rooms, with bath and shower room, large storage wardrobes, drawers, and a mini fridge, hair dryer, a coffee table and a seating area, we were on the ground floor and had a small patio, with a table and 2 chairs on it, over looking the pool area, our room also had a safety deposit box which was £28 for 2 weeks, a bit much we though, as many hotels we have visited in other country's have been free, just a few pound or returnable deposit.

We didn't dine at the hotel except for breakfast, the full English breakfast which we found to be a bit limited, either bacon or sausage, one day bacon one day sausage, so its not really full English in my book, as well as the normal eggs, omelettes, cereals, bread, a good selection of fresh fruit. We heard mixed reviews of the food in the restaurants at other meal times, so we always ate out at star of India, Ali babas, Dominoes on the beach and Paradise Beach Restaurant, also we went to Ali babas on the Senagambia strip a couple of times, and also Churchill's not far from the hotel, do a great Sunday roast, either roast beef/lamb. roast potatoes, mash potatoes, carrots,broccoli, cauliflower, gravy and Yorkshire puddings.

The pool was very busy at times but it was very clean, as it was cleaned every day, the beach was clean and there were plenty of sun loungers, the sea was OK, we thought it would be a lot more clearer, it was quite warm, the beach had security people that wear yellow shirts, to keep the beach vendors at a distance.

The grounds and garden are very well maintained, and are a credit to the gardeners, one gardener had me helping him one day, I thought he wanted to show me something, as he beakoned me over, he then passed me the hose pipe and had me help watering the plants, he even said he'd give me a job, LOL, and as a joke every time we saw him he would say "are you not comming to work today", another gardener brought us flower arrangements for our room and patio every day, we made friends with lots of the staff who were all very friendly, and were always very keen to help, stop and take the time to chat to with us.

As for the bumsters and fraudsters outside the hotel, dont believe what you hear about them their worse, we were well sick of them by the 3rd day, although saying that, you cant tar everyone with the same brush, there were some that were just genuine, friendly people, but others just want your cash and follow you, and they have many scams but with a firm but polite "No Thank You" they eventually leave you alone, "we got scammed with one on our first week!" he said he would make us some music CDs and we gave him 20 dallasi (not much but its the principle) to buy the blank CDS, that was the last we saw of him, Just don't get trapped into conversation with anybody you don't want to, keep walking' if the Bumsters don't get a chance of cash! they will soon go onto their next (victim) I mean someone else.

We use the exchange outside the hotel to change our money, there's also a supermarket just down the road from the hotel, Jimmy who works there is a very friendly guy.

We did lots of trips out, monkey park, crocodile pond, uncle Johns distillery, Lamin lodge, a wine plantation, we also went to Albert Market in Banjul, and many more trips, we also with a friend Tom and his friend DJ who has a jeep taxi just outside the hotel, Tom who on the internet a few years ago, we met up with us on the day we arrived,we met Tom as he came to the hotel reception, and we got guest passes that allowed him into the hotel for a each day, he showed us lots of things of interest on the days that we had out with him,We also went with him to his local school called Riverside, not sure of the name of the village,to drop off some of the pens/pencils/paper/books for the school children it was a very humbling experience, and was completely different to the school we visited with South gambia experience tour, we got from the rep, by the way the rep was great. We also went to meet Toms family at his mother and fathers home and compound, his grandmother, and aunts sister brother, came to meet us, lots the children came from all over the village came and we gave out pens/pencils/sweets/toys, football teashirts/shorts,girls clothing, they were all very happy with them, we arrived in Gambia with full suitcases and went home almost empty.

I'm into bird watching/photography,and Gambia is fantastic for that just down the road we met Ansu, a bird watching guide, he showed us lots of places to see the many species and would recommend him, he is very friendly and knowledgeable, and can be found by the bridge, Kotu Rd.

Would definitely go back to this hotel]]> Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:24:18 Dave N Julie