The Gambia has never had it so good. With greater political stability and an abundance of wildlife, the country offers a warm welcome to visitors. Samantha Laurie heads into Africa
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Mid-morning at Tanji Fish Market. A row of hot and sticky tourists in traditional gowns with matching headdresses, we are trudging around after Ida, queen of the local cookery school scene, as she barters for mackerel and watermelon.
Embarrassing? You’d think so. But this extraordinarily colourful beach market is a highlight of our trip, and whether it’s on account of the outfits or the commanding presence of Ida, we pass virtually unnoticed through the unforgettable scenes of Senegalese pirogues unloading their catch: vividly dressed women descending on the water’s edge shouting out prices; small boys running the fish to the women busily gutting on the beach. Then it’s on to the market proper where more women – it’s always women doing the work – weave through the chaos, noise and stench carrying baskets of catfish, ladyfish and mackerel high on their heads.
It’s a photographer’s dream, especially later in the day when the smoke room belches into action – in a market without ice storage you sell or smoke – and the sun streams through the vents onto the blackening bonga fish.
I’m here with The Gambia Experience, by far the largest tour operator in the country, which has been bringing Brits (most visitors are British) to these shores for the past three decades. Most come for poolside R&R – prices are cheap and the sun guaranteed, plus there’s no time difference to the UK – but the appetite for a more authentic experience is growing, fed by an increasing array of specialist activities such as our cooking class with Ida, as well as visits to schools and social enterprises and the chance to volunteer. There’s even a three-day birdwatching excursion through the mangroves and bush led by BBC presenter Chris Packham.
Politically, The Gambia has never looked more promising. Earlier this year, a democratic coalition led by Adama Barrow, a former Hounslow security guard, ousted Yahya Jammeh – President for 22 years and latterly a virtual dictator – without a single shot being fired.
Ida's cooking
There’s much hope that democratic change will usher in better times for a nation beset by economic stagnation. Life here is tough: The Gambia has more young men risking their lives on the seas as economic migrants than any country per head of population. For the tourist, that lack of hope is most evident in the ‘bumsters’, buffed young men who hang out on the bigger resort beaches and attach themselves to every passing woman, an inescapable reminder of the country’s reputation as a place where ladies of a certain age come to find handsome young ‘partners’.
But it is The Gambia’s other attractions we’re here to see, and its blossoming reputation for eco-tourism is high on the agenda. With almost 600 species of birds, Africa’s tiniest mainland state is a haven for twitchers. Even in the busy resorts, the hotel gardens and balconies are ablaze with bee-eaters, egrets and the ever-present hover of vultures.
At Mandina Lodges, a stunning riverside resort of nine thatched lodges – some floating on the river, others on stilts with open-air bathrooms – you can take a guided walk or canoe trip to spot monkeys, monitor lizards, baboons and manatees. Remarkably, this tranquil eco-resort is just 20 minutes from the airport serving Banjul, the capital, and is one of the bases for Chris Packham’s birdwatching tour (three are planned for next February). Its easy marriage of luxury relaxation and connection with a remarkably diverse wildlife is emblematic of what tourism here could become.
As the only all-year tour operator, The Gambia Experience specialises in putting together trips for every season – the fishing, apparently, is sensational in the ‘green season’ (July – September), while golf is now a big year-round draw.
But for those who dream of escaping the British winter with a sunlounger, a tropical garden and a gin and tonic, I leave you with Ngala Lodge. Lovingly designed by its Dutch owner, its gardens teem with exotic flowers and birds, and an infinity pool overlooks the crashing Atlantic waves. This exquisite adult-only boutique resort, recently listed fourth in a TripAdvisor poll on Africa’s most romantic hotel, and my room with its own private plunge pool and Jacuzzi and beautiful lush decor, is perhaps the loveliest I have ever seen.
Tempted...?
Where to stay: Ngala Lodge. Seven nights bed and breakfast, including flights, from £899 (rooms with their own personal plunge pool start at £1067). Over 16s only.
For a spa break: Coco Ocean Resort & Spa. Seven nights bed & breakfast, including flights, from £999. Families welcome.
What to do: Chris Packham’s birdwatching tour at Mandina Lodges (£725pp, three nights, half board based on two sharing).
- For more info see The Gambia Experience: gambia.co.uk
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