We flew out from Gatwick on 10th December 2024. We were delayed for an hour as someone didn’t turn up and their bags had to be unpacked.
It was a long flight of 6 hours in cramped conditions. Apparently this is a mid-haul flight so no food or drink was supplied. A rip-off and money saving scam from Tui in my opinion which will be fed back or a complaint made.
We were tired when we arrived at the resort. The Ocean Bay hotel was very tidy and the staff really friendly. The all-inclusive buffet was nearly always good for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bar drinks very acceptable except for the red-wine which was not so good.
The upgrade meal in ‘Buddha’ was not brilliant. The only other time we eat out was a snack at Calypso, which was a little bar with a crocodile pool. They fed the crocks fish at 4pm everyday which was fun to watch. The pool also hosted a huge amount of birdlife including a Hammerkop, heron and pied-kingfishers.
After a few days roasting in the 30C heat and lovely pool, we went on our first excursion with local guide Malcolm. It was a very varied day starting with a trip to Kachakali sacred crocodile park. There we looked a the history and culture of Gambia in a small but interesting museum. We looked at the crocs in the sacred park and saw them being fed fish. we were able to walk amongst them and touch their backs. Next was Serekunda market, which showed just how poor the local population was. The market was packed and it was difficult to navigate around. We then went to a livestock market and then took a break at Lamin lodge for coffee and donuts. The monkeys nicked a donut out of my hand!
We then had lunch at paradise beach. The sandy beach was huge and unspoilt. Unfortunately, we were constantly bothered by a seller who was a pain.
Our last visit was to the fish market. We were shown the whole process from catching the fish in their colourful boats to the smoking and packing process. Again, this showed the local produce but also showed how poor the community was. It was a tiring but fascinating day.
Our next excursion was a half day bird-watching with Douda which turned out to be nearly a full day. We went to some wetlands and then to a Forest Park. We saw a large number of species (list 1 Dec 2024)
Our final excursion was to Sennegal to Fathalla wildlife park. We caught the ferry to the North bank and then crossed the border into Sennegal. The boarder was absolutely chaos! We had to pay £6 extra because we didn’t have yellow fever certificates. This turned out to be too little as apparently we were fast-tracked (!) so we had to pay another 100 D (another £1)
The wildlife park was a bit staid with the driver and guide knowing exactly where the wildlife was because of the water troughs and feeding stations. Nevertheless, giraffes, Rhino Kudu, Roan antelope, Warthogs, Crocodiles and Buffalo were seen. We had a relatively good over-baked pizza for lunch.
The return journey was equally chaotic. We just missed the ferry so had to wait an hour and a half in a cafe. It was a another long day but interesting to see the border.
Gambia is quite an amazing place. 17 percent of the people live in extreme poverty and you can see this in every street you turn down. There seems to be an open sewage system in many places and the rubbish in the streets is upsetting to see. On the other hand, you can see that education seems to be thriving with the kids kitted out with colourful uniforms but there is still a large amount of poverty that can be seen. The vehicles are always breaking down which is quite hilarious. The wildlife, especially birdlife, is amazing. Apparently there are about 500 species of birds. We saw about 30!
A lovely trip and a perfect winter break. I would certainly come again. The all-inclusive was a bit ‘samey’ and the entertainment was crap but that’s par for the course for all-inclusive. A great trip!
