The Gambia

It was only a six-hour flight from Manchester, and with no time difference it meant that there was no jet lag. With a short transfer from the airport, we arrived at our hotel, Leo’s Beach, and we were sat out in the 32° warmth in no time. A bit different to the 4° we had left behind!

The hotel is a small adult-only property, with five standard rooms and a suite, ensuring that peace and tranquillity are the order of the day. It has a lovely pool and gardens, and from its elevated position, offers views to the ocean. There are steps down to the beautiful beach, which we walked along a few times. We saw a couple of monkeys wandering through the grounds most days, and there were a variety of birds that perched and sang from the surrounding trees and shrubs.

The Gambia is renowned for its birdwatching, and as I enjoy watching them, I booked a half day private birdwatching trip for Paul and myself. It was a 7 am start to catch the birds while they were active before the heat of the day set in, and with binoculars in hand, we set off to Brufut Woods, which was a short drive from the hotel. We had two guides with us, and without them, we wouldn’t have seen half the birds that they spotted, which included lots that I had never heard of, such as a Red-cheeked cordon bleu, a green pigeon, and a yellow-crowned Gonolek, which was my favourite! After four hours in Brufut Woods, we went to Tanji Bird Reserve, which is a large area on the coast. Within the reserve, there are a variety of habitats, and we were able to see kingfishers, from a distance I might add!

The roads in The Gambia are probably worth a little mention. The main roads are good, but once you go onto a side road, the chances are it will be unpaved, sandy and bumpy. This all adds to the Africa experience, though.

Our hotel was in a quiet location, which suited us, with not a lot in the immediate vicinity, so when we wanted to eat out, we took a ten to fifteen minute taxi ride to Kololi, which is one of the livelier areas of The Gambia, with a good choice of restaurants and bars. The hotel provides guests with a mobile phone with credit, and some pre-programmed numbers to call for a taxi, phone reception etc, which was very useful. We were on Bed & Breakfast basis, but still ate a lot of meals in the hotel, which were of a very high standard. Price wise, the main course of chicken or fish would cost approximately £10, and a glass of wine, between £3 and £4.

To sum up, it was another great holiday, and with the weather being around 32° through the winter, The Gambia is a great choice to escape the cold.