Gambia Travel Guide - Accommodation

Editor's Choice: African Bungalows

Community-run Tumani Tenda offers accommodation in traditional African surroundings, in a visitor camp on the edge of the village. All the profits from a traveller's stay are kept in the village and are used to pay for development projects. Travellers can learn about rural customs and traditions and explore the surrounding farmland, woodland and mangrove creeks with village guides.

By West African standards, The Gambia has a fairly developed, growing tourist industry, with a considerable number of hotels geared primarily to package tours. Most of these are located in the string of low-key, low-rise beach resorts near Banjul. Standards tend to be modest compared to Western hotels but the top end places have attractive swimming pools, bars, restaurants, shops, sporting facilities, spacious gardens and the option of a room with air conditioning. The most popular accommodation is often fully booked during the tourist season (November to May); in the low season, some places are closed. In addition to the large resort hotels, there are a number of small hotels and guest houses catering for independent travellers. There are also about a couple of dozen camps and lodges in rural areas, both on the coast and up-country. A few of these provide luxury accommodation and meals but most are more basic. They make good bases for birdwatching, boat trips and cultural tours.

Grading: There is no official grading system but tour operators have introduced their own categories.

Self-catering apartments and bungalows are available in the main resorts and some up-country towns.

The Gambia has no public campsites, but a few of the lodges in the suburban and rural areas allow visitors to camp in their grounds for reasonable rates.

ASSET Gambia
PO Box 4587, Off Garba Jahumpa Rd, Bakau, The Gambia
Tel: 449 7675.
Website: www.asset-gambia.com

The Gambia Hotel Association
PO Box 2637, c/o The Bungalow Beach Hotel, Serrekunda, Kotu, The Gambia
Tel: 446 5288.
E-mail: bbhotel@qanet.gm