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how to sell
The Gambia W
est African country The Gambia might struggle in the
THE GAMBIA ESSENTIALS
TIME: GMT
VISAS: None needed for UK 10-year passport holders. Passports must be valid for three months after return.
CURRENCY: £1 = 66 Gambian Dalasi
CAPITAL CITY: Banjul. LANGUAGE: English
BOOK IT: The Gambia Experience has seven nights at Coconut Residence, near Kololi. The lead-in price is £1047pp, based on two sharing, for a departure on April 21 2015. The same property is available for £1122pp, for a November 1 2014 departure.
gambia.co.uk
BOOK IT: Oympic Holidays has seven nights in December 2014 including breakfast at the three- star-plus Senegambia Beach Hotel at Kololi from £589pp, with flights from Manchester. The 328 rooms are in two-storey blocks and an unusual attraction is the daily feeding of visiting vultures.
olympicholidays.com
OTHER TOUR OPERATORS
thomascook.com explore.co.uk
imaginative-traveller.com cosmos.co.uk
GETTING THERE
gambiabird.com thomascookairlines.com monarch.co.uk
MORE INFO
visitthegambia.gm
shadow of more popular winter sun destinations, but it has everything in place to attract a much bigger following.
Blessed with a wonderful climate and fabulous beaches
The Gambia offers the chance to see a slice of 'real Africa'.
There is no big game, but 500 bird
species, some soft adventure options and a history that charts the slave trade provide other reasons to get off the sun lounger. West Africa has been in the news
this year for plenty of 'wrong' reasons and before booking clients travelling to this region you should follow the health advice issued by the National Travel Health Network and Centre (
nathnac.org/travel). An uncontained outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus disease has been confi rmed in regional neighbours Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria, but at the time of press there had been no confi rmed cases of Ebola in The Gambia.
Why sell
A popular alternative, Egypt’s Red Sea, is still affected by the country’s political instability and The Gambia is a good switch-sell to clients who are looking for a great beach but also the occasional excursion. And stress the following: year- round sunshine is pretty much guaranteed, there is no time difference with the UK and, due to
by Gary Noakes
The Gambia attracts plenty of twitchers. Above: Western Reef Heron
“Couples who have previously travelled in other developing countries will love The Gambia, as will anyone who just wants to relax by the pool”
the country being a former colony, English is the offi cial language. For clients who want more than a holiday where they just fl y and fl op, there is a lot to explore in such a small country. In addition, the standard of hotels is very good, with recent investment targeting the boutique sector. If Sri Lanka is ‘India Lite’, The Gambia is 'Africa Lite' – it can be as authentic or as luxurious as you wish.
Who to Mandina Lodges, the Makaasutu Forest, The Gambia
A six-hour fl ight, the pounding Atlantic and the risk of malaria mean some might hesitate to recommend The Gambia to families. However, many do make the trip and children who take their education for granted
sellingtravel.co.uk
Sunset cruising on the Gambia River
will be humbled by a visit to a local school, a highlight for many. Couples who have travelled in other developing countries will love The Gambia, as will anyone who just wants to relax by the pool.
Sell what
The Gambia’s icons are its blue skies, golden sand beaches and warm sea – and many will settle for this. However, others will want to
explore and there is plenty to see. Jeep safaris are popular, many of them winding up at the fi sherman’s beach at Tanje – as the catch comes in and the bartering begins. The Gambia River provides many options, including bird watching and a trip
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