Afr 7 apr10 6/4/09 16:54 Page 52
knowledge Africa
ttglive.com
Gambia
Best country by smiles
As interest in socially
aware travel flourishes,
Gambia is well-placed to
offer clients an introduction.
Olivia Hemmings gets a
smiling reception in West
Africa
S
outhern Africa or South America
might seem the obvious choice for
a client wanting to experience a
developing-world community
very different from their own, but Gambia
is emerging as a mid-haul alternative.
After a couple of days in the country, its a visit to a local “compound” of dwellings on
appeal was easy to see. It is English speaking, the town’s outskirts revealed. With a guide
the quality of food is excellent, and follow- provided by West African Tours, we were
ing the recent opening of the five-star Coco taken around a simple family home. In a
Ocean Resort & Spa, there’s a good variety dark, ramshackle building of mud and corru-
of accommodation. Plus, it is less than a gated iron were the two beds which were the
six-hour flight from the UK, there is no time Welcome to Gambia! Olivia was moved by the children’s greeting song only pieces of furniture for the family of 10.
difference and temperatures average 27C. None of the children attended school.
But when I went to visit Campama Lower has improved significantly in recent years, The children played ball games outside
Basic School (pictured right) in the capital, but there were still noticeable shortages. and helped with household chores instead.
Banjul, and was greeted by a sea of 50 beam- While most of the children wore a royal-blue Yet they didn’t consider themselves to be
ing faces, it was the warmth of the people, check uniform, there were still several boys poor and their smiles were just as wide.
and not the climate, that won me over. and girls in t-shirts and shorts. Classroom One afternoon was not enough to do any-
Later, as we dropped in on a lesson and furniture and teaching aids were basic too, thing to help, or even to comprehend what
the children greeted us with a rendition of and we were advised to come armed with life in this village must be like. But it was an
their Friends Are Like Flowers welcome song, donations of stationery which many parents important counterpoint to the comfort and
I saw at once how this destination has earned cannot afford to supply. plentiful food I experienced elsewhere on
itself the nickname of The Smiling Coast. Nevertheless these children could count my trip, and an enlightening excursion that
The availability of education in Gambia themselves among the more fortunate – as I’d strongly recommend to clients.
Who sells Gambia?
BOOK IT
The Gambia Experience has seven nights’ in a
Hotels4U.com training manual with reference guides, resort
two-star hotel on a bed-and-breakfast basis from
Hotels4U.com introduced the Gambia just maps, hotel and flight information, plus “offer £299 in summer, including Viking Airlines. Flights from
last year. It is planning to add the five-star of the week” and “property of the month”.
Birmingham International have now been added for
Gambia Hotel Resort and Spa, with more
the operator’s regional winter programme. The Gambia
■ gambia.co.uk
Experience features a variety of excursions through
additions to come throughout the year.
West African Tours. The day-long Four Wheel Drive trip
■ hotels4u.com Cosmos
costs £35 per person and includes visits to a school,
Cosmos has introduced the five-star Hotel fishing village, museum, the beach and other sites of
The Gambia Experience Kairaba in Kololi for 2009-10. Prices start from
interest. Birdwatching and wildlife tours are also very
The Gambia Experience has a new trade £799 for seven nights’ bed and breakfast.
popular. They are bookable on the operator’s site.
■ gambia.co.uk
website. Features include an interactive ■ cosmos.co.uk
52 10.04.2009
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