06 September 2007 - The Gambia Experience - Press Office
The UK’s leading tour operator to The Gambia, now in its 20th year of operation, anticipates a successful winter season, courtesy of increased ‘Luxury Collection’ bookings and many new features.
Bookings Up for ‘Luxury Collection’ properties / forthcoming Spa opening
The Gambia Experience continues to build on its appeal to the luxury market and again announces a significant increase, year on year, for bookings made at its ‘Luxury Collection’ properties. Intimate, boutique hotels such as Ngala Lodge and Coconut Residence, the popular Hotel Kairaba, and the award-winning Mandina Lodges at Makasutu define ‘deluxe’ in The Gambia, but the specialist tour operator is also pleased to report strong booking figures for the new Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort and Spa, which opened earlier this year.
Offering a beachfront location near the town of Brufut, the Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort and Spa fulfils everything expected from this world-renowned, five star, international chain. The Gambia Experience is able to offer the upgraded Palm Wing rooms exclusively on the UK market and is confident that the Sheraton’s Spa, due to open this November, will make the hotel even more sought after.
Continuing on the theme of spas, the owners of Coconut Residence are also due to open a sister property, the Coco Ocean Hotel & Spa at the beginning of 2008 (exact date tbc). Situated on an unspoilt stretch of beach, the new hotel has been designed with Moorish architecture in mind and will offer luxurious suite accommodation and a wide range of holistic and therapeutic treatments.
NEW: The Senegal Experience – First winter of operation
The Gambia Experience has expanded its programme in the Sine Saloum Delta – one of the most beautiful regions of Senegal, situated approximately 200km south of Dakar, which consists of a maze of islands, lagoons, mangroves, forest and salt water creeks, and which encompasses the Saloum Delta National Park. This is the first winter season that the specialist will offer five hotels in Senegal, including the luxury, boutique hotel, Le Royal Lodge and the unique Lodge des Collines de Niassam, as well as a number of multi-centre itineraries, such as The Luxury Lodges of The Gambia and Senegal. Catamaran Sailing Holidays in Senegal are also available.
NEW: Gambia Birdwatching & Chimpanzee Island Tour with Chris Packham – February 2008
The popular birdwatching tour with ornithologist and TV presenter Chris Packham is extended in 2008 with the inclusion of a visit to Chimpanzee Island, or Badi Mayo Camp (meaning Monkey River), in The Gambia. The birdwatching trip will run from 15 – 18 February 2008, with an additional stay at Chimpanzee Island scheduled for 19 – 21 February 2008. Located 270km inland, the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Trust is Africa’s longest running chimp rehab project, and earned its founder Stella Marsden an OBE for her dedication to the species. Highlights of the trip include boat trips around the River Gambia National Park, observing an array of birdlife, as well as chimps in their natural habitat.
NEW Carbon Offset Scheme – Opt in and Offset
Since launching its carbon offset scheme, ‘Opt In & Offset’ in May, The Gambia Experience has received positive feedback from its holidaymakers keen to make their contribution to reducing carbon emissions. In The Gambia, the projects, which are directly and exclusively funded by The Gambia Experience clients, have progressed quickly with an initial 10,000 trees being planted during August and solar assessments being undertaken in three hotels, with the view to developing the construction of solar panels in The Gambia.
NEW: The Gambia Experience & The Eden Project
A strong relationship is blossoming between the Eden Project in Cornwall and The Gambia Experience, in particular Makasutu. Lawrence Williams & James English, the UK founders of the Mandina Lodges at Makasutu, continue their commitment to Responsible Tourism through their Ballabu Conservation Project (BCP), and the Eden Project is offering hands on assistance through their 'Gardens For Life' scheme. The concept of the Ballabu Conservation Project is to create an 85sq kilometre conservation area, incorporating 14 Gambian villages - the aim of which is to alleviate poverty for the local people by making each village self-sustaining. BCP Village Tours should be available for visitors to Makasutu from November 07 onwards.
Special Offers for winter 07/08
The Gambia Experience is announcing a number of travel offers for winter 07/08, valid if booked before 30 September 2007. These include savings of £150pp on all holidays returning to the UK on 25 December; £100pp savings on 14-night holidays at the 4-grade Kombo Beach (subject to travel dates); and for November departures, free room upgrades at the Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort and Spa and the Ocean Bay Hotel. Please call Reservations for more details.
The Gambia Experience continues to offer the widest choice of flight options to the UK market, with year-round departures from Gatwick and winter season twice-weekly flights from Bristol, Manchester and East Midlands. The specialist’s new brochure features 19 hotels in The Gambia, and classifies them in one of three categories: The Luxury Collection, Excellent Quality Hotels and Great Value for Money - most of the Luxury Collection portfolio being exclusive to its programme. For more information, or to request a copy of the November 2007 – October 2008 brochure, please call The Gambia Experience Reservations department on 0845 330 2087 or visit www.gambia.co.uk/travel.
