It's gritty, it's raw and it's real: it's The Gambia

21 January 2010 - The Bath Chronicle - Emma Dance

It's gritty, it's raw and it's real: it's the Gambia

Fish heads poke out of the sand along the beach, open-mouthed as if gasping for breath, their glassy eyes staring into the clear blue skies, seeing nothing, their skin cracked by the searing heat of the African sun.

The sea is filled with fishing boats bringing in full nets of fish and as they reach the shore scores of children run to meet them and women sit poised, ready to prepare the catches for sale. As they expertly slit the silver flesh and the guts drop on to the sand, the seagulls swoop in not allowing anything to go to waste, undeterred by the bustling market only yards away. In the market the air is thick with the smell of fish, the sea, rotting vegetables and stale sweat. The excited chatter of children, the shouting of the traders and the sound of shoppers bargaining down the prices all in the strange-sounding language create a cacophony.

Everywhere I look there is colour. Children weave their way through the stalls laden with silver fish fresh from the sea, strange looking fruits and vegetables picked that morning and huge containers of herbs and spices. The women effortlessly glide through the crowds with towers of cloth or baskets of vegetables balanced on their heads, the bright colours of their traditional dress glowing against their skin. It is as if every one of my senses is being bombarded with a new sensation – it is another world.

It is dirty and gritty and raw and entirely real. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It is the Gambia. Nestled on the west coast of Africa, surrounded on three sides by Senegal and by the Atlantic Ocean on the other, the Gambia boasts year-round sun, miles of golden beaches and some of the friendliest and happiest people you will ever meet. It is clear why the Gambia is called the Smiling Coast.

Although it is gaining popularity as a tourist destination the Gambia has so far remained unspoilt. You won’t find McDonalds, Starbucks or Ikea. Instead you will find wonderful restaurants serving food made with the freshest of ingredients, and bustling markets where you haggle for the best price.

There are just two main roads, and only five sets of traffic lights in the entire country. Very few people can afford cars. There are more people and goats walking along the roads than motorised vehicles and it is not uncommon for the few that you do see to be missing bits of bodywork. The concept of MoTs has not yet reached the Gambia. But then, as no one seems to need to get anywhere very quickly it really doesn’t matter. The pace of life is much slower and everyone seems to be relaxed – an attitude which is impossible not to adopt within just a few hours of arriving.

The Gambia may be on GMT, but while in Britain that means Greenwich Mean Time, over there the standard joke is that the country runs on Gambian Maybe Time. And it is true. Don’t expect anything to happen quickly in the Gambia – even just ordering a drink.

Wherever you go service is friendly and unfailingly delivered with a smile – but it’s not slick and it’s not speedy. There is no shortage of places to stay, from forest lodges to beach-side hotels. I stayed at Coco Ocean Resort and Spa, a Moroccan-inspired paradise built into a hillside and which was only opened in December last year. It is an oasis of tranquillity set in tropical gardens teeming with native wildlife, including green vervet monkeys, brightly coloured birds and chirping crickets, and leading on to a sandy beach, with the white Moorish domes peeping out among the palms and baobab trees.

Everywhere you go there is a feeling of space. All guests have access to a three-tiered pool, which cascades down towards the beach, while those staying in one of the Beach Club villas have exclusive use of an infinity pool with breathtaking sea views.

I stayed in a Beach Club villa – a large, airy room with an equally large and airy terrace which was the perfect place to take refuge from the sun and relax to the sounds of the birds and crickets and the crashing ocean waves. But if you want to take relaxation to an even higher level then the spa offers a range of treatments. I sampled a foot massage and laying back, looking over the ocean, while the therapist expertly eased away the tension was truly blissful. Although it would be easy to spend your entire stay hidden away, cocooned in the luxurious surroundings of Coco Ocean, outside the walls the rest of the Gambia, with its raw, unspoilt beauty waits to be explored.

You can spend a morning with Ida (pictured right), a cheerful woman from the village of Brufut who will dress you in African clothing before taking you to a market to buy food, and show you how to prepare it in traditional Gambian style. Finally you can tuck into the feast that you have helped prepare, using only your hands as cutlery.

An afternoon and evening, or even a whole day could be spent at Makasutu Cultural Forest, a palm forest which has won awards for eco-tourism. There you can take a walk through the palm forest to see the wildlife, including baboons, and visit the medicine man, who has lived in the forest for more than 20 years, or explore the mangroves in a dug out canoe.

In the evening enjoy dinner in the forest before gathering round a camp fire to be entertained by locals performing African dances in traditional costumes. And if you really want to commune with nature you can spend part of your time in the Gambia staying in a luxurious jungle lodge or floating lodge on the river. A day excursion in a four-wheel drive will give you a brief insight into the realities of Gambian life.

I did not expect to fall in love with the Gambia the way that I did. It is so much more than simply a winter sun holiday destination. It is vibrant and exciting while at the same time being totally relaxing. There are beaches to rival those in the Caribbean, fantastic restaurants, bars and nightclubs, lush forests and hotels for every taste and budget. And I believe that the true beauty of the Gambia lies outside the walls of the hotels, and away from the many tourist drag. It is in thesweaty markets, secluded beaches and most of all, the smiles of the people. It truly is the Smiling Coast.

Fact File
Emma travelled with The Gambia Experience – the UK’s only specialist and biggest touroperator to The Gambia. Visit www.gambia.co.uk or call  Reservations on 0845 330 2087.

Coco Ocean Resort & Spa is exclusive to The Gambia Experience and not available to UK visitors through any other tour operator.

Prices from Bristol International Airport this winter start from £988 per person based on seven nights’ bed and breakfast in a junior suite and £1,324 per person for seven nights’ bed and breakfast in a beach club villa. Prices include return flights from Bristol, in-flight meals, hotel transfers, government tourist tax and airport taxes.

All clients receive a complimentary foot massage as part of their booking. The last flight from Bristol this season will be on February 19.

Flights from Gatwick operate all year round: prices from £949 per person based on seven nights’ bed and breakfast in a junior suite and £1,289 per person for seven nights’ bed and breakfast in a beach club villa. Prices include return flights, in-flight meals, hotel transfers, government tourist tax and airport taxes.

Emma also visited: Mandina Lodges at Makasutu, Kombo Beach Hotel,  Ngala Lodge, Sheraton Gambia Hotel, available from January 2010 on an all-inclusive basis.

Emma used the Bradt Travel Guide The Gambia priced at £13.99 available from www.bradtguides.