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Here we will explain as much as possible about our holidays in The Gambia, the smiling coast of west Africa. We offer you an ecologically sound alternative to the usual hotel or 'luxury safari' rip-offs. We are first and foremost about 'reality' and are not stuffy, nor pretentious. We believe in giving you real value for money and a genuine experience of this country, it's culture and it's wonderful people. Unlike the hotels, we do not try to pass off on you any psuedo culture. We always give you the real thing. We offer you the opportunity to live in a normal house, much like any others in the area. Living in with the local community, amongst the people, you will not be divorced from them, as you would be enclosed in an hotel that could be anywhere on the planet. But you still have a very secure and happy environment. The Gambians still live in the extended family and call their home a kunda or compound. Our neighbours the Ceesayfamily live in theCeesay kunda. We live in the Garden Guesthouse, and all the people staying with us here, mirror the extended families around us, we live like them, in our ownkunda. We have been in business connected to West africa since the late 80's and have been running holidays here since 1994. We have a wealth of experience and have all the right contacts to make sure you have an excellent holiday here. We are offering you a package that allows you to have your own unique experience, exploring this country and it's culture, whilst being quietly and expertly looked after in the background.
This page is geared to what most people want, most of the time; a 2 week full board holiday. However, we can be very flexible about lengths of stay and other details, as will be explained later.
There is a lot of information on this webpage. You may like to download the 'Full Version' PDF file of the page, above and print it, so you have all the info to hand whenever you want it
Bear in mind that we update the website as often as possible, as things change, but the PDF may not yet have been updated. This photo shows Haruna pointing to one of the rooms.
Click on the 'Gallery' Tab, found at the top of all our pages, to view the photos of holidays to Gambia at a better size than on this page. The links page also has urls for some guest's online photo albums. The 'Full Version' PDF, above has some of the best quality photos. It's worth downloading and printing, but you can just open it for a peek first.
Below is a short one page version of our holiday info., that you can print for quick reference.
Let me emphasis that this is not a hotel-based holiday. Here you will be living in much the same way as our neighbours do, although with a little more western comfort. In our guest house, you'll be living within the local community, gaining insights into culture & ways of life that hotels cannot give you.
Photo shows our chill out zone; between the main lawn area and the backyard it's a little 'backwater' that gets the best breezes. It can be a quiet little oasis, even when there are plenty of people chating on the main 'terrace'.
Left is a view towards the front door, in front of which, you can see Haruna stretching, after a flower tending session. The garden has grown a lot since this photo was taken. We have also built a shady terrace area behind the kitchen house, seen here on the right of the gate. Originally from Senegal, Haruna is a mine of information about tribal ways and local languages. He's our manager, living on site, since we first built on our land here.
Haruna will meet you at the airport. From then on his first duty is to look after you. He can accompany you on trips to other areas and over the border to Senegal, if you wish. He's available 24/7 for anything you may need and can introduce you to many locals. He is an excellent woodcarver, so see him for any face masks, statues or necklaces etc., that you may want as souveneirs.
Haruna by backgate
which leads to the area where we've almost finished building a family apartment. It will have two double bedrooms, a very large living room and it's own kitchen, bathroom and verandah. Also a balcony overlooking the local environment to the sea. The backyard has a hammock under the palm trees. We expect the new apartment to be very popular, so book it now, if you want it!
ASAP.
No building work takes place while guests are here.
Real People:
Like Haruna, seen here outside his room, the first people you will meet are all artists or artisans. Also cooks, batik makers, builders, gardeners, masseurs, musicians, scrabble champions {in English!} all 'salt of the Earth' folks like silversmiths and tailors. Then there are the neighbours. All of them are my good friends and can be the same for you, if you wish. The Gambia has 90% unemployment, and a growing tourist trade. As in any third world country, this can lead to some young men trying to make a living by trying to befriend tourists. This is a bit of a problem in the area where all the hotels are. However, we are miles from there and I've been here long enough to have sorted the 'wheat from the chaff'. All the layabouts, chancers and general hangers-on have been weeded out and are politely kept at a distance. The people that will be around you on a daily basis are not tourist chasers, they are all good, trustworthy folks; traditional Africans. It is the real people that make The Gambia such awonderful place. Mind you the climate is excellent too!
If you are in Gambia already & want to find us, the guest house is in the Katchically area of Bakau, at the end of the present housing in Tuman Street. Not far from 'Zion Train' & the graveyard. Any taxi driver can get you to the crocodile pool in Katchically. With the small road that leads to the crocodile pool off to your right, keep going down hill, on the main road, past the mosque on the left, past a few small local shops on the right & on to the very end of the road.
Ask for Haruna or Paul's compound, we are better known than the name 'Garden Guest House'. Local number for us is via Modou Jammeh's mobile:9985213.
We are close to Cape St. Mary, Cape Point, at the river mouth, see this map.
We live on the edge of town, in a quiet part of Bakau; a town large by Gambian standards, small compared to Europe/USA. It is safe, secure and the crime rate is very low compared to USA/Europe. Personally I feel safer walking around Bakau alone at night than in UK towns. We've had many women on their own as guests and none have ever had a problem here.
We've built on land reclaimed from a disused rubbish tip, now removed, so we have good black soil for growing our flowers and fruit trees. We can walk to anything we may want, from bank to bazaar, sea to supermarket. See 'Why we are wherewe are' under 'Latest News' tab above. Here is a view of ournearest beach, looking north. Below, looking south.
You'll enjoy your holiday in Gambia. There's much more to it than the beach, but the beach is good, even if the quality of the video is not! You can see how calm the sea is even if it looks overcast and dull. Really it was a bright and sunny day; hot enough for even the locals to go swimming!
Rooms face on to our bahama-grass lawns which have both shady and sunny areas for you to relax in. Windows have mosqito nets and curtains; doors have curtains and individual padlocks. Rooms have mosquito-netted double beds, pillows, sheets, blanket, built-in wardrobe and shower area. You can always boil water, for the occassional hot wash, but most of the time you will prefer a cooler shower at tap temperature.
This photo shows our shady 'terrace'. It is where we have our dining table and chairs; it also becomes an informal 'stage', when friends come to entertain us. There are small corner shops within a minute or two from our place. They carry many of the things people may need on a day to day basis. Goods here are very cheap: cold soft drinks at 20 pence, local lager 50p a bottle, cigarettes 50p for 20. Also nearby are places to buy convenience food, African-style. Like bread and soup, bread and beans or sweets & sandwiches etc..
About 15 minutes walk away there is a supermarket, post office and craft shops. Nearby bikes can be hired for about £1 an hour or £8 daily. There are internet cafes and fax / phone centres around. You can get your photos developed in town. There many bars and a community centre within 10 minutes walk, they often host some interesting events. Like Jaliba Kouyate! The national stadium is also walking distance. Here you may see big sporting, cultural or musical events.You may see Baba Maal, Cheik Lo, Ismael Lo,Musa N'Gom or Yousou N'Dour, if you're lucky. The women's vegetable garden cooperative is close by, as are the botanical gardens. On the right is a photo of one of Bakau's big trees. Below is another perspective on it.
Cultural insights
Whilst here you will be part of the local community. As such you will gain insights into culture and tribal customs that would not be open to you if you were at one of the hotels. We get invited to naming and 'right of passage' ceremonies, weddings and to other compounds as friends, rather than as tourists. The natural friendliness of the people may overwhelm you at first. We Europeans are not used to this open-hearted warmth and generousity of spirit. You will also meet genuine 'griots' {Jalis: the Bards or minstrels, who carry the histories of the tribes.See 'Jalis' tab & links page for more info..} at their homes or at our place.
We offer drumming tuition with local drum masters. It is a good way to appreciate this aspect of West African culture. There is a lot of drum and dance at the ceremonies we attend, and in the evenings at places of entertainment. Hopefully, some daily drum lessons will give you a better understanding of the drumming you experience out and about in The Gambia. If you like, we can set you up with teachers from the various tribes,on their various types of drum. We make no money on this; you have a direct contract with the teachers themselves. However, I realise it is not for everyone, so tuition is taking place on the beach usually,so as not to disturb other guests who are not into it.
We have a couple of hours daily drum tuition scheduled to suit each group. Those not into drums have other things to do. The rest of each day is free for individuals to do whatever they fancy. We are on hand to help you get what you want. 'Our beach' is literally 10 minutes walk from your room and that is not estate agent talk! It has miles of sand bordered by mangrove and nothing else, as in the photos you saw previously. From 'our beach' you can walk around the headland, exploring the variety of the coastline. You'll come to the other side of town and the 'working beach' where most of the fishing activity takes place. See photo just above and the one below.
Near the pier is the 'ice house' {donated by the Japanese} where some of the day's catch is kept fresh, before being transported elsewhere. There is also smoke house here where you can buy smoked 'bonga' fish for a few pence. It is here that many of the children go, straight out of school, to relax. Football is very popular, there are hundreds of youth teams in the area, including ladies.
'Our beach' {pictured above, under the subtitle 'Our place and local ameneties'} is ideal for swimming and sunbathing. The sand bars, off-shore, here stop all the big waves, so it is calm and peaceful. There are no rocks and it is quite shallow for a long way out. Where you arrive on 'our beach', coming from our guest house, there are local-run beach bars, where you can get snacks, full meals, cold beers and soft drinks. The people who run them, like Sarjo, Safie and Isatou, are all my friends and will look after you and your belongings. However, unlike the Fajara / Kololi tourist strip, most of this beach is empty for miles, just as you see it in the previous photos.
Nature and wildlife
A trip across the river Gambia to Jinek {also called coconut island} is not to be missed. It involves an overnight stay on this 'Paradise Island' {see photo on right and below} which is famous for it's cannabis plantations. Gambian police and army will not set foot here, they believe the island has 'juju' wards placed on it, that will kill them. Jinek is part of a huge, preserved 'area of outstanding natural beauty'. You can walk up the beach into Senegal. The neighbouring, south western area of Senegal is one of the country's major nature reserves.
On our south side of the river, there are smaller nature and wildlife reserves. 'Abouko' is about an hour away on local buses, 20 minutes in a hired taxi. It is a preserved piece of local ecology, with tropical trees, birds, animals, and a crocodile pool. Fajara, 20 minutes by taxi, has many beautiful birds around the golf course and a small nature reserve.
Upriver you can find hippos, even manatee, around a river island centre for rescued chimpanzees. They are brought here from all over the world, to be reintroduced to the wild after years in zoos or as pets. There is a lot of nature and wild life in The Gambia, some people come here from the UK especially to do bird-watching. We can set you up with a birding guide if that is your fancy, but some of the best bird watching is at the botanical gardens just a 10 minute stroll from your room. If you are quiet, at the guesthouse you will see many birds on our lawns and in the trees.
However do not expect some big game, like rhinos and elephants, they are no longer native to this part of Africa. Natural to the area are antelope, lion, hyena, civet cat, monkeys and many birds; like kites, kingfisher, fish eagle, vultures, and there are butter and dragon flies and a few aardvark feeding off termite mounds. There are many fish and dolphins in the river.
Photo is Tendaba camp.
There are very large reserves in Senegal, a few hours drive away, it would best be an overnight trip, perhaps tied in with Jinek island. Here you may see the curious rock hydrax [a relative of the elephant, but only about 18 inches long] sharing its lair with the nocturnal crested porcupine, as well as masses of other animals. All kinds of lizards and ghekkoes abound everywhere, even in our garden, where birds ['pitcher'] often nest.
Really there is so much wild life it is pointless trying to list it all. Five minutes walk from your room is the famous crocodile pool. Bakau grew up around this holy site, where people come to gain fertility blessings. 'Charlie' the croc is now so used to being around humans that you can even stroke him! The pool is surrounded by massive Capoks & other trees, the water a rich green soup of leaves, with lizards and crocs looking like logs one minute then suddenly thrashing about in the pool. Mostly it's a quiet oasis in the centre of this bustling town.
More drumming or other West African instruments such as kora [harp] or ballaphon [xylaphone] can be taught. Visits to and from some world famous musicians also occur naturally, as they are mates of mine. Dance tuition, safaris, off-shore or up-river boat trips can also be arranged. As can visits to schools, shamans, stone circles, farms and forests. We have the contacts, you only have to ask and we'll help you organise anything legal that your little heart desires.
The optional daily drumming tuition is provided for about £2 per hour, all tuition and trips are not included in our package price. Because individuals want different things, we have not built in the cost of doing these other activities. We prefer to keep the basic cost of the holiday low, and offer optional, tailor made, outings at local rather than tourist prices. This way you naturally experience many things, as and when it suits you, and very cheaply. We only offer suggestions, as to what you might like to see or do.This way the choice always remains with each guest. The photo shows one of the enigmatic stone circles.
Food
Our kitchen is fully equipped with fridge, cooker, juicer, electric kettle, cutlery, cooking pots, crockery, double sink and built in cupboards. We keep it stocked with tea, coffee, local herb teas, fruit, jam and marmite, margarine and bread. You can help yourself at any time. Nyima, our chef and a good friend, arrives around 5pm daily to clean the kitchen. That's her on the right, at her home. Whilst she cooks for us, our guests may choose to learn from her about African cuisine. Nyima will invite you to both her husband's compound and her mother's, where you could learn more about cooking in West Africa.
Aliou her husband is an optician and qualified to give massage, if you fancy a treat. After dinner Nyima recleans the kitchen and washes up. The food is African but we speciaise in vegetarian versions, which are very hard to find in West Africa. Our dinners always have a choice of sauces: spicy, plain tasty or both. Our neighbour Moro, sometimes brings us a very nice fish, straight from the sea to our fridge before flies get on it, so it's safe to eat.
Health
We take the risk of malaria seriously, making sure all our guests take sensible precautions, like closing their room's door at dusk, when the mosquitoes begin to fly. Therefore, no one on any of our trips has contracted malaria. See your GP or homoeopath for the right medicine for you.
Remember that most medicines need to be started some weeks before departure. Even more importantly, they should be continued for weeks after your return, because malaria can have a long incubation period. I have successfully used homoeopathics since 1980, spending time each year in India and Africa. There is a new vacine-like homoepathic available from http://www.blueturtlegroup.com After using this link click on your browsers 'back' button to return here, or read all this first and then use the link to blue turtle on our links page.
No inoculations are required to enter the country from Europe or USA. Nor are visas needed for UK or European Union citizens. Bring insect repellants, sun cream, and a torch for when we go up country. Sandals are the only footwear you'll need, leave your boots and trainers at home. You'll want long sleeve tops and long skirts or trousers to cover up in the evenings. A tailor friend will call round, so you could soon have purpose made garments in gorgeous Gambian fabrics. Anything that you have worn to the Airport will do you if we have an occassional cool evening.
Wealth
How much pocket money to bring? You can get by on very little here, as all your food, room and clothing needs are provided already. However, you are sure to want a few beers, soft drinks and maybe some souvenirs. I suggest you bring £300 to £400 and live like royalty on your holiday. You'll be able to do all the suggested excursions and have enough left over to pay a years school fees for some lucky child, if you want to.
Bring it as cash sterling [or the currency of the country you live in]. There is no need to waste your money on travellers cheques or buying other currency. It's cheap & easy to change money here. Any cash left over you simply take home with you. You could bring a credit card, in case of emergencies. Only Visa acceptedin The Gambia, & only at ATMs, so you need to bring your pin number. Please make sure you have adequate travel insurance; shop around for better deals than travel agents offer.
If you need travel insurance for your holiday the Travel-Quest travel insurance shop links to a wide range of UK travel insurers offering everything from single trip to family, annual and multi-trip travel insurance; as well as specialist insurance for backpackers, skiers, snowboarders, cyclists and adventure sports.
Climate: 2 seasons...''''wet'''' and ''''dry''''.
Temperatures range between 20 & 35 degrees C, with 7 to 10 hours sunshine each day throughout the year. In the dry season you will always have 12 cloudless hours! The rainy season lasts from late June into September, rain mostly falls at night and there will be plenty of sunny days. As individuals you can choose to go anytime. Just choose a month you would like to be here and call me ASAP..Todays climate After viewing the weather, click your browser's 'back' button to return here.
Some good travel information is available here.... http://www.traveldocs.com/gm/index.htm We usually organise groups to travel together on the same flight. However, many people travel to us independantly.
Each of you pay, seperately, the travel agent of your choice, for your flights. This gives you all the usual assurances of ATOL or ABTA bonding. Expect to pay around £300 foryour flight from UK during 'the season'. We take care of Gambian airport taxis, your room, all meals in our guesthouse, and your general welfare for only £450 per single person for two weeks full board. We can be flexible about lengths of stay, from weekends to months. If you want more details or have any questions, please do not hesitate to call, we're happy to chat with you on the phone or via email.
Real Eco-Tourism
As mentioned we have reclaimed all the land on which we have built our compound. We plant trees and refuse to buy our drum making materials from any one who is not replanting trees. We only employ Gambians and other West Africans settled in The Gambia. We pay good wages, without inflating the local economy. All your money for the holiday is spent in The Gambia on local goods and services, except a small advertising budget which is spent in the UK.
This is a not for profit endeavour. We keep guest numbers low, so we do not make too much impact on the area while we are there. We have water and energy saving measures in place and minimise our use of motor cars.
We are supporting many of our neighbours' children through school or college. Some of our guests have befriended local people and continue to give them some financial support for years. We have supplied outlying schools with text books and rebuilt damaged buildings, or completed unfinished projects. We've funded the supply of fresh water to villages and paid for some urgent hospital treatments and sadly, for a few funerals. Occasionally, some guests decide for themselves that they want to do something positive, then ask for my advice about appropriateness and practicality. We do not expect any guest to contribute in this way. Guests have already 'given' by paying to be here in the first place!
We help people in our neighbourhood as much as possible, without creating situations of their dependance on us. We take out second hand clothes and footwear to distribute freely to our neighbours. These last few photos show people in their new clothes. Wherever we try to help, we also try to maintain and foster the people's self respect, values and cultural traditions. These wonderful people give us a lot, they open their hearts to us, offering lifelong friendship, from their natural generousity of spirit, not from any need to gain materially. Theirs is a precious gift, worthy of our utmost care and repect. I feel honoured that they continue to accept me and my guests, so warmly, into their society as part of their community.
Call Paul: +44 [0]1280 820563 or Tony 0114 2700 800 but best to email us see the contacts page.
Here is our door open wide to welcome you to The Gambia.
If you don't get us on the phone please leave a brief message with your name and number. Once you have booked, we'll give you Modou and Haruna's phone numbers, so relatives can call you in case of any emergency back home.
If we're in Africa it could take some time to get back to you by phone. Better to email, you will find a way to send email, from this website, on the contacts page. There are several internet cafes near our place. We can usually get back to you within a day or two. We also expect to have a laptop with us and be able to respond to email daily. Usually both of us are not in Gambia at the same time, so you should be able to speak to one of us, on one of the numbers in UK.
Once booked, you just catch the plane, relax and enjoy the smiling coast of real Africa!
TRAVELLING WITHIN GROUPS:
We usually run group trips between late September and early June each year.
We would like you to call us ASAP, stating in which month you'd like to go. Then we will organise a group of people wanting to go in that month. For group bookings we can offer substantial discounts. If you are in a drum circle and want to bring some of the other drummers with you we can make special rates for you. However, as individuals you can go at anytime you want to be here. Just call us to book it.
Any group facilitators may like to bring their groups here. Groups do not have to be rhythm related. They could be bird watchers, photographers, writers, WI, cooks, therapists, yogis, whatever; only limited by your imaginaton! Contact us to discuss discounts for group bookings.
Once you have booked dates & agreed payment details with us, by phone or email, you can pay by credit card or PayPal on this page. Just click the 'Buy Now' button below to pay for the usual 2 weeks at £450 per single person. Prices are for full board and our comprehensive care.
You may wish to pay by installments over time, or use your credit card for only part of the payment, like the deposit. Also useful for couples, at the discounted price of only £800, or group discounts and those booking periods other than the usual 2 weeks. You can use our 'Flexi Payments' by clicking the button Add to Basket below, to pay in blocks of £50.
Some helpful details about on-line payment security are on the mail order page.
Rooms face on to our bahama-grass lawns which have both shady and sunny areas for you to relax in. Windows have mosqito nets and curtains; doors have curtains and individual padlocks. Rooms have mosquito-netted double beds, pillows, sheets, blanket, built-in wardrobe and shower area. You can always boil water, for the occassional hot wash, but most of the time you will prefer a cooler shower at tap temperature.
This photo shows our shady 'terrace'. 
About 15 minutes walk away there is a supermarket, post office and craft shops. Nearby bikes can be hired for about £1 an hour or £8 daily. There are internet cafes and fax / phone centres around. You can get your photos developed in town. There many bars and a community centre within 10 minutes walk, they often host some interesting events. Like Jaliba Kouyate! The national stadium is also walking distance. Here you may see big sporting, cultural or musical events.You may see Baba Maal, Cheik Lo, Ismael Lo, Musa N'Gom or Yousou N'Dour, if you're lucky. The women's vegetable garden cooperative is close by, as are the botanical gardens. On the right is a photo of one of Bakau's big trees. Below is another perspective on it.
Whilst here you will be part of the local community. As such you will gain insights into culture and tribal customs that would not be open to you if you were at one of the hotels. We get invited to naming and 'right of passage' ceremonies, weddings and to other compounds as friends, rather than as tourists. The natural friendliness of the people may overwhelm you at first. We Europeans are not used to this open-hearted warmth and generousity of spirit. You will also meet genuine 'griots' {Jalis: the Bards or minstrels, who carry the histories of the tribes.See 'Jalis' tab & links page for more info..} at their homes or at our place.
We offer drumming tuition with local drum masters. It is a good way to appreciate this aspect of West African culture. There is a lot of drum and dance at the ceremonies we attend, and in the evenings at places of entertainment. Hopefully, some daily drum lessons will give you a better understanding of the drumming you experience out and about in The Gambia. If you like, we can set you up with teachers from the various tribes,on their various types of drum. We make no money on this; you have a direct contract with the teachers themselves. However, I realise it is not for everyone, so tuition is taking place on the beach usually,so as not to disturb other guests who are not into it.
Near the pier is the 'ice house' {donated by the Japanese} where some of the day's catch is kept fresh, before being transported elsewhere. There is also smoke house here where you can buy smoked 'bonga' fish for a few pence. It is here that many of the children go, straight out of school, to relax. Football is very popular, there are hundreds of youth teams in the area, including ladies.
A trip across the river Gambia to Jinek {also called coconut island} is not to be missed. It involves an overnight stay on this 'Paradise Island' {see photo on right and below} which is famous for it's cannabis plantations. Gambian police and army will not set foot here, they believe the island has 'juju' wards placed on it, that will kill them. Jinek is part of a huge, preserved 'area of outstanding natural beauty'. You can walk up the beach into Senegal. The neighbouring, south western area of Senegal is one of the country's major nature reserves.
On our south side of the river, there are smaller nature and wildlife reserves. 'Abouko' is about an hour away on local buses, 20 minutes in a hired taxi. It is a preserved piece of local ecology, with tropical trees, birds, animals, and a crocodile pool. 
Upriver you can find hippos, even manatee, around a river island centre for rescued chimpanzees. They are brought here from all over the world, to be reintroduced to the wild after years in zoos or as pets. There is a lot of nature and wild life in The Gambia, some people come here from the UK especially to do bird-watching. We can set you up with a birding guide if that is your fancy, but some of the best bird watching is at the botanical gardens just a 10 minute stroll from your room. If you are quiet, at the guesthouse you will see many birds on our lawns and in the trees.
However do not expect some big game, like rhinos and elephants, they are no longer native to this part of Africa. Natural to the area are antelope, lion, hyena, civet cat, monkeys and many birds; like kites, kingfisher, fish eagle, vultures, and there are butter and dragon flies and a few aardvark feeding off termite mounds. There are many fish and dolphins in the river.
There are very large reserves in Senegal, a few hours drive away, it would best be an overnight trip, perhaps tied in with Jinek island. Here you may see the curious rock hydrax [a relative of the elephant, but only about 18 inches long] sharing its lair with the nocturnal crested porcupine, as well as masses of other animals. All kinds of lizards and ghekkoes abound everywhere, even in our garden, where birds ['pitcher'] often nest.
Really there is so much wild life it is pointless trying to list it all. Five minutes walk from your room is the famous crocodile pool. Bakau grew up around this holy site, where people come to gain fertility blessings. 'Charlie' the croc is now so used to being around humans that you can even stroke him! The pool is surrounded by massive Capoks & other trees, the water a rich green soup of leaves, with lizards and crocs looking like logs one minute then suddenly thrashing about in the pool. Mostly it's a quiet oasis in the centre of this bustling town.
More drumming or other West African instruments such as kora [harp] or ballaphon [xylaphone] can be taught. Visits to and from some world famous musicians also occur naturally, as they are mates of mine. Dance tuition, safaris, off-shore or up-river boat trips can also be arranged. As can visits to schools, shamans, stone circles, farms and forests. We have the contacts, you only have to ask and we'll help you organise anything legal that your little heart desires.
The optional daily drumming tuition is provided for about £2 per hour, all tuition and trips are not included in our package price. Because individuals want different things, we have not built in the cost of doing these other activities. We prefer to keep the basic cost of the holiday low, and offer optional, tailor made, outings at local rather than tourist prices. This way you naturally experience many things, as and when it suits you, and very cheaply. We only offer suggestions, as to what you might like to see or do.This way the choice always remains with each guest. The photo shows one of the enigmatic stone circles.
Our kitchen is fully equipped with fridge, cooker, juicer, electric kettle, cutlery, cooking pots, crockery, double sink and built in cupboards. We keep it stocked with tea, coffee, local herb teas, fruit, jam and marmite, margarine and bread. You can help yourself at any time. Nyima, our chef and a good friend, arrives around 5pm daily to clean the kitchen. That's her on the right, at her home. Whilst she cooks for us, our guests may choose to learn from her about African cuisine. Nyima will invite you to both her husband's compound and her mother's, where you could learn more about cooking in West Africa.
Aliou her husband is an optician and qualified to give massage, if you fancy a treat. After dinner Nyima recleans the kitchen and washes up. The food is African but we speciaise in vegetarian versions, which are very hard to find in West Africa. Our dinners always have a choice of sauces: spicy, plain tasty or both. Our neighbour Moro, sometimes brings us a very nice fish, straight from the sea to our fridge before flies get on it, so it's safe to eat.
We take the risk of malaria seriously, making sure all our guests take sensible precautions, like closing their room's door at dusk, when the mosquitoes begin to fly. Therefore, no one on any of our trips has contracted malaria. See your GP or homoeopath for the right medicine for you.
Remember that most medicines need to be started some weeks before departure. Even more importantly, they should be continued for weeks after your return, because malaria can have a long incubation period. I have successfully used homoeopathics since 1980, spending time each year in India and Africa. There is a new vacine-like homoepathic available from 
No inoculations are required to enter the country from Europe or USA. Nor are visas needed for UK or European Union citizens. Bring insect repellants, sun cream, and a torch for when we go up country. Sandals are the only footwear you'll need, leave your boots and trainers at home. You'll want long sleeve tops and long skirts or trousers to cover up in the evenings. A tailor friend will call round, so you could soon have purpose made garments in gorgeous Gambian fabrics. Anything that you have worn to the Airport will do you if we have an occassional cool evening.
Bring it as cash sterling [or the currency of the country you live in]. There is no need to waste your money on travellers cheques or buying other currency. It's cheap & easy to change money here. Any cash left over you simply take home with you. You could bring a credit card, in case of emergencies. Only Visa accepted 
Temperatures range between 20 & 35 degrees C, with 7 to 10 hours sunshine each day throughout the year. In the dry season you will always have 12 cloudless hours! The rainy season lasts from late June into September, rain mostly falls at night and there will be plenty of sunny days. As individuals you can choose to go anytime. Just choose a month you would like to be here and call me ASAP.. 
We are supporting many of our neighbours' children through school or college. Some of our guests have befriended local people and continue to give them some financial support for years. We have supplied outlying schools with text books and rebuilt damaged buildings, or completed unfinished projects. We've funded the supply of fresh water to villages and paid for some urgent hospital treatments and sadly, for a few funerals. Occasionally, some guests decide for themselves that they want to do something positive, then ask for my advice about appropriateness and practicality. We do not expect any guest to contribute in this way. Guests have already 'given' by paying to be here in the first place!
We help people in our neighbourhood as much as possible, without creating situations of their dependance on us. We take out second hand clothes and footwear to distribute freely to our neighbours. These last few photos show people in their new clothes. 
