The people of The Gambia are proud of their country’s image as The Smiling Coast. In season, you can expect plenty of sunshine. Avoid the rainy season which begins roughly around mid-June and ends mid-October, but actual times can vary. August is normally the wettest month.
The Limbus Hotel
The hotel is situated halfway between Fajara and Bakau. This family-run enterprise is about 20 minutes from the beach, with friendly staff and a swimming pool with a children’s section. The hotel is in a pleasant side-road off Atlantic Boulevard, a coast road where embassies, consulates and government offices abound. The sideroad is opposite the British High Commission, with Malek Chemist on the corner. You will find the hotel at the third turning on the left. They also offer an airport pick-up and drop-off service and have back generator and water supply services; helpful as Gambian utility services can be unreliable.
The hotel offers many extras and is spotlessly clean. Even if you have an standard room without kitchen facilities, there is a large communal kitchen. Room charges include board, room cleaning and linen laundry services, with fridge, tv, kettle, iron and hairdryer. At Limbas, you will never be hustled inside the compound.
Charges at time of writing:
Room: D700: Suite: D1,600. (£15 and £35 / $35 and $75 respectively)
Limbas Hotel, P.O.B. 4233, Bakau, The Gambia
Kombo Beach Hotel
This is a European-run hotel built African-style and is a good choice for tourists, offering inexpensive package deals. It is sited on Kotu Beach, and you can step right out of the back exit of the hotel grounds onto the sandy beach with its sunbeds and umbrellas. Sporting events like tennis and aerobics are on offer, and at night you can eat in one of the two restaurants or sit by the pool and enjoy local music presented to you by excellent live bands, with drummers and dancers. The hotel has suffered a poor reputation with bumsters and hustlers causing discomfort to guests by congregating around the entrances, but efforts have been made to eradicate this practice and recently the situation is much improved.
