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Resort Areas in Gambia

Bakau Jinack Island
   
Banjul Kartong
   
Bijilo Kololi
   
Brufut Kotu
   
Cape Point Sanyang
   
Fajara Serrekunda *
   
Gunjur Tanji

Introduction:
The main holiday resort areas in Gambia are on a 10.5 kilometre band of beach whose locations are along the west coast facing the Atlantic Ocean. It manages to accommodate almost all the package holidaymakers that come to Gambia each winter season and is Banjul's scenically pleasant hinterland.

Cape Point
The Cape Point promontory makes up the very start of the northern beachfront with its fairly wide, clean, aeolian sands. This is where the sea and river estuary meet and is one of the most civilized retreats being a relatively secure tourist enclave area.

Bakau
The above seashore marks the northern most limit of Bakau (the Mandingo's Ba kankungo or Shore) which is by contrast marked by cliff-top hotels overlooking precarious, rust-coloured laterite cliffs and a narrow beach that is visible only when the tide is out and is not recommended for swimming. It is the most African in nature of all the coastal resorts and runs parallel to a heavily urbanised area. Its hotels and guesthouses are pleasant and low-key as well as being near to good transport connections. If you would rather have a combination of beach, tourist development and staying in an African community, then this is probably your best choice.

Fajara
There are no formal boundaries between Bakau and the suburb of Fajara to the south however, this resort is a quiet, relatively well-to-do residential neighbourhood. It is less beach-orientated than the other resort areas but has good transport links up to the Atlantic Ocean. Laybato, overlooking the ocean, has a great vista with palm hung hammocks to laze in and watch the sunset. A good number of the Gambia's finest restaurants are to be found here, along with a respectable choice of accommodation at good prices.

Kololi
There a basically 2 resorts. The first is at Palma Rima with its huge grounds overshadowing the area but with a relatively quiet beach scene which is not very often crowded except for weekends. Then there is the Senegambia thoroughfare. In the early to late evenings this road is a hive of activity and is the Gambia's equivalent of a Mediterranean type resort such as Benidorm. This is the country's most hectic vacation spot which is a ribbon development of car hire firms, pizza parlours and small bars and restaurants. It is here that you will find the purpose built beach hotels of the Kairaba and Senegambia which are among the country's most reputable accommodations.

Kotu
This locality is at the very hub of touristy Gambia and one of the hotspots for 'bumsters' (hustlers). In the high season, most aspects of Kotu feels crowded as the hotels, supermarkets, craft markets are congested with tourists. However, the place is friendly, entertaining and ideal for someone with an outgoing personality. There is also a good beach near to all the mid to large scale hotels, such as Kombo Beach, which are either owned by the tour operators or contracted by them to receive their package tourists.

Bijilo
Further south, just after Kololi's southern edge, is the much more serene location of Bijilo and its adjacent inland neighbour of Kerr Serign. Here the beaches and accommodation are more subdued without the feeling of crampness that is found within its northerly neighbours. The accommodation to be found here includes the hotels such a Bijilo Beach, Golden Beach and the Coconut Residence.

Brufut
This area is the latest to undergo tourist development in recent years with the opening of the international class Sheraton (now Coral Beach) which extends the major tourist resort to 12.5 km. Brufut is ideal if you want to get away from tourist overcrowding yet be within a reasonable distance by car to some good entertainment spots. The seaside on either side of this new development is a quiet stretch of simple beach huts and fishing villages.

*Serrekunda
This is not a resort but a large urban conurbation with a cacophony of people, dwellings and cars. Many websites and tour guides refer to the town's name in relation to certain hotels. The reason for the confusion is that many places use this location for their PO Box number and this may have brought about some of the misunderstanding regarding their actual locations. More...




Southern Coastal Resorts:
Sanyang,   Gunjur  &  Kartong are all well worth visiting as they have been less affected by tourism. These localities are particularly handy if you are travelling to Gambia on a shoe-string. However, the nearest of the above is at least 25 kilometres from the main resort locations. There are lots of simple accommodation huts and lodges for the more resourceful traveller. While there you might want to visit a site called Nyanitama-Dibindinto.

Inland Resorts:
There are lots of other places further inland such as Makasutu Culture Forest  with its magnificent riverine lodges and jungle rooms at Mandina Lodge.

There are also other riverside lodges from the Banjul estuary up to Basse.

You can see reviews of other areas by going to the tourist attractions page. For rooms to stay see the Hotels page.

NOTE:
It should be pointed out that in some accommodations the use of a TV or air conditioner is not automatically included in the room rates, and the use of an A/C adds to room costs per day.
 
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