Accommodation
Accommodation
By African standards, The Gambia has a fairly developed tourist industry, with many hotels geared primarily to package tours. During the tourist season (November to May), accommodation is often booked up and confirmation of advance booking is advised. Most of the hotels are self-contained complexes offering a wealth of tourist facilities, including swimming pools, bars, restaurants, shops, sporting facilities and spacious gardens. Bedrooms will not always be air conditioned. The number of hotels has increased greatly in recent years and this is expected to continue; today there are over 24 hotels with 6000 beds, both in Banjul and along the coast. Around 75 per cent of establishments belong to The Gambia Hotel Association, which can be contacted c/o PO Box 2637, The Bungalow Beach Hotel, Serrekunda, Kotu (tel: 465 288; fax: 466 180; e-mail: bbhotel@qanet.gm). There are about a dozen camps, lodges and motels in rural areas which provide basic but comfortable accommodation and meals. The most luxurious of these is Sindola Safari Lodge located at Kanilai, the home of the President of The Gambia. There are others along the Atlantic coast line and they are a great place for boat rides and birdwatching trips - a boon for ecotourists. For further information on different types of accommodation, contact The Gambia Tourism Authority (see Contact Addresses section).
|
