Updated
October 10, 2001
Gambia
Tourist
Support
Package Tours Compared
'The Gambia Experience' who specialise in nothing but Gambian holidays,
have the widest and cheapest range for 2001-2002
Being a GTS member
can SAVE you £££'s
see our CUT
COSTS PAGE
A
Better Holiday
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Where ever you go you'll get a great welcome and a big
smile
African Village, Bakau - Cheapest
Also Tafbel is very reasonable in Kololi
Badala Park, Kotu
highly praised by GTS Mems in 2000
Palm Grove Nr Banjul,
& not near restaurants etc.
Palma Rima pool, also has bungalows 250m from the sea 2Km from Kololi
First Choice
For full information and
pictures. See
Winter Sun Brochures
2001-2002
There is a very wide choice, but different operators do have different prices for the same hotel at the same time - so as always check carefully to see what is available. Early booking can save you money BUT so can searching the NET
The only operator with a dedicated Gambia brochure
Gambia Experience
It is quite a nightmare sorting out hotel from hotel and week from week, but there are big price differences even before considering buying over the Internet or looking for late offers or cancellations.
I think I have now seen all the tour op catalogues and with Flight Only prices at around a book price of £350 and with package deals from £299 (£375 cheap average) it seems on the face of it that the package deals are by far the best.
BUT flight
prices do drop and are regularly available around £250 from Nov
to April and cost no more for 2 or 3 week stays.
Local accommodation is very reasonably priced, so if two of you are traveling
Flight only the £200 difference per week, provides a more flexible
holiday and will probably save you money overall.
Remember that there maybe single occupancy supplements for lone travelers, discounts if 3 share a room and other special discounts for 14 days between this date or that date - all very confusing!!
The hotel location also makes a big difference to the choice of restaurants available near the hotel and night life attractions may be an expensive taxi ride away, Palm Grove is isolated in this respect an dcaters for visitors who do not want to travel around.
My review for Nov 2001 to April 2002 has not been easy with so many operators. See - Week by week 2001/2 cheapest offers
GAMBIA EXPERIENCE are offering the cheapest package deals to all Gambian resorts, particularly good value are 14 night visits from only £54 extra at the Tafbel, but generally around £100
Gambia Exp have many many 7 nts
below £400 and 14 nts below £500
If anyone tells you that the food is only safe in the hotel - take it with a really big pinch of salt. Most of the restaurants are excellent and you can get a fabulous good meal for £7 to £15 - and have the choice of where you go and the sort of food you'll eat and that's at the expensive end of the market. You can eat much cheaper at the beach bars and smaller restaurants, with loads of atmosphere and plenty of choice. The fish is wonderful, plentiful and the portions tend to be generous.
The food is always freshly cooked, so unless you have ordered earlier in the day (Not a bad idea) expect a wait of 30 to 40 minutes.
FLIGHT
ONLY
Only the Gambia Experience offers all year round 'Flight Only' trips,
but most of the others provide flight only Nov-April, BUT the availability
of cheap flights only really appears around October when the main season
is about to start, keep your eye on Teletext - World Flights.
'Flight Only' Prices are from £170 - £350. I have had flights from as low as £129 for 2 weeks. - So shop around for the deal that will best suit you.
There are plenty of lodges and small hotels with double rooms from £10-£15 a night upwards and some for as little as £5pp a night.
Approx Insurance
prices with Tour operators,
cheaper if you shop around
7 nights - £40
14 nights - £46
21 nights - £53
Discounted
Insurance to GTS
members at 20% to 30% reductions.
Whoever you book
with and where ever you stay, remember that GTS can advise you on the
places to visit and places to eat and with a GTS membership card you will
get discounts.
SO GTS membership costs you
nothing but helps the local people incredibly, by providing loans, educational
sponsorships and a greater share of your holiday spending money.
The Gambia Experience have a reputation for being 'the best', with resort staff always praised by returning holiday makers. Generally a second week is only around £100 more, which we think makes two weeks the best option.
With a large family we have always tended to go cheaply and used the money we save to spend among the locals, but this is not every ones idea of a holiday. It is very nice to return from the dust of a day out to European style luxury. BUT staying in the smaller lodges and using the excellent restaurants, you can save enough on your package to provide all of your spending money.
If
'Flight Only' for stays between 3 and 6 months are your thing - you might
consider flying Sabina via Brussels and get a price from Flight
Path and also for any European holidays from the UK.
Please mention "Gambia Tourist Support" to Doug when booking.
POSTNOTE
A flight only for one week with the Gambia Experience cost £370
in October 2000, when there was no competition. In Mid December I got
'Flight Only' tickets for 2 weeks for £199 but on 21st December
the cheapest 'Flight Only' available was £465 for one week.
All prices are ex-insurance.
I think my Flying experience with Monarch has been the best - there is
not a lot of difference, the seats are cramped, the take-off times are
unreliable BUT the service and food from my experience has been the best.
PLEASE also look at the 'Health Matters' pages
5 Top or for GTS Membership Information
