These members joined GTS after emailing me about the letter I left on Andy Lyons - Gambia Resource Pages site after our first visit 97/98

After lots of pre visit questions, the couple arrived in The Gambia on 28^th April for a two weeks stay and things seem to have gone badly almost from day one.

After arriving they went, the next night, to an entertainment in Bakau with a Gambian they met in the hotel (and lost, had stolen or were pickpocketed £150, a well know tourist scam in any country) Then the lady was very ill for a few days. So apart from cancelling a trip with GTS to Senegal, no guest/host relationship had developed, due to the early problems. So a very bad start, but none of it GTS's fault. Had they been with a GTS host for their outing I am fairly sure they would not have 'lost' the £150.

They said they couldn't decide if arrangements made were ever definite or not and that communications were bad. Lamin and Foday say that all the arrangements they made with GTS happened except when the guests cancelled trips because of illness. BUT this is a foreign country and although GTS hosts speak English, it is not their first language so guests should make sure that they do understand the arrangements.

Hoping to make a new start, the guests booked a Sunset Boat trip from Lamin Lodge 'expecting to see birds'.

The boat prices had escalated after the Lamin Lodge fire and they felt let down and cheated as over half the trip was in darkness (after the sunset) there was no bird watching expert on hand - but they paid anyway, not wanting a confrontation. A difficult situation and one with which I can totally sympathise.

Foday, their host had done what he thought was best arranged a boat at the best deal he could get.

Lamin Lodge had burnt down a few days earlier and destroyed many of the boats so shortage increased the cost and the guests wanted a big boat not wanting to go in the Gambiam pirogue (Broad canoe) this increased the price further. The tour operators had cancelled all their standard trips and our GTS boat contact was visiting his sick wife so no discount was available.

Foday explained and the couple didn't like to argue and went ahead BUT felt cheated and ripped off and conned.

After that, the guests spent the rest of their holiday without GTS, I can't blame them but it left them with bitter feelings and Foday really unhappy about what had gone wrong.

I was truly sorry and have fully apologised to them and of course offered them their membership fee back in full, which they generously declined, believing in the integrity of GTS's aims.

GTS membership provides
* advice before you leave,
* savings before you go and while you are out there,
* contacts who can advise you and offer assistance
* hosts at £1 an hour to support and assist you
* ensure you are not robbed or hassled.
* provide a directory of places, visits, bars, restaurants, activities, museums - freely available to you at Kololi and on the Website.

LESSONS TO BE LEARNT

GTS cannot provide support while you are out alone or with other people, (many of whom are really nice honest guys) BUT no guest has ever had money go missing while out with a GTS host.

The guest must make sure the trip you are expecting is what you are booking and if you don't want to go ahead tell your host and he will discuss the options for you to decide - Please make sure you understand all the arrangements and costs - and if you say OK then people think you mean OK.

Our Information pack now clearly explains about booking operator tours or outings with GTS. The two products are quite different - we hope that you find the outings brilliant value and remember all the money goes into the local Gambian economy - helping the local people.