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The Gambia (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter madmike
- Start date
level seven
Registered user
Well, I haven't been there yet, but will be for a week from December 2nd.
Just about all the reports from there I've read have really whetted my appetite.
Can you tell us in which way they weren't impressed?
Just about all the reports from there I've read have really whetted my appetite.
Can you tell us in which way they weren't impressed?
hi
i went there about 8 years ago. the birding is brilliant.
however i was chased by a pack of 20 dogs on the marshes and had to fend them off by swinging my binos around my head - i then got attacked by a swarm of african bees - and i caught hepatitis a from the water !!!!!
just a run of the mill trip really !
but i reiterate - the birding is really good and is a fairly short flight.
Go there - you only live once !
Nigel
i went there about 8 years ago. the birding is brilliant.
however i was chased by a pack of 20 dogs on the marshes and had to fend them off by swinging my binos around my head - i then got attacked by a swarm of african bees - and i caught hepatitis a from the water !!!!!
just a run of the mill trip really !
but i reiterate - the birding is really good and is a fairly short flight.
Go there - you only live once !
Nigel
madmike
Well-known member
Hi level seven,
It seems that the two Girls (of a certain age!) found conditions pretty tough. The accomodation was generally very poor (often in roundals) with no A/C and no power for the fans after about 11pm. The food was pretty bad and there were a number of long but very uncomfortable trips along very rough roads.
Now I've spent many years in West africa, but always generally with reasonable conditions.
The heat and humidity are a real problem particularly if you are not used to it. The girls made a point of asking, and were told, that conditions would be basic but feel they were much worse than that!
It was their first time in WA, and I think they found things, particularly up country, a bit of a shock.
My main reason for posting this thread is to perhaps make people aware that it may be somewhat harder than they have been advised.
In any event, further comments would be welcome. I think they did get to see some nice birds though!
WA is certainly NOT for the faint hearted and NEVER underestimate the heat.
In addition, take the Malaria threat VERY seriously.
madmike
It seems that the two Girls (of a certain age!) found conditions pretty tough. The accomodation was generally very poor (often in roundals) with no A/C and no power for the fans after about 11pm. The food was pretty bad and there were a number of long but very uncomfortable trips along very rough roads.
Now I've spent many years in West africa, but always generally with reasonable conditions.
The heat and humidity are a real problem particularly if you are not used to it. The girls made a point of asking, and were told, that conditions would be basic but feel they were much worse than that!
It was their first time in WA, and I think they found things, particularly up country, a bit of a shock.
My main reason for posting this thread is to perhaps make people aware that it may be somewhat harder than they have been advised.
In any event, further comments would be welcome. I think they did get to see some nice birds though!
WA is certainly NOT for the faint hearted and NEVER underestimate the heat.
In addition, take the Malaria threat VERY seriously.
madmike
level seven
Registered user
The one negative comment which does crop up in quite a few reports is about the amount of hassle tourists get from locals outside the hotels, especially anyone sporting birding gear and not part of an obvious group. This doesn't seem to be intimidating or anything like that, but perhaps might put anybody off who's not used to that sort of thing abroad.
level seven
Registered user
madmike said:
Thanks mike. I posted the above comments before seeing your post!
The road journey up-river is not one I'm looking forward to from the comfort point of view, but I've travelled across the Sahara and West Africa on a converted army truck with very poor suspension, so know what to expect....
madmike
Well-known member
Yup that was also one of their complaints, but as a tourist you get that in many countries.
Morocco was perhaps the worst.
I think the gals also got a number of marriage (and other similar) proposals but at their age, they should be so lucky!!
Keep um coming - the reports I mean!
madmike
Morocco was perhaps the worst.
I think the gals also got a number of marriage (and other similar) proposals but at their age, they should be so lucky!!
Keep um coming - the reports I mean!
madmike
simon
Well-known member
madmike said:
I've been twice, once at this time of year and once at Easter, during October/November the humidity is a real problem but the birds are in full breeding plummage later on into the dry season the humidity drops but the some of the birds are less colourful, especially the Bishops etc.
The Gambia is brilliant for birds but it is an extremely poor country and conditions are basic in the camps by far the best place to stay up river was kimoto hotel but i am not certain that it is currently open the other camps are primitive with electricity supplied by generator if you are lucky, but the food, when we were there, was reasonably good even right up river at Basse and Jan JAn burgh etc.
If you want to bird Gambia in reasonable comfort then i would recommend a late dry season (feb- April) visit and bird the coastal strip straight from the hotel if ,however you want the real taste of the gambia then a trip up river in Oct- Dec is a must especially for the Eygptian plovers and Carmine bee-eaters etc
i cant believe that anyone would go to somewhere like the gambia and expect luxury - unless they were going to stay in resort.
live a little - if youve done africa before you know what to expect.
i never forget what the woman who died climbing everest [ i think]
said
'its better to live one day as a tiger - than your whole life as a butterfly'
now that is paraphrasing - and forgive me if the quote is wrong - but you get my meaning.
nigel
live a little - if youve done africa before you know what to expect.
i never forget what the woman who died climbing everest [ i think]
said
'its better to live one day as a tiger - than your whole life as a butterfly'
now that is paraphrasing - and forgive me if the quote is wrong - but you get my meaning.
nigel
madmike said:
If you think men are tougher than the 'ladies' then I suggest you bird with some of my 'girlfriends' (as in mates) I've birdwatched with the 'girls' throughout Africa and the Middle east and the first to moan are the blokes!
What age are "girls of a certain age"?......
John.
madmike
Well-known member
Hi russkie,
I think their main gripe was the standard of accomodation and food etc. Had they been told for example that there was no AC or that there would be no power for much of the night they would not have gone!
I don't think the tour company was fully honest with their information, but if they were, a lot of people may not go!
The girls did see loads of great birds, but found the trip extremely uncomfortable.
There is of course also the health issue when conditions are below a certain standard and for europeans I think perhaps tour companies should ensure that a reasonable level is maintained.
mm
I think their main gripe was the standard of accomodation and food etc. Had they been told for example that there was no AC or that there would be no power for much of the night they would not have gone!
I don't think the tour company was fully honest with their information, but if they were, a lot of people may not go!
The girls did see loads of great birds, but found the trip extremely uncomfortable.
There is of course also the health issue when conditions are below a certain standard and for europeans I think perhaps tour companies should ensure that a reasonable level is maintained.
mm
Africa and other places can be tough for us 'softies'. I take it that this was their first trip to Africa?... What did they expect?
Surely part of the enjoyment is roughing it a little. And if you can't get along without air-con then tough ++++!
I well remember my first trip to Africa and the bath water was full of 'things' swimming around..(seem to remember small shrimps and aquatic beetles) I pointed this out to the one and only, John Carver; his answer was ..SO! this is Africa. Happy days.
Tell them next time to stick to Cley...although warn them that a gentle breeze sometimes comes 'in off'...
John.
Surely part of the enjoyment is roughing it a little. And if you can't get along without air-con then tough ++++!
I well remember my first trip to Africa and the bath water was full of 'things' swimming around..(seem to remember small shrimps and aquatic beetles) I pointed this out to the one and only, John Carver; his answer was ..SO! this is Africa. Happy days.
Tell them next time to stick to Cley...although warn them that a gentle breeze sometimes comes 'in off'...
John.
One of my first birding trips abroad was to the Gambia and it was fantastic, went upriver and that was even more amazing. Truelly got the bug for Africa there and have now spent over three years on the great continent. Don't remember if I ever had A/C in Gambia (I think not), but I do remember Eygptian Plover, Finfoot, Carmine Bee-eater, etc, etc.
Totally agree with John here - if somebody is going to Africa or Asia or South America, they need to expect it a tad harder than a stroll along Brighton Pier. I strongly recommend them not taking a trip to Sudan - most places I stayed in there didn't have electricity or water, let alone A/C ...and day temps were 52 C at one stage. And I won't even mention Ethiopia Africa is a great continent, long may it live without every last creature comfort that some tourists appear to need
PS I rmeber at Basse, we had quite reasonavle meals in the evening by doing a restaurant 'crawl' - first restaurant had no electricity, but some chicken, second had electricity but no food, next had some vegetable or something, etc. In end bought products in several places, took it to the place with electricity and let them cook it ...great trip
Totally agree with John here - if somebody is going to Africa or Asia or South America, they need to expect it a tad harder than a stroll along Brighton Pier. I strongly recommend them not taking a trip to Sudan - most places I stayed in there didn't have electricity or water, let alone A/C ...and day temps were 52 C at one stage. And I won't even mention Ethiopia
Africa is a great continent, long may it live without every last creature comfort that some tourists appear to need PS I rmeber at Basse, we had quite reasonavle meals in the evening by doing a restaurant 'crawl' - first restaurant had no electricity, but some chicken, second had electricity but no food, next had some vegetable or something, etc. In end bought products in several places, took it to the place with electricity and let them cook it ...great trip
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As for hassle from touts, etc, the only place where it was an issue to a degree was on the coast - upriver, everybody was great. Would imagine it to be broadly similar now, though I'm not current on this data. Check recent trip reports on birdtours website.
redeyedvideo
It's like water off a duck's back!
madmike said:
The Moroccan Tourist board has clamped down on tourists being hassled as it was affecting the industry. I was there 3 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed watching kids eating Smarties for the first time in their lives. I had one unpleasant incident with a souvenir seller at Oukaimeden but otherwise if you are firm with them they will leave you alone.
In the Gambia I can only remember problems outside the airport with money changers but their rate was better than I got in the UK! The coastal hotels are of good quality & even up country I found the roundels excellent for a good nights sleep when the generators were turned off. I left the safety of the camp to go birding during the day to be followed by well meaning kids wanting me to sponsor them but for God's sake, the've got nothing compared to us. Even our empty water bottle were a treasure to them. And the birding is excellent.
Dave J
