Gambia; practical help (1 Viewer)

[Steve G]

A cautionary note! We have booked a fortnight at Karaiba Hotel and have just been told that they have overbooked and do we want to cancel or switch to a lower grade hotel, The Ocean Bay. On confirming we would accept and go to the other hotel, one day later we were told that hotel has also overbooked and would we like to cancel or downgrade even further. It would seem that a booking in Gambia is not a guarantee, even though we paid well in advance. Communicating our changing plans to our long suffering guide is now bordering on the farcical. Am I just unlucky or is this a common occurrence.
John

Hi John,
Sorry to hear about your problems.
The Kombo beach or Senegambia would also be reasonable alternative options if these options are available.


I have been to The Gambia a number of times & have never experienced this problem before (though I have had these problems in Spain & Greece).


Which travel company did you book through as I suspect the problem lies there?

I firmly believe that the most reliable way to organise a trip to The Gambia is through The Gambia Experience as their knowledge of the country, expertise & most importantly their admin staff based in The Gambia help prevent this problem from arising.
If not too late why not phone the UK office of The Gambia experience to see if they can supply a suitable last minute package & if so cancel your current package.
Certainly if you downgrade further then I think you should make strong representations to the company you booked through but please don't let this experience put you off the country, it's a great place for a relaxing holiday & the birding is simply amazing & so accessible.
Best wishes,
Steve

 

[John Gibson2]

Gambia

Thanks for the kind thoughts. You are probably right about the wisdom of booking through Gambia Experience. I suspect that First Choice didn't pay enough attention to their arrangements and are now putting all the blame on the respective hotels, whilst apologising profusely. I'm still not confident that they have a handle on the situation though. We'll no doubt find out the hard way. I am sure we will enjoy the country when/if we get there.
John

 

[John Gibson2]

Gambia

My thanks to all who offered information and advice prior to our visit to The Gambia. We had a great time, saw lots of birds and enjoyed a lot of the sights of Gambia. We decided beforehand to employ the services of Modou Colley as our bird-guide on seeing recommendations on this thread. This turned out to be good advice. Modou certainly knows his birds and where to find them and was patient and helpful throughout. He was not available some of the days due to prior commitments and we were then well guided by his protege Yankuba Tamba ([email protected], www.members.home.nl/xenix or text 0220 954017) who proved to be equally helpful and most knowledgeable. He even offered to spend our final day walking around the extensive Kotu creek area with us for no charge. If you plan to use a Gambian guide when you visit I can recommend them both.
John Gibson

 

[Kalispera]

Pleased you enjoyed your time in the Gambia, where did you stay in the end, after all the cancellations??
Regards, Donald

 

[John Gibson2]

Pleased you enjoyed your time in the Gambia, where did you stay in the end, after all the cancellations??
Regards, Donald

Hi Donald,
After much messing about and retractions and amendments of their (First Choice) various compensation offers and the good offices of Gill at The Daily Telegraph travel legal desk we finally ended up at the Kombo Beach, Kotu. It turned out to be a much better choice than the previous arrangements and we were very pleased to have stayed there.
Regards,
John

 

[Kalispera]

Hi John,
Great stuff, going again next year???

Donald

 

[Kalispera]

I mean THIS year!!!!

 

[Birdbox]

During our week at the Senegambia hotel in Dec we used the resident birdman there, Modou Jarju. I think I'm right in saying 'young' Modou is the protege of Modou Colley who usually operates out of the Senegambia but was away upriver. Modou charged £15 a head however many people were going - so the three of us who did Tujereng with him generated £45 obviously but the 8 Welsh guys who went to the same place with him on our recommendation generated £120! For the same days work! Gotta hand it to him but his trainee who carries the scopes and stuff gets nowt.

Apparently that's training for you...

If you do use this guide tip his lad please!

Modou is in fact a skilled and commited birder and you will score most targets in his company.

Lamin Sidebeh accompanied us at Pirang and while not entirely useless was found lacking in some departments but often made up with his charm and his sidekick whose name escapes was very informative.

We attempted to do Abuko without help but were quickly collared by a guide who wanted a tenner for services we didnt think we needed. Actually this guy was adequate (we could nt shake him off) and he did remind us about the rice fields which we'd forgotton about and had the scops owl staked. Eventually we all found eachother stuff and we left him clutching a fiver and some sweets with which he seemed more than happy.

Those of you who think will manage without a guide, think again. If you are unaccompanied you wont be for long and I will give a fiver to the first person to do an hour's birding unmolested. Well, maybe not but it's difficult - believe.

On my first morning I attempted to work the cycle track and despite the early hour was quickly joined by a bright spark from the Kotu creek clan!
Bins lent to him by Nelson, no perception of the concept of scoping or should I say searching for birds out of binocular range (Sidebeh suffered from this affliction also) and seriously dodgy in many areas he constantly reminded me of how much his services were goint to cost me. I constantly reminded him that his services were n't required and that they were going to cost me nowt. I was right on that score despite his protestations to the bitter end.

The only places I escaped such attention was at the sewage works early a.m. but had to pay a token amount to enter (this is definitely the case I'm afraid) - but there's not a deal there and the coastal scrub of Bijilo forest which I inadvertently stumbled upon whilst walking along Kololi beach - I honestly was nt trying to avoid paying the entrance fee!

Must say, in the mid afternoon when all the serious birding has been done and all missions accomplished, missus is deep tanning and mp3-ed, Bijilo coastal scrub is a very unpressured oasis of White-throated, Little and Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters, Palm nutter, Blue-bellied Roll on and Woodchat and prinias.

Have fun if you're going this winter.

PS Anyone done the resorts of Senegal - need somewhere for a week in Feb half-term. Don't really wanna repeat Kololi so soon and the sub-continent is too far for 7 days.

 

[Steve Dudley]

A first rate guide I can thoroughly recommend (inc. up river to Basse if you're going that far), is Kebba Sosseh - see http://kebbasosseh.blogspot.com/

Steve

 

[Alan G]

Just been quoted some prices from a guide who comes recommended from a friend whose used him 3 times previously.

I'll probably be birding alone (or with wife) unless I meet up with any other solo birders out there and I genuinely wasn't sure what to expect and was wondering what others make of these.

All prices include driver, petrol and tickets:

* Abuko & Lamin Rice Fields: £50 for 2 full days
* Brufut Woods and Tanji: £50 (full day)
* Mandinaba, Faraba Banta bush track & Pirang: £70 (full day)
* Yundum: £40 (a long half day)
* Marakissa: £50 (a long half day)

Flirting with ditching Yundum (or Marakissa) though as I'll be doing Kotu Creek/Golf Course & Senegambia/Bijilio a couple of times on my own as well as an overnight stop in either Senegal or Sindola Lodge and I don't want to OD on birding.......it is a holiday after all

 

[redeyedvideo]

This is the tarrif from The Atlantic which will give you an idea of prices. The costs you quote seem to be good value for full day trips.

 

[Steve G]

Thats £260 for 5 days birding (if my sums are right ). Here is a rough price guide courtesy of the Gambian Bird Guides Association (2006 prices):


Kotu Region: Kotu Creek, Cycle Track, Golf Course - £5pp per half day, £10pp full day
Coastal Areas: Pirang, Faraba-Banta Bush Track, Marakissa - £50 two people half day, £60 for two full day

Tanji, Brufut Woods, Abuko, Yundum Woods, Kamalo Corner, Cape Creek and
Bund Road - £18pp for two, £15pp for three or more for half a day; £25 pp for two, £20pp for three or more for a full day.

Tendaba Camp - £100 per person per night including B&B accommodation, boat trip, transport and bird guide. £50 per person per extra night.

Georgetown and Basse: £175pp for three nights, and £55 pp for extra nights, includes transport, accommodation, guiding and breakfast.
(Apart from the upriver trips the above rates don't include transport)


Most Gambian guides don't have their own transport so they 'subcontract' & often have to pay £40-£50 for a day's vehicle hire. This guy will probably be shelving out £150 for the vehicle/driver/fuel with another £5 per person for Abuko/Brufut/Faraba 'entry' tickets leaving him about £100 for the 5 days work.
Now many will tell you that £100 is a lot of money to a Gambian & it is but bird guide work is very erratic. At £20 a day you are not being ripped off.

To be honest it is very difficult to bird in the Gambia around the coast without a guide as you will be plagued by bumsters. Bijilo forest park & the Kotu area are notorious for it. I would push your guy to throw in a free Kotu creek/Jacana ponds/Cycle track/Sewage ponds/golf course trip in return for accepting his package.

I am biased in that a I have a friend in The Gambia who bird guides -it might be worthwhile contacting him to see whether he is willing to undercut your guy. Either way it's worth checking out his website as a resource before you go: www.gambianbirds.com/

 

[James Lowther]

To be honest it is very difficult to bird in the Gambia around the coast without a guide as you will be plagued by bumsters. Bijilo forest park & the Kotu area are notorious for it.

we managed to bird alone at Bijilo last year but you do need to run the gauntlet of bumsters and would-be-guides on the walk round from the senegambia area. Also another guide we met inside said it wasn't safe ("guys with cutlasses come from the beach") but i'm not sure how true this is. Abuko is also easy to bird alone once you're inside, but I wouldn't set your heart on birding solo anywhere else around the coastal resorts as Steve says. It will be a frustrating experience!!

 

[Alan G]

'guys with cutlasses coming up the beach' - be like birding on the local patch then

The guide's throwing in a free 'introduction' when I meet him the second day we're there - going around Kotu Creek, Ponds, etc for the afternoon but I may push him for other 'freebies' as well.

I've been informed by my mate that he also has his own transport now so I guess the 'all-in' costs is for driver, as opposed to driver and car.

Will make sure this includes petrol before I confirm, in case he springs that on me when I get there.

Thanks for the info anyway - much appreciated.

Alan

 

[Steve G]

With a half-decent guide you'll have a great time. The birds come thick & fast, most will be new & many really colourful.
To be honest there is something special about birding in Africa -it's hard to explain but you'll appreciate it for yourself shortly.

Cut your teeth on this visit & then plan a return trip in the future taking in Tendaba/Kaur wetlands & Georgetown -the birds here are spectacular & the freshwater section of the river Gambia incredibly beautiful.

 

[John Gibson2]

They look good prices. My only advice is to get a firm quote and make sure your guide knows you intend to stick to it (with perhaps a bonus if you are really satisfied). My experience was that the price kept edging upwards at the slightest opportunity. I don't blame the guides for trying, as it is a very poor country, but it gets a bit annoying. In the end we were happy with the quality of the guiding and were happy to pay extra - but I think that a more easygoing person would have found himself paying a lot more without the option of saying thankyou.
If you do join up with another couple make sure you are "singing from the same hymnsheet" as any sign of misinterpretation will result in another round of negotiations.
Have a great time - its a super place to visit -the people, birds, animals, weather and most hotels are excellent.

John Gibson

Just been quoted some prices from a guide who comes recommended from a friend whose used him 3 times previously.

I'll probably be birding alone (or with wife) unless I meet up with any other solo birders out there and I genuinely wasn't sure what to expect and was wondering what others make of these.

All prices include driver, petrol and tickets:

* Abuko & Lamin Rice Fields: £50 for 2 full days
* Brufut Woods and Tanji: £50 (full day)
* Mandinaba, Faraba Banta bush track & Pirang: £70 (full day)
* Yundum: £40 (a long half day)
* Marakissa: £50 (a long half day)

Flirting with ditching Yundum (or Marakissa) though as I'll be doing Kotu Creek/Golf Course & Senegambia/Bijilio a couple of times on my own as well as an overnight stop in either Senegal or Sindola Lodge and I don't want to OD on birding.......it is a holiday after all

 

[Kalispera]

We (the wife and me) have just returned from a 7 night stay at the Kombo Beach hotel in the Gambia. This was our fourth stay in the Gambia, but our first at the Kombo. We had Yaya Barry has our guide in 2006, and he suggested to look out for a cheap flight and he would book the Kombo on our behalf as its 'his' hotel. This is what we did booking a Thomas Cook flight through the Travel Republic website, and Yaya booking us the hotel. He picked us up from the airport and transported us to the Kombo.
We had stayed at the Senegambia in 2005 and 2006, and the gardens are a haven for birds, incredible in fact, the Kombo is nowhere near as good, but we much preferred the Kombo as a hotel.
In 2006 we spent a night at Tendaba, but not this year, however we asked Yaya if we could visit different sights and he agreed, not visiting Abuko is unheard of, not seeing an African Thrush, unheard of, but we saw other birds, not seen in previous years, Graces Eagle Owl, Shining-Blue Kingfisher, White-fronted Black Chat and a beautiful male Copper Sunbird among others.
The weather was incredibly hot, but plenty of liquids and we got through the week OK.
If anyone requires any more info regarding Yaya or the Kombo, please let me know.

 

[James Lowther]

Graces Eagle Owl,

that one had me scratching my head as well when my guide first mentioned it

It's actually GREYISH Eagle Owl Bubo cinerascens (otherwise known as Vermiculated EO), formerly treated as a dark-eyed subspecies of Spotted Eagle Owl, as illustrated in the ubiquitous field guide

did you see it at the faraba banta bush track??

 

[Kalispera]

Thanks for that James, I asked Yaya a couple of times about the owl, and I'm sure each time he said 'Graces', but since getting back I have found nothing regarding a 'Graces'. And yes, we did see it at the Faraba Banta bush track, love spending time on that track, among other places in the Gambia.

 

[GarethBlues]

Just back from The Gambia

I've just returned from a 7-night stay at the Ocean Bay Hotel in Cape Point. I'm no twitcher, and had my other half to keep happy on what was mainly a sunshine holiday. After scanning various websites and this forum I e-mailed a few of the guides mentioned, requesting quotes for some of the places in the coastal & resort areas.

By far the best response I got was from Lamin Bojang, a fairly young guide who's based near the Ocean Bay Hotel in Cape Point. Instead of the £150 a day some of the others were suggesting, Lamin suggested €20 per person for a morning, or €30 per person for a whole day. As I said, I had my other half in tow, so I wanted to keep it fairly easy.

Lamin uses an introductory 90 minute evening stroll around Cape Point to demonstrate his birding skills, and makes no charge for this. Three of the kingfishers, two rollers and various other species ticked off in this short time, and it got my other half interested too.

On the first morning we went to Lamin Rice Fields and Abuko Nature Reserve, with the second morning being spent at Fajara, Kotu and Brufut Woods. On the Wednesday morning, Lamin also offered to take us into Banjul via a few other birding spots.

All in all, great value for money and I can definitely recommend Lamin Bojang. He's cheerful, good company, very knowledgable and seems to have a number of drivers that he can use to get you around. Drop me an e-mail if you want to know any more - I'll hopefully get a trip report written up fairly soon. 127 species in two-and-a-half mornings.

You can contact Lamin at [email protected], or (00220) 9843634

One other tip. If you're staying in Cape Point, get in touch with one of the Official Tourist Guides, called Bambo. You'll find him at the OTG stand outside the Sunbeach Hotel. Once the bumsters know that you know him, they seem to back off a bit.