Senegal & Gambia Adventure

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

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  Alan Shipley

  SENEGAL & GAMBIA ADVENTURE

  

  Written February 2012

  A wonderful insight into West African life and culture. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Visiting a fishing village and watching the action. The women in their colourful clothes line up to wait for the men who arrive in the boats. Terrific team work and such lovely fresh fish to sell and eat.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Very good - well above average. very helpful and informative but not too close. flexible and friendly.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Keep an open mind and you will be well pleased.

  Take some clothes that you no longer need and give them away - they will be well received.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Great trip!

   
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  Torsten Meier

  SENEGAL & GAMBIA ADVENTURE

  

  Written December 2011

  A different African adventure. This trip has it all - wildlife (mainly birds, but also crocs, deer, monkeys, and if you get lucky, hippos), World Heritage sites, contact and access to local people and tribes, and beach.  

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Three things stand out - Goree Island, Djouj N.P., and the Gambia river boat trip. However, it is the overall trip that makes this a complete and very satisfying adventure. 

   

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Our group leader was Mohamedin Traore. He was absolut fantastic; his overall experience in the region allowed us a hassle-free holiday. There were a lot of tiny things he sorted out, many of which most of us didn't even notice.

  Also, Mohamed's assitant and the driver were very good, and thus, worth mentioning. Very well done.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Read the trip notes. There are some long drives, so, be prepared for that. Also, some of the accomodations are rather basic (again, read the trip notes). If you're aware of that (and don't expect Western standards in West Africa (!!!), you won't be disappointed.

  For birders, bring long and, if possible, fast lenses. 

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  This was my 7th Exodus trip and it was, no doubt, one of the best.

   
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  Cassandra Gregory

  SENEGAL & GAMBIA ADVENTURE

  

  Written December 2011

  After spending some time in Northern, Eastern and Southern Africa in recent years, I thoroughly enjoyed getting a taste of West Africa.   

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  I was really pleased that I made it up the hill to the Bedik Village with my gammy leg and then to the (freezing!!) waterfall later in the day.  Pelicans in flight feet from my lense and feet from the water were also great, but (for me) this wasn't really a trip with particular highlights here and there, it was more an overall experience of the area.  The looks on some of the kids' faces even as we just drove by proved that they really don't see many (Toubab !) tourists at all outside of the bigger towns so we did feel slightly adventurous for that. 

  What did you think of your group leader?

  I thought Mohammed did a grand job.  He was obviously completely comfortable with making things work, by hook or by tip, for his clients, and was always on hand to see that we had everything we needed.   Perhaps he could have made things a little easier for himself by limiting the options for arrangements sometimes and I think maybe as this trip goes again he will pick up on the fact that most(?) Exodus type clients would probably rather have good, hot, local style food than have the hotel staff prepare more western dishes that they are not so good at...  Adama was always helpful and entertaining and our driver was superb, navigating some VERY dodgy roads safely and with minimum fuss.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  As it says in the notes - there are some LONG drives and some of the roads are dirt and/ or pretty badly potholed.  Ipod, camping pillow and, for your turn at the back girls, maybe a sports bra (seriously) would all be useful.  I found all of the Senegalese hotels clean and perfectly fine for a grand night's sleep, again, as it says in the notes, the Gambian nights are a bit more basic but nothing an Exodus traveller won't have seen before.  They do like their pillows hard however so, again, you might be glad of a softer camping pillow and many of us had our sleeping bag liners with us, just in case.  The night in the desert WAS a bit cold so suggest a fleece, some long jammies and a bunnet if you really feel it. 

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I lost LOADS of stuff.  Don't grudge it to whoever picked up what I was careless with as their need is greater than mine but I would make one warning....many of the hotel rooms have beds and other surfaces covered in brightly patterned materials and ~30watt light bulbs....might be a good idea to tell yourself to pass a hand over them rather than just a glance as you leave the the room.  Also, if you're a night reader, might want your head torch or a wee reading light.  Hot water wasn't as frequent as we had hoped so if you NEED "clean" hair everyday, might want to pack some of the dry spray shampoo.  OTOH, the water is really soft so you'll get a decent lather in the lukewarm.

  I took some wee bouncy balls and some cheap yoyos to give out to the kids.  The bouncy balls don't bounce in the sand, doh, and the yoyos were TOO cheap.  You've heard it before but they really wanted pens.  Next time I think I will pack pens, balloons maybe and possibly some of that bubble blowing liquid.  Won't last long but might raise a smile or two when you've got 20 kids under 5 all clamouring around you for some entertainment.

  This was a super trip for getting a grand feel of the place.  No two days were the same, yes the walking day, followed by the longest day on the bus, were a bit draining but the next day was the beautiful cruise along the empty river Gambia and all was forgiven.

   
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  Joanna Gill

  SENEGAL & GAMBIA ADVENTURE

  

  Written December 2011

  2,600km in 12 days doesn't sound so much, but those potholes, bumps and roads still under construction made for some very long days in the bus. My sense is that I sat through Senegal watching from a window, rather than engaging with it. It was a pleasant trip, which included a mix of coast and river, town and national park.  

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  The birds were amazing: the pelicans in Djoudj NP and the egrets in Sine Saloum were sensational: formations of them flying in over our heads to roost, almost near enough to touch.  Goree Island was very moving, and although the museum is not part of the trip, there is time to visit it on your own, and it gives extra information about slavery, the sea voyages and mortality rates which we didn't hear at the Slave House .  The colonial Hotel de la Poste in St Louis is a gem of a hotel. The market at the ferry crossing of the Gambia river was colourful and whiled away the waiting time.

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Mohammed Traore was very efficient and the whole trip ran fairly smoothly. It was quite ambitious taking 16 people on the first trip, but it worked. Although proud to be from Mali, Mohammed was very familiar with Senegal.  Our driver, Mordu, was brilliant, as the roads were rough, and he drove very carefully.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  The time in the bus was longer than suggested in the trip notes, so be prepared to move around the bus, don't hog the window seats and be prepared for bush loos!  One of the Gambian hotels was a bit grubby, so pack a sleeping bag liner. Winter in the desert is cold so sleeping bags would have been useful for us in December, but may not be necessary at other times. Don’t be misled by the description “leisurely” -although a very sedentary trip,  I found it tiring.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I liked the buffet style meals in the Gambia, where there was lots of choice even for vegetarians, rather than the fixed menu "3 course meals" which we ate in Senegal, which didn't cater so well for us veggies; maybe future participants could persuade their guide to arrange for buffets or to go a la carte at their own expense.

   
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  Tim Fearn

  SENEGAL & GAMBIA ADVENTURE

  

  Written December 2011

  A good introduction to the culture and wildlife of West Africa which visited areas of southeastern Senegal that other tours of the country miss out. This was my first trip to the area, and a real eye-opener! 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Either walking to the remote village of Iwol on Christmas Day (definitely worth tackling the steep and uneven path on a hot day!) or relaxing on the boat on the Gambia River looking out for birds, monkeys and chimps.

  Birdwatching in general throughout the trip was incredible, especially in Djoudj N.P. (where we saw huge amounts of wintering birds) and the Sine-Saloum delta (where we got extremely close to roosting egrets and kingfishers).

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Mohamed did a good job of organising the group and making sure things ran as smoothly as possible - not easy in a place like Senegal where things don't always go according to plan! His ability to get us onto the Gambia River ferry in the face of lots of attempted queue-jumping was amazing. Special mention also needs to go to Modu, our driver, who negotiated the potholes with consummate ease and kept us all comfortable and safe.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  As mentioned in other reviews, I would recommend taking a sleeping bag liner or some warmer clothes for the night in the desert, especially if you're travelling in December-February when it's at its coldest. Also, be prepared for some pretty long drives and basic accommodation without daily access to hot water. On some of the drives, it will not be possible to get access to western style toilets, so if you're not comfortable with squat toilets or impromptu "bush stops" then this may not be the trip for you.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  This was the first departure of the trip, so there were a few things which need tidying up to make it even better on future departures. I went along specifically to see how it ran and to make recommendations for the future trips, and as a result there will be a few changes and a bit of polishing of the itinerary.