It is the largest hotel in the country, and won't suit everyone for that reason. But the site is low density, with c.15 two storey blocks of 16 rooms set in c.20 acres of mature gardens with lots of trees and ponds. There are lots of leaky taps for sprinklers, and dense shrubberies and bamboo thickets too. There is lots of good gen. Please ensure that you get a ticket at all but the last of these sites to prevent corruption.
Guides There are masses of guides about the place - many are excellent, and many are very poor.
We decided to book up in advance with Solomon Jallow, a highly recommended guide who has worked in the field for some years, and someone you may have met at the Bird Fair at Rutland Water - he'll be there again in 2001. Solomon is by no means the cheapest guide in The Gambia, but he is without a doubt one of the very best. He is razor sharp in the field, especially on calls and songs, and to go with it all, he's a genuinely nice bloke whom I'm proud to count as a friend. We paid 60 UKP per day for our up country trip, which included all accommodation, meals, transport, reserve entry fees etc. We should also like to express our thanks to Mass Cham, the birdman at the Senegambia Hotel.