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Wow disco, upstairs in the senegambia area, is probably the place for you, or downstairs, the terrace of Jazz cafe, same management. Any taxidriver will take you there, if you're not allready staying in the senegambia area, for instance in mentioned Tafbell.
Appartments are less safe, as there is no security. I stayed in an appartment with no security and was robbed of my suitcase while I was not there. They broke the door and trashed the place. Sorry, I'd recommend a hotel as main residence. Still, in my big European city, the same thing happened to me, and 99% of the Gambian people are really very nice.
Anyway, go to kenaba for two hours, or to her appartment if you want to keep a good reputation in the hotel, though you wouldn't be looked down on in any way by the staff unless maybe if you have a different girl every night. I was actually very popular with the hotel people for having a nice gambian girlfriend, registering everyday at the reception, me signing for her, she chatting with them, nice. I was lucky now to find someone I really like, and she was good to me. "You lucky guy" they used to say.
Anyway, no negotiation is really required in Wow or Jazz cafe. Jazz cafe night time, that is. Daytime, different people are there, you might end up accidentally insulting someone. Night time, chances of insulting someone there are 0.001 % ;) . Buying her a drink, 20 dalasis, is allways appreciated and makes the first, well understood, connection. Really, the're all waiting for that toubab on a white horse who just comes to them and offers them a drink. Wow girls' heaven that is :). Then, after some minutes of conversation to get acquainted, if you say "let's go" you'll be underway with her in two seconds flat. BUT still it's better to agree on a price beforehand. Maybe making an agreement privately in the taxi underway to the place will work for you.
It's the same as with taxidrivers, they'll just say "lets go" and ask high prices afterwards. Girls can be very honest sometimes, but there are some troublemakes there, I know ;) . If they say "how can I ask you a price" they are either very sweet and modest, or cunning and planning to make trouble afterwards, there is no way of telling really. So it's better to insist on clarity.
Girls who refuse payment in money are good girls but definately hoping for visa and marriage. Don't let them live in these false dreams unless you really intend to do this. Even if they insist, for many times they'll keep trying to push you in this role, and you might feel awkward afterwards, trying to get out of this situation. And then the accusations come.
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props to Romanaya
Romanaya, Dude you must be a Gambai/afrika GURU by now. You mention so much things in depth en detail that I needed to know. I'll take on your advice en go to hotel sinds it's first time. En maybe rent a place a side for recreation.
I think I'll manage very well now.
Thanks alot. All of you for the valuable info en good luck.
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OK Excersizer,
Can you take more tips ;)?
1) One time I was walking with a girl, and a big jambe player stopt playing, looked at me, and said in a dark brown voice "You sleep, you keep one eye closed, one eye open". I never knew if he talked about this girl specific, or in general, about sleeping at a girls place. But since then I do keep my trouser with my wallet at my side of the bed on the ground when I sleep out. I try to do that in an inconspicuous way, so as not to insult the girl and spoil the atmosphere. Never had any problems though.
2) Take an unlocked mobile (&charger) with you. First day tell a taxidriver to take you to the Africell office (it's in Fajara) and wait for you, fare should be about 100- 125 Dalasi from the Senegambia area. Buy a simcard for 250 Dalasi= 7 Euro; 35 Dalasi credit is included. Prepaid credit cards go for 45, 90, 240 Dalasi.
3) At the end of your stay, leave the mobile for the girl who was the sweetest to you.
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Common Sense Security
The following comments about security are taken from a recent post I made on the Kenya board of ISG (along with some useful comments from a fellow poster named [B]Auaind[/B] - thanks!), and it applies not only in Kenya, but also in The Gambia and almost anywhere on the road these days.
Before going out, I always lock up my passport, air ticket, most of my cash and all of my credit cards in the hotel room safe (most hotels have them). Then I walk around town with only a small amount of cash, plus my US driver's license as an ID. That way, if I get robbed, I will only lose the small amount of cash on me, and if my entire wallet gets stolen, I lose an ID which is not that important when I'm traveling (compared to a passport) and which can easily be replaced when I return home. Even if I'm totally cleaned out, I can always take a cab back to the hotel and go upstairs to the room safe to get cash to pay the cab driver.
This technique also makes it easier to negotiate with a girl - I'm not a very good liar, so it's easier to be able to show my wallet and say "look, this is all I have." And most girls in a third-world country who start out by demanding $100 will usually drop their price down to what I'm offering and have in my wallet, especially if the alternative is no cash at all.
Another idea - I usually carry an old cancelled passport in my baggage somewhere. That way, in the slim chance that I do have my passport stolen, I have the older passport to prove that I'm a US citizen and which will make it easier for the nearest US embassy to issue me a new passport.
My fellow poster Auaind makes the following useful points:
1) Put your wallet in the front pocket of your jeans, not the back- makes it harder to steal!
2) As for hotels, try and keep to the more decent looking places - forking out an extra $20 probably brings you a safer environment, and you avoid the stinky pillows, sheets, mattresses, etc.
3) Rolexes, expensive mobile phones, Mont-Blanc pens etc. stay home (or in the hotel safe).
4) There's been cases of tourists being forced to withdraw cash at ATMs by unscrupulous women and their pimps so better not risk it - another good reason to not carry any credit cards or ATM cards with you when you're out on the town.
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Finally, someone else here on ISG made this recommendation - before you leave the US (or wherever you're from), leave $100 with a trusted buddy. That way, in a true emergency, when someone has stolen everything from you, you can call your buddy and have him send you the cash by Western Union. Even if your passport has been stolen, you can get the old expired passport that you stashed with your dirty underwear, and use that as an ID to collect the money.
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jiiiiiihaaaaa !
I am going to Gambia on the 27th of October.
So happy to return, and the good news is, I am going there for my work so all expenses paid.
Anyone over thee as from end Oct?
Lets have a drink and share some valuable info.
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Dear Tom 3108
I was in Serrekunda in 2003. Could you confirm if the girl I meet called Oumie is the same girl you are talking about?
I will try to send an attachment. i still try to figure out how to do it.
Regards from everywhere.
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Guys,
Thanks a lot for all the useful info you already have posted at this forum.
I am planning to go to Gambia for 2 weeks in october and apart from all the questions already posted concerning accomodation, I wonder if somebody has stayed at the Badala Park Hotel or Hotel Kombo beach.
Or has anyone some other accomodation suggestions? I would like to combine my holiday with some beach life, sport activities and ofcourse find a nice girl to spend my holiday with.
Besides that is somebody going to Gambia in the beginning of October? and looking for somebody to go out with?
Thanks,
Juanito
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attn everywhere
Hi there,
Thanks for the post
Please send it to my e-mail [blue][Email Address deleted by Admin][/blue]
I will post my reply asap,
Brgds
Tom
[size=-2][u]EDITOR's NOTE[/u]: [blue]Posting of this report was delayed pending [u]removal of email addresses in the text[/u]. To avoid delays in future reports, please do not post email addresses in the Forum. Instead, please invite other Forum Members to contact you directly via the Forum's Private Messaging system to exchange this information. [i]Thanks![/i][/blue][/size]
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guanito
Hi Guanito,
I am going there end of October, but don't worry, you will meet lots of nice people!
Badala Park is a dump. Try Palm Beach. Its the same management. Much better and on the beach.
You can get good deals on the web.
Tom
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[QUOTE=Don Juanito]Guys, Thanks a lot for all the useful info you already have posted at this forum.
I am planning to go to Gambia for 2 weeks in October and apart from all the questions already posted concerning accommodations, I wonder if somebody has stayed at the Badala Park Hotel or Hotel Kombo beach.
Or has anyone some other accomodation suggestions? I would like to combine my holiday with some beach life, sport activities and of course find a nice girl to spend my holiday with.
Besides that is somebody going to Gambia in the beginning of October? and looking for somebody to go out with?[/QUOTE]
The Hotel Kombo Beach is right on the water and has an excellent beach. It's part of the [I]Novotel[/I] chain of hotels and is a busy place, with lots of activities and one of the better nightclub/discos.
The Badala Park Hotel is newer but a little rougher than the Kombo Beach. You have to cross the road to get to the beach, no big deal. Last time I was at this hotel, the Tam Tam nightclub was nearby (not sure if it's still open).
You'll be ok at either place and have no problems finding women. Another possible nearby option is the Bungalow Beach Hotel.
My only other hotel advice is to stay away from the Senegambia hotel, which was nice 15 years ago but has become run-down, yet still charges higher prices than most other hotels.
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attn frank africa
Hi Frank,
Senegambia worn out?
It was renovated 2 years ago!
They put in a lot of money, I know for sure.
Its also a location right?
This and the Kairaba are the better ones.
Brgds,
Tom
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[QUOTE=Tom3108]Hi Frank,
Senegambia worn out? It was renovated 2 years ago!
They put in a lot of money, I know for sure.
It's also a good location right? This and the Kairaba are the better ones.[/QUOTE]
I was in The Gambia in December 2004 and stayed at the Kairaba - expensive but great hotel. Stopped by the Senegambia, which is next door to the Kairaba, and it looked to be just as worn-down as my previous visits of the last few years. So if they spent a lot of money, the results aren't very visible.
Yes, the location is good, but IMHO, one can do better than the Senegambia for the same room rate or less.
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Someone sent me a PM asking about taxis and hotels in The Gambia. Thought it useful to post my reply here:
The ride from the airport to the hotels in the Kololi/Kotu/Fajara region should take no more than 20 minutes, and shouldn't cost more than US $10 in local currency. There's a fairly new back road that circles around downtown Serrekunda and the horrible traffic there.
Difficult to quote hotel rates because it depends on what month of the year you'll be there. The Gambia is probably the only country in black Africa that has "high season" and "low season" rates. High season starts in mid-November and goes through the winter - that's when the tourists fly in from Europe.
Even so, you shouldn't have to pay more than $100 for a room, except at the most expensive resorts. Check the Internet for the best rates.
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Tom3108 is right, the Palm Beach Hotel is better than the Badala Park.
Final thought - if you arrive in The Gambia and decide that you don't like your hotel, then don't be afraid to move to another one.
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1 photos
Oh my Oumie
Hello Everybody!
I met a girl called Oumie and I wonder if she is the girl Tom 3108 is talking about. The one I use to know had no taboos either and liked it best in front of a mirrow. Please let me know if she is the one. Please pay attention to the attachement.
Regards from Everywhere
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1 photos
Hello Everybody!
I met a girl called Oumie and I wonder if she is the girl Tom 3108 is talking about. The one I use to know had no taboos either and liked it best in front of a mirrow. Please let me know if she is the one. Please pay attention to the attachement.
Regards from Everywhere