Gambia Experiance (Gambia)

Member Name: rhiannond87

Product:	Gambia
Date:	04/09/02 (1110 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None

Disadvantages: Bumsters, Poor relations, Dirty hotels

My partner and I have recently returned from the holiday from hell!!! In June 2002 we made the mistake of travelling to Gambia for a holiday that we would remeber for the rest of our lives!!! BIG MISTAKE!!

We travelled with the Gambia Experiance who came highly recommended by friends and the Lonely Planet guide book. The company were unhelpful and I would not recommend them to my worst enemies!

It all began after a long drive up to Gatwick, we checked in and boarded the plane. The flight was smooth and gave us brilliant views over Morrocco etc. On arrival at Banjul Airport we were amazed by the barrier of heat once we had left the plane. We got into the airport and were bombarded with people trying to carry our cases for money, we tried to expect this but after a long flight we just wanted to sleep!!

After travelling down a mud track, the main road in Gambia!, we arrived at out hotel, The Tafbel. We immediatly had alarm bells ringing as the hotel from the outside was filthy and looked very unwelcoming. We managed to check in, avioding the bumsters as much as possible and got to our 'room'. It was filthy, the door did not lock, the toilet did not flush, the beds wernt made and to top it all there were bare wires hanging down from what we later found out to be an old air conditioning unit. We immediatly complained to the Rep, who was fairly unsympathtic and moved us to another room. This was slightly better, but the loo moved, the lights were not attached properly and it was very dark.

The next morning, we tried to ring the British office but got no joy, so we set out to find the Gambia Experiance office. WE found it and spent the first day of our well deserved holiday trapsing round hotels looking for one that a)didnt smell, b) had security and c) felt that we could stay there happily. We eventually found one, The Kariaba, where we stayed for the next week. We had to pay tp be moved to this hotel and could therefore only a
fford one week instead of too. We initially wanted to fly home on the advertised Tuesday flight (this was on Saturday) but were told that they were cancelled and had to wait till Friday.

We moved to the hotel and made the most of it. The beach was eroded and therefore was not inviting and the bumsters made it impossible to enjoy.

On return to the UK, we contacted the company and sent in a complaint, to go with the complaint form which we filled in in Gambia. They offered us £75! for the two us, on a £1000 holiday! We then took professional advice and wrote another letter, to which they replied syaing that it was our fault that the holiday was not as expected and that we wanted to fly home early.

The brochure was very misleading, they make it to be paradise, but Bognor Regis is paradise in comparison!!! (no offence to Bognor!!!!!!!).

I woudl not advise ANYONE to go to Gambia, especially with the Gambia Experiance.

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