We visited the Ngala Lodge restaurant with friends April 2008. Although we have been visiting the Gambia for 13 years, we have somehow managed to miss this place! The food was superb! The wine list pleasingly extensive for The Gambia, with Pouilly fume on offer & excellent sancerre etc! So good we have already booked our table for New Year's... more

We have visited the Butcher's Shop restaurant in Fajara, Gambia on many occasions. The food is usually excellent, though I have to say on the last 2 visits the portions have been smaller than they used to be. The starter in particular, is miniscule! The service is ecellent & you can get your steak cooked exactly as you like it!... more

We stayed here for a week and just returned yesterday. This is a great hotel although we hardly saw anyone else during our whole stay (admittedly it is low season in June). We stayed in an Atlantic suite and it was fantastic, huge and always kept spotless by the chambermaids with a great view over the ocean. The staff at... more

We recently stayed at Ngala Lodge. We have stayed in other hotels in Gambia but would not return here. On our return home my husband summed it up by saying " Minimum investment maximum profit." If you wish to lie by the pool you have to get up very very early as there are only about 8 sunbeds to lie... more

Have just returned from a trip to Gambia staying with friends and ending with two nights at the Ngala. What a delightful experience! Outside the hotel compound is a busy, dusty road, but as soon as you pass throught the gates, it's a completely different experience. Most of the rooms here are booked through Gambia Experience, but we were travelling... more

Have just come back from a weeks relaxing stay at Ngala. For first time visitors to The Gambia, don't be put off by the entrance. Once you are through the gates it is an oasis of calm and tranquility. The hotel is quite small with only about 20 or so rooms. All of the rooms are individually furnished with traditional... more

This is a wonderful peaceful hotel in a fabulous setting. The staff are always happy to help and with a smile. The restaurant overlooks the sea and usually has a cooling breeze floating through. The food is first class. All the suites are different and quirky. The grounds are immaculate. If you stay in the Manor Wing you get the... more

The hotel is run by a lovely English ex-pat couple, Geri and Maurice, who took a very active interest in making me feel at home. The staff are very engaging and it was a pleasant and relaxing stay. The place also attracts a lot of NGO volunteers and other long-stayers which gives more of an insight into the country. The... more

This is a quite delayed review of a Christmas 2006 stay which was absolutely delightful and, in our opinion, vastly different than anything else available. Ngala consists of varied suites (we stayed in two distinctly different ones) in a converted ambassador's residence that is just close enough to, but at the same time also nicely removed from commercial areas. On... more

We have just returned home having enjoyed our stay at the Ngala Lodge with The Gambia Experience. So what can I say about it that hasn't already been said? Well, yes it is a very peaceful and relaxed place to stay and the food in the restaurant is very good indeed. But initially we were very disappointed with our room... more

Nagala Lodge is simply a wonderful place to stay. A small slice of heven on earth. The best bits and the comments too: Swimming - The choice to swim in the sea or the hotel pool, The pool is not that big but in september its low season therefore, me and my partner were often the only people by the... more

I have stayed at Safari Garden Hotel quite a few times over the years because it truly is a little paradise of peace and tranquility...away from the 'Blackpoolesque' strip that is Senegambia. The rooms are simple and clean, the staff are always really lovely and welcoming and along with the owners, Geri & Maurice, they always make you feel like... more

We decided to go to the Gambia for our Honeymoon. It may seem a stange destination to go, but how how many people say they go to the Gambia for Honeymoon. All I can say was that we were not dissapointed. As we walked off the plane, the heat hit us instantly, it was around 90 degrees. If you are... more

This hotel lived upto its description. The rooms were beautifully decorated and spacious. The staff were excellent. It has a reputation for providing the best restaurant and it certainly lived upto this. The food was excellent and they cater fantastically for vegetarians. If you are not a fussy veggie just tell 'Peter' the owner that you will leave the menu... more

This beautiful hotel is a perfect getaway; it’s also the perfect place to get away from the chaos of The Gambia. While outside there is a developing African nation and a chaotic fledgling tourist industry, inside its terracotta coloured walls is an oasis of calm. The suites are spacious and quirkily decorated with African art, apart from one honeymoon suite... more

Having stayed in a number of 5 star hotels in under developed countries I am forced to say the Ngala is really a good 4 star standard. What it lacks in polish however, it makes up for in friendliness and service. If you are looking for some peace and quiet, where you do not feel you 'have' to go and... more

I have just returned from my second visit to this amazing place. Its great location (10 mins walk from Fajara beach and 10 mins drive from Senegambia), beautiful setting (tropical garden with most clean swimming pool), wonderful Gambian and international cuisine (try the Chicken Yassa) and the amazing staff make of this place a hidden corner of paradise. During my... more

I have just returned from a wonderful stay at the Safari Garden. The rooms are basic and take your own bath products but that is the charm of this hotel. The staff are very friendly and the food fantastic - check out the chocolate and beetroot cake! The owners are delightful and are commited to eco tourism. I would return... more

We stayed in Ngala Lodge for a week before Christmas for a bit of relaxation before the madness of Christmas. Relaxation is exactly what we had. We were made to feel welcome and relaxed as soon as we arrived at the hotel. The room was fantastic - albeit a bit weird with very od lighting fixtures, but a great view... more