leedah

I visited Gambia in December of 2004.

Since I enjoy traveling, I was able to travel through the entire country in about 12 hours though I visited for 2 weeks.

To tell abit about the country…

most people speak Mandinka or English. It’s not hard to find people who speak English, but I would advise not speaking too much until you get acclimated to your surroundings and the customs…it’s easy to be taken for a buck.

Here’s a few places to visit:

Serakunda

Basse

Georgetown

Amstel Restaurant

Definetely the beaches!

In regards to accomodations…

Stay at Sundowners. I stayed their in a lovely personal villa. It was GREAT. http://www.sundownersgambianvillas.co.uk

I had a kitchen, 2 bedrooms, sunroom (living room), 2 bathrooms, personal maid service and access to a LARGE pool.

It was a pleasure to be able to sleep and hear only the crickets chirping instead of loud buses and noises.

Anyway, the rates are good. Ask for Janice or Mick and tell them Khalidah sent you. They are humorous people who will have you in stitches from their colorfull nightime shendigs with the other residents. They have a tiki hut on the property that is too cute. :)

Anyway, the rest of Gambia is sort of third world, but you’ll get used to it. Sand is everywhere and will get into your shoes sooner or later. Most people there wear flip flops but I would suggest getting a comfortable pair of tennis shoes. Don’t opt for Nikes or brand name shoes,...they will just be dusty, dirty and full of sand when you get back home.

The local dress for the women are one piece flowing african dresses (think of exotic sundresses with the sleeves in).

Since the country is mostly Islamic, try to learn the Islamic religion somewhat so as not to offend anyone. It’s pretty straight forward. Don’t cuss anyone out or act arrogant and you’ll be ok. Gambians are known for their hospitality and good nature.

As for the food, BE SURE to visit the Amstel restaurant. The chef is THE BEST! If he’s still there, try to order the chicken yassa. It will have you stuffing your face without a care for passerby watching. hahahaha. (you laugh now, but I’ll bet you say the same thing if you order it). lol.

Anyway, as for the transportation, it’s easier to just learn the taxi system or stand on the side of the road and wait for the never ending taxi’s to skid up to you. A word of caution, learn what the fares are to where you want to go first (from someone other than the drivers) and negotiate BEFORE getting into the taxi.

On the ride, you will come across many displays of poverty. Don’t let this fool you. Gambians may be (and look) poor,...but no one is going hungry. Let that tell you something.

Happy traveling.

-Leedah

Actually I currently live in Duluth, Georgia. Most people haven’t heard of this out of the way city.

Simply put, it’s located about 25 minutes from Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Since Atlanta is the Hub of Air traffic besides New York and other Major Cities and also home to the Olympics of ‘96, it is definitely a must see place to visit.

On to Duluth….

Getting to Duluth is a quick ride North on Interstate 85.

Atlanta basically is a big circle of highways. No kidding, the highways are referred to as “Spagetti Junction” by Air traffic Newscasters. Strange but true. To avoid driving, try using the transit system. It’s great for saving on gas and get’s you between destinations pretty quickly.

Anyway, in Duluth you will find a LARGE amount of shopping! Lots of trendy boutiques, game stores for the X-Box & Playstation fans, restaurants and 24 hour Wal-Marts just about every 15 minutes of driving.

I would recommend visiting Pleasant Hill Road area for those that visit. The whole street is mainly like a Rodeo Drive of California. The prices are wonderfull also. But that is to be expected since Georgia is still laidback in the Fashion Department.

Nightlife is better in the actual Atlanta area, but you will find a few supper clubs nestled near Gwinnett Place Mall area.

Moving on….

As for accomodations, the hotels can be expensive for long stays. My recommendation is to find a extended stay lodge or apartment and call it a day. The area is VERY clean, but that’s mainly because the police presence is HIGH!!! The money goes towards the city coffers. :)

You will most likely get a ticket for something or another before heading out of the city limits. Got insurance and your tags are in order? Who cares. They will get you for little things like driving too slow (if your sightseeing).

Other than that, Duluth is a great place to visit and shop.

-Leedah