Badala Park Hotel
, Kotu
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Badala Park Hotel Reviews
Apr 2009, maciekj90
3 readers found this review helpful
We have spend 2 very nice weeks in Badala Park Hotel. Rooms are basic, but if we need something hotel staff is always there to help and they will help you without asking for tips, opposite to people form outside of the hotel. First room we have been offered had window... more
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Mar 2009, pipparose
6 readers found this review helpful
When we first got to the hotel we were a bit taken aback at the amount of attention you get from the staff (altho at this point you dont know who are staff and who is just hanging around)so we stayed in the complex all day. The rooms were basic but you get what your paying... more
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Feb 2009, ezme_07
1 reader found this review helpful
we have just returned from a fortnight in the badala park hotel,only thing i can say is amazing!there was 3 adults and a child that went.there realy is something for every age in the gambia!the hotel is basic but comfortable,we did have a few hiccups,the tap in bathroom... more
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Jun 2008, Mrs S JOOF
1 reader found this review helpful
well ive got to say..... everythink about badala park was absolutley fantastic. my husband and i chose to spend our honeymoon there. our room was average but nevertheless very clean all the staff made us feel very welcome and couldnt do enough for us.the maid was also nice... more
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Jan 2008, Miss E Mansfield
It was basic but I had a fantastic holiday so did everyone we went with. Breakfast was basic but you can have as much as you want. Rooms ok, cleaned everyday but have a shower between 6 and 7 you get hot water then. Eat at Al Baba up the road, you get a massive portion of... more
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Dec 2007, Mrs K Wyllie
This being our first trip to The Gambia we were not sure of what to expect, but that can happen on any holiday. The hotel was basic. The room was cleaned every day, being there for 7 days, only twice we did not have any hot water for a shower and only had a power cut for a... more
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Jul 2007, Miss E.L. Smith
When we first arrived in Gambia my initial thoughts were 'what have we done?'. Airport staff were literally snatching our luggage from us and expect to be paid for carrying it a few metres, my boyfriend dropped his jacket and without realising a local picked it up and asked... more
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Apr 2007, Miss N Tyrrell
Before I went to Badala Park I had read stacks of reviews about it, all pretty negative, but I would like to say that for £250 B &B for a week each, you can’t really grumble. The rooms are very basic, but they are clean. The breakfast is again basic, bread rolls, toast,... more
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hells park
from EnglandGambia
This hotel is not for people with any standards, if you want to enjoy Gambia then look well away from here.Thomas Cook say this is a 2* basic lose the star rate and yes there right with basic,it is an old outdate hotel that safty standard are now where to be seen? over run by the local in day times as a meeting area. Having been there for a week I am so glad it was not two, the pool is always misty( tip if go to this place then hit the beach standards are better), as for breakfast all i can say is take your own! seen youth/back packer hostels better than this!
Gambia - The Good Guys and The Bad Guys
from jreLancashire
Badala Park is a basic hotel but is o.k for people who aren't too picky! Some of the staff, though friendly only want work/money from you however, if you stay there one person I recommend you to meet is Jimmy (Security - K block when I stayed there), from Sierra Leone. He is a genuine and friendly Christian guy who can give you some good advice on Gambia and Gambians (and won't ask for money/work like other staff) and it was a pleasure to meet him! I found that one of the best ways to see the (real and less commerical) Gambia was to rent a green tourist taxi. I was a little nervous about doing this at first though the taxi drivers co-operative who are based at the other side of the road to Badala Park are friendly. I took a taxi by myself on three days (twice to Sanyang "Paradise" Beach and once to Abuko nature reserve) with a guy called Mulai Jobu who was a really friendly guy and a really good guide. There are a lot of bumsters in the Gambia who can be really annoying (though not aggressive and you'll soon get used and to dealing with them) and it is for that reason that you appreciate the friendly and genuine people you meet all the more - that's the only reason why I mention the two guys above, just so that you don't get the wrong idea! I certainly hope to meet them again if I go back to the Gambia. Enjoy your trip!
Basic but good value with lots of contact with Gambians
from whalleyranger
Having read some previous reviews I was a bit nervous. However I can genuinely say we would go back there again. Plus points - Rooms are large and clean. Breakfast is fine - fresh bread, fruit, cheese, juice, eggs, cheese, hot drinks outside. Many Gambians stay there. The Weds African evening and meal is tasty good food @ 300d. The tailor Abdou made up several outfits for us with fabric from the market and can copy any favourite design. Also massage/manicurist both do a great job very reasonably. Pool staff seem very good at keeping kids entertained. Our room safe (pay extra) worked fine. Nothing went missing. Sockets are British 3-pin. Hotel is right opposite some great birdwatching spots and 10 mins walk from the great Boss Lady restaurant in Kotu (especially their Sunday evening entertainment.) Minus points - maintenance can be iffy. I was glad I took some duct tape to mend hole in mosquito mesh and a small screwdriver for door handle. Staff friendly but tell you stories about not being paid/ want sponsorship. Be cautious.
loved every minute of it
from mates21
after reading some of the reviews on this site, ithought i would add my own. after going on holiday to the gambia for 3yrs running i have stayed at badala park every time. the staff are very friendly, the rooms are very clean and spacious with a nice balcony, the beach is up the road ( fantastic ). the pool in badala park is also very clean and well kept luxury to cool down in after those soaring tempretures, and the games of water polo are all very competetive but great fun and very well organised. the food is not so great but there are loads of great restraunts in the local area there is sonias, luigi's and al baba and thats just a few of the best ones around. the baeches are friendly and clean with a very nice beach bar - which also sells great food. all day trips can be organised in the hotel and if you dont want to pay the full price then grab a local from the hotel who will take you where you want to go for just a small fee. the bumsters have been put under control so you can walk around at you lesuire without being hassled. i have now just booked to return to the gambia and badala park and can't wait as the last three years there have been excellent!!.
unforgettable
from careyallen540
This was my second visit to Badala Park, but this time I took my daughters 12 and 10. They enjoyed every minute. The staff were very friendly and very good with entertaining the children. Activities during the day entertained the children and then music at night for the adults. There was security 24/7 and we all felt very safe. The rooms are basic, but it is a 1 or 2 star hotel. The pool was cleaned every night . There are a few eating places in the hotel and all quite cheap. We will return soon.
It's not too bad
from HertsBilbo
Went there in April 2005 with my wife and we had reservations about it after seeing the reports on this and other sites. The room was above average and very clean. the staff were mostly polite and friendly, but there were problems with the constant hounding fom the bumsters - young guys who want to show you anything they possibly can for some money. They get to the point where you cannot walk any further than 50 yards without being harrassed. I would go back to the hotel, but only if i could muster the energy to handel the hassel from the locals.
i'll be back
from bert6412
after reading some of the poor reviews on this hotel before we departed we were really fearing the worst! however upon arrival we were pleasantly suprised. okay the hotel is pretty basic but after all it is only a 1 star but this is outweighed with the friendliness of the staff and the gambian people in general. the rooms are clean, we had piping hot water every day and the security is second to none (we had a guard out side our block 24/7) the bumsters can be a bit of a nuisance especially at the begining of your holiday(they can tell new arrivals by their lack of tan) but most generally want genuine friendship and will help you enjoy the local sights and save you a small fortune along the way. eg. jeep safari for 7 people with tour operator £280. jeep safari with local "bumster" £40. fishing trip with tour operator £350.fishing trip with "bumster" £50. i had the pleasure to be invited to my new friends (amadou) home one day for lunch. after the initial apprehension myself and my 9 year old son accepted the offer and were made most welcome by ams and his family (all 15 of them living in a tiny compound with no running water) after a delightful feast of benachin with chicken and fish domado my token gesture of a fiver wasgratefully received (it would keep the family in rice for 2 weeks) it was then back to the hotel in the local yellow taxi for a fare of £1 rather than the green tourist cab who wanted a tenner!! a must is kotu point beach bar (ask for max) for cheap cold drinks and delicious fresh food as is a visit to one of the local schools.if you want a beach/pool holiday go to benidorm, if you want your 1st experience of africa gambia is a must.take your unwanted clothes for the locals which are highly appreciated as the average wage is only £10 a month.the only negative point is the hotels pool which at times wasn't very clean but there are other hotels which welcome you to use their facilities.
beach nice hotel poor
from fleursEssex
my wife and i have been to gambia before so knew what to expect but i can honestly say this in all my travels has been the worst hotel for the price i have stayed in anywhere in the world!! . when we got there the room was dark and not very clean the door would not lock the shower was just a dribble the toilet would not turn off and kept running so i fixed it as best as i could , the fan in the room was a 2 pin pushed in to the 3 pin socket by a man with our room key (i was waiting for him to blow up !!) the wifes bed did not have a end slat to the base of the bed the back window was cracked and was kept together with bubble gum !! i asked for another room and was told "sorry all booked boss man" "come see me in a few days might be something then " i would like to point out that some of the hotel staff were nice and did help but a lot were there to try and rip you off " sorry no change" always at the bar which after a couple of times was not on i always give good tips but they pushed you all the time. please if you are going to gambia pay a bit more and do not stay here
Not for couples!
from IrishJ
We originally were supposed to be booked in the Palm Beach Hotel but due to their overbooking, we were offered 2 nights at Badala Park. The tourist guides would not leave you alone, they would sit around by the bar, along the pathways, outside the apartment blocks. First thing in the morning, they hound you if you wanted tourist guide, some will politely accept no for answer but some are extremely persistent and end up walking with you all the way to your apartment block. The breakfast is extremely poor and constantly ran out and cannot meet the demands of the guests staying at the hotel. The rooms are spacious but I would definitely double check your back door as they are very rickety and looks like someone has tried to break-in your room. Overall, the hotel is adequate but after staying only 2 nights I was glad to move back to my original hotel.
Good time had by all
from missmazzy
Having just returned from a weeks hols in the Gambia, I thought Iwould write down my opion. The badala park hotel is convenie ntly situated in kotu. The hotel its self is very very very basic, but on the other hand clean. There is a good chinease restaurant on site and decent entertainment at night. The rooms are man ned 24hrs per day by local security which I felt reasurring, but the thing that put me off this hotel was the locals who work there bring in their families for the day out and use the hotel facilities, making it a little unbearable. The rooms are with out a view because large trees are grown to encourage the bird population, if you can see through this and want a cheap hol [20 per room BB] this may be the place for you. I would put it on par with a back packers accomodation. Sonia;s restaraunt next door was a life saver because the breakfast at badala are very poor. Sonia;s is a lovely restaurant and bar and on my return will definetely be visiting again. there is 24hours reception where you can get your money changed and a taxi rank out side the hotel. Their are local bumsters outside the hotel but they go away when told to. I am definetely visiting The Gambia again next year Badala Park ? only if I am really really on tight budget otherwise I would want to try something a little bit nicer.
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4 readers found this review helpful
As with others we read these reviews before we left so we had an idea of what we had got ourselves into.... although we really had a great time overall there were a few downs but mostly ups. The hotel is a little ragged around the seems but improvements are being made,... more