| |
Holiday Reviews > Africa > Gambia > Kotu > Kotu Hotels > Kombo Beach Hotel > Read Reviews
Kombo Beach Hotel Reviews
| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jun 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Gambia Experience |
| Submitted
By: |
Rainbow000 |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
What a fabulous country! Even at the very end of the peak season the weather was beautiful (apart from a couple of rainy moments in the two weeks we were there). It is, however, very humid in the Summer so need to be prepared when going on trips - drink lots of water, wear a hat etc. And make sure you have all the injections, malaria tabs, 'tummy bug' medication etc. just in case.
Lots of people advise to get out of the resorts as much as possible and NOT to use the tour operators if you want to go on trips etc. - this is absolutely correct. You will pay over the odds for excursions that you can arrange yourself for a fraction of the price, as long as you have a 'guide' to help you. The best way to meet guides is to speak to other hotel guests or ask your waiter! Lots of the Gambian staff will be happy to take you out on their days off and take you to see local schools and even invite you to their compound for food and meet their families (it is customary to take a sack of rice with you or something similar as a gift) Try NOT to use the local 'bumsters' as you are encouraging kids to give up school etc. to work on the streets begging or 'scamming' for money and this is not good for the ecomomy. (they are harmless enough though)
In saying all this, we DID do a couple of the organised tours (purely because we were first-timers and wanted to find our feet a bit) and they were comfortable and well organised. Just make sure you take money for the markets, sweets for the kiddies and stationary for the schools (if you go) ... one of the trips we did we didn't have too much cash on us and we were gutted as we wanted to buy from the remote markets and give to some of the compounds.
The beaches are gorgeous, there is fruit in abundance (coconuts, mangos etc.) and the people are wonderful. There is 0% crime (so we were told by our rep) so wandering around is safe enough (just be as wary as you would be at home).
Something interesting to note - no bugs during the winter time (apart from mosquitos of course!) but once the rain comes, the bugs come too, along with the frogs and lizards which are so cool!
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jun 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Gambia Experience |
| Submitted
By: |
Rainbow000 |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
Lovely hotel, quite lively for the time of year (end of peak season, start of rainy season) and staff were incredible. Everyone was polite, friendly and welcoming. Always ready to help (although things take a little longer out there as culture is very laid back!) and very keen to talk to you about their favourite English footie teams!
Rooms are basic but kept very clean (although same old orange towels and bed spreads I'd read about previously!). A couple of minor things went wrong ... leaky taps in bathroom, TV not working for a couple of days (not essential but nice for background noise when getting showered etc.) but that was all. Food was to a good standard, although lots of British fare on the menu when we were very keen to eat African dishes as often as possible. Brekki was great, couldn't ask for more.
Pool area was lovely, beach was beautiful and the security guards kept the bumsters away which was helpful, although a few did slip through the net! (annoying but nothing to be worried about).
All in all a great resort for couples and older families, although not the one if you are looking for 5* luxury.
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Dec 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss H Catlow |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
Great Hotel fantastic location
Public areas now much improved from previous years.
Room - block one. Although very clean and bright, same old smelly towels of the mucky orange colour, same old orange bedspreads. Cracked floor tiles. Same old wardrobes.
Same curtains. Bathroom new tiles, but been tiled over old ones, and although cleaner looking, of poor quality.
Restaurant. Breakfast good choice. Coffee / tea service very slow.
Evening buffet. Good choice and well presented - needs to be kept hotter.
Brassiere. Very very slow service. Good food, but often tepid, rather than hot. A little over priced.
Geko. Snack menu good choice, service sometimes slow, and everything cooked on same
Plancha so if you have meat after someone who has had fish, you can taste the fish !!!
New sunbeds around the pool, good service with mattresses and pool towels
The staff make this Hotel, they are wonderful, very kind and helpful.
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
Half Board |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Apr 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
amanda87 |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
Kombo Beach hotel is a brilliantly run hotel. Such helpful and friendly staff. Food was amazing! A different theme every night. Try the ladyfish, mmm.
The rooms very kept clean and flowers put on our bed every day. We went half board and enjoyed out lunch as the eating area by the beach. Didn’t have one meal or snack that wasn’t mouth watering.
One thing I would warn anyone who is planning to go to The Gambia is wash your hands every time you handle their money or you will experience "Banjul belly" it’s not pleasant, trust me..
Apart from that this is a beautiful country well worth a visit. Take advantage of the many trips available. Local are likely to offer you a trip for less money than your rep however we decided just to go along with Thomsons anyway and had a lovely time.
If you do go to visit a school, be prepared and take some pencils or stationary equipment. Highly appreciated by the Gambian children.
The locals will pester you to buy things but just keep saying no and they will go away. Don't let that put you off visiting this place though. It’s such a short flight and while you’re on the beach you will feel as though you’re on a Caribbean beach! again I can’t tell you how beautiful the place is.
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Feb 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Gambian Experience |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr D Pepper |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
We've had 3 holidays here and some of our friends have been 7 times. In our opinion this is not the best place to stay in The Gambia, its the nicest !!
A hotel where all the staff are really friendly and do their utmost to make your holiday enjoyable.
We go B&B and prefer to eat out of the hotel of a night. There are loads of decent restaurants in and around the Senegambia area which is 15 minutes by taxi.
The taxi rank is at the front of your hotel and there is a Taxi Inspector who'll shout over to ask you if you need one. There are 2 types - the yellow which are bush taxis for the locals and the green for the tourists. There's not much difference but the green are slightly better. If he's about, shout to the taxi inspector for Dembo. He's a really nice guy who works extremely hard and he's got the best taxi - a Landrover. He does trips to Senegal and the schools and more, so you'll be in good hands with him. He's building his own house when he's not in his Taxi, and someone stole his wheelbarrow - i brought him a brand new one for £15 - almost had him in tears !!
If you're thinking of going to the schools - please do as they really, really need the equipment and the kids love to see the tourists. Buy the pens, penclis and excercise books in the local supermarket, they're really cheap. When the teacher hands them out the kids will sing to you as a thankyou - nearly had me in tears. Don't forget a few family bags of fruity sweets for the kids in the small villages on the way to the schools.
If you are a keen sea angler, then this is heaven. I've caught fish everyday from all different locations within 30 minutes drive from the hotel, and the staff really appreciate it if you take the fish back. Ask one of the chefs at breakfast if you can have some shrimps, he'll duly oblige and you can repay him with a fish.
There are local lads who have very basic tackle, they'll find you and befriend you but dont worry, they'll get your shrimps every morning from the fishmarket in Bakau and meet you on the beach outside your hotel whenever you specify. I met a lad called Llamin on our first visit, and the second, and the third !!!
If you want to fish somewhere else, one of the hotel porters Kunta will take you on his days off - its brilliant and he's really great company with a good sense of humour.
The old pool guy Sung is a keen angler, but his rod and reel were rusty and useless, so I took him a brand new rod and reel I won in a competition - he was overjoyed and took us to a lovely spot where we caught loads of Catfish and Sting Ray.
You can use a standard 12 or 13 foot beachcaster with a multiplyer or fixed spool loaded with 20lb line and 50lb shockleader. Dont forget your tripod or rod-rest. I use a 2/0 or 3/0 on a wire trace as the Butterfish will bite through mono snoods. The Shrimps which are actually Prawns thread up the hook and are held in place with bait elastic, this is clipped down on a 170g breakaway lead.
We went with friends the first time and they've just booked their 3rd holiday to the Kombo in November 2008. In the 3 times we have been, we've met load of guests who are on their 3rd, 4th or 8th time back, i think that says something about this hotel.
Finally a word about the local lads - they are known as Bumsters and they know every scam in the book !!! Don't worry they won't harm you, just say a polite NO and tell them this is NOT YOUR FIRST VISIT. They will try to sell you everything, but they are not aggressive just trying to earn money and if they think you have been before they will assume you know score and try someone else who looks white and pasty. They have a remarkable memory so you wont see the same one twice. Again don't worry, its known as the "Smiling Coast".
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
Bed & Breakfast |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Nov 2005 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
littlemissuseful |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
Gorgeous location-hotel is right on the beach and you can have meals on the terrace right on the beach to watch a gorgeous sunrise/sunset.
Would advise not going too far along beach-simply because you get the locals coming and offering goods-very very friendly and know a lot about English football teams-but had offerings of 'wacky backy' too so best to avoid haha!
Rooms basic but nice and very clean, maid service excellent and they are very appreciative of any cosmetics/perfumes/deodorants you leave behind at the end of your holiday.
Entertainment every night-local dances and music, and lots of activities during the day.
Food lovely-best breakfast ever-all buffet style and so much choice-very fresh and local fruits to die for!
Hotel has since been refurbished so must go back and see!
would definitely recommend!
|
|
|
|
| Board Basis: |
Half Board |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jan 2005 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Airtours |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr David Evans |
| Overall
Rating: |
6/10 |
| Comments: |
Pretty basic hotel but the staff do work hard.
The weather was lovely in January - a great place to go for some guaranteed winter sun.
Rooms are basic but they are clean.
The food was OK but the breakfast was a little 'thin' and not very appetising, but hey, you have to remember you are in a very poor area of Africa.
Pool was clean and the staff did their best to keep you entertained.
There is not a great deal of note to see in this part of Africa - certainly not the big game reserves, but there is a national park nearby worthy of a visit. Banjul market is definitely worth a visit too. The beach is nice but being on the Atlantic, the sea is very rough - not really suitable to swim in and lots of beach hawkers make it impossible to relax there, as the interruptions are constant.
It is very difficult getting around outside the hotel because you do get an enormous amount of hassle with everyone constantly trying to befriend you (presumably in the hope you will sponsor them & their families). There is also quite a large amount of poverty ...you should prepare yourself mentally. Do take old clothes and shoes to give them if you can - they are grateful for anything!
|
|
|
|
  |
|
|
Kombo Beach Hotel Reviews
|
|
|
