The Gambia in Style

David Jackson was simply excellent: very knowledgeable, and extremely approachable and helpful. He expertly sorted out any problems we encountered. There was a huge variety of birdlife which was identified in detail by the guides. A very impressive level of knowledge. I particularly enjoyed an unscheduled half an hour sitting in the middle of a 50-strong group of Guinea baboons, watching and photographing them as they went about their business.

D.C. Cardiff, Nov 23

First of all let me express my appreciation for the privilege of traveling through Gambia with Solomon. I do know how lucky we were. All the local guides at Mandina and Tamba were excellent. The Naturetrek leaders were both great but I am going to rave about Andy Bunten. I can’t commend him enough. As a birding trip it was brilliant and it was very interesting to see so much of Gambia and understand more of its history. Overall this has been one of the most enjoyable and satisfying trips I have been on. For me it worked really well having the gentle , comfortable week at Mandina to acclimatize and learn my common birds before the adventure.     

D.L. West Midlands, Nov 23

The holiday has been wonderful in so many aspects. I enjoyed the leisurely walks in the sunshine and the canoe trips on the Bolong. The mangroves with the oysters were formidable. I have never been in such an environment before. Our floating lodge was at the shore so we basically stayed within mangroves. The tidal changes where stunning. The atmosphere at the river shore was wonderful. Another highlight was our bus ride to Kartong, Sanyang and the Tanji fish market along the Atlantic. The holiday lasted for only one week, but we have done and seen so many interesting things.

H.K. Germany, Nov 23

Keith Buchanan made this very good trip outstandingly good for us. Highly knowledgeable, good-humoured, funny, calm, tolerant, tactful and diplomatic throughout. We were glad to meet him and very much enjoyed his company.

A.W. Herefordshire, Mar 23

This holiday was structured to ensure that we saw not only birds but also enjoyed our time in Gambia. The guides were excellent at seeing/hearing birds and then pointing them out to all. The guides ensured that all of us were brought to the front to see the birds and wildlife: including the somewhat large cobra slowly slithering off in to the under-growth. The split between early morning and late afternoon walks was well designed to miss the heat of the day: phew. A sign of a pleasant and thrilling holiday is arriving home relaxed, happy, fond memories of the group, lots of photographs to go through and the desire to return. Well done and thank you to Keith our guide and all the team at Mandina Lodge.

B.V. Suffolk, Mar 23

A great location for bird watching with particular highlights including seeing; Guinea Turaco, Harrier Hawk and Ospreys flying low overhead. Hotel staff and local guides were excellent. I enjoyed the food and considering the location, the chef worked miracles - good choice of meals each evening.

J.G. Buckinghamshire, Mar 23

The experience was very good. Mandina Lodge is very well organised and everything went very smoothly. The staff were very efficient and meals were excellently prepared. The guides were very knowledgeable and made sure everyone saw the various birds they located. Keep up the good work!

A.S. Kent, Mar 23

The accommodation was lovely and the staff could not have been better. It was a unique opportunity to be able to get a great view - or even a great photo - of birds that I'd never seen before. Richard was the most knowledgeable birder I have ever met, and he put in so much to ensure everyone saw the birds and felt included. The local guides were amazing too, bringing their detailed knowledge of the area and its birds, enabling us to observe birds we would not have seen otherwise.

S.C. Perthshire, Mar 23

Being paddled down the river in a canoe and seeing so many new birds was a brilliant experience. I thoroughly enjoyed staying at Mandina Lodge and the leader Richard Bashford gave us a wonderful holiday.

C.W Suffolk, Mar 23

A more lovely spot than Mandina cannot be imagined. Visits to the fish market, taking the canoes out to nearby villages provided glimpses of rural life and was a real highlight. Chris and the local guides all much commended for their care, enthusiasm and expertise. Together they made the holiday.    

A.T. Northumberland, Jan 23

The overall setting, the beautiful gardens and scenery, the numerous colourful birds, the mixture of boat trips and walks, the plentiful relaxation, the fantastic dinners, and the great company (guides, staff and fellow guests) were all highlights. I was very happy with the jungle lodge that my husband and I stayed in, which was comfortable and stayed cool despite the heat outside. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful. I would particularly like to thank Barney for helping me at very short notice before the holiday.

H.S. Surrey, Jan 23

Lovely warm sunshine in January! The fabulous variety of birds the Gambia has to offer and the excellent local guides always keen to help you spot the bird in the bush make it a trip to remember! Chris Griffin was excellent, very knowledgeable about the local bird life and made every effort to ensure that people in the group didn't miss out on views in the scope.  

M.W. Hampshire, Feb 23

It was a lovely Lodge with excellent facilities and staff. Chris was a fantastic leader who was knowledgeable, great company and really helpful when any problems arose. The highlights were too numerous to list but include seeing an African Finfoot and such a large variety of bird (we tried to think of a top 10 birds and had to stop as we hit 20!).    

T.F. Surrey, Jan 23

I enjoyed the balance of walking and boat trips from Mandina and two days of excursions out. Having plenty of time to rest in the heat of the afternoon enabled me to enjoy the birding trips. I cannot praise Chris Griffin more highly. His field skills for birding are exceptionally good - it was almost unbelievable! He showed care and attention to individuals in the group, particularly looking after one client who had to walk slowly and found seeing the birds with her binoculars difficult. He was warm and exuded infectious enthusiasm for what we were seeing and displayed a lovely sense of humour too. We saw a lot of different bird species and we had some excellent views of some of them in beautiful evening light. For me the absolute highlight was seeing the Black Egret doing its 'umbrella' behaviour. I wanted to stay somewhere beautiful with a warm climate and immerse myself in the bird life and this trip ticked all the boxes for defeating the winter blues! I had an excellent weeks holiday.  

C.B. Gwent, Jan 23

A great trip, well organised and well led. Very pleased to have managed to get 200 species in the week! Loads of highlights, far too many to mention, including the Vervet monkeys around the camp and the baboons with babies. Loads of bird highlights but the best was probably seeing a Giant Kingfisher perched on our balcony! The canoe and boat trips were an excellent way of exploring the habitats without too much effort or disturbance. The floating lodge gave excellent views of the river and mangroves and the wildlife that frequented the area. The food was good and I enjoyed the opportunity to try different Gambian dishes. Chris was a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable leader and always willing to answer questions. Also he was very caring and good at making sure everybody was looked after on the walks and understanding of any problems we might be having. The local guides who were very helpful and shared their excellent local knowledge. Special thanks to AJ who realised I was having difficulty getting good shots of some birds with my camera and got me some better shots of the owls than I could have done!  

P.S. Norfolk, Dec 23

This was a holiday to discover and experience the bird life of The Gambia. We were not disappointed with daily excursions on foot, by boat and by bus led by knowledgeable local guides. Mandina Lodges was a very special place to stay. Naturetrek provides excellent information about the holiday in print and online with full pre-trip notes and reports from previous trips. Our Naturetrek leader was a great and knowledgeable resource and an invaluable link between us and the local guides. 

A.B. Berkshire, Jan 24

Plenty of birdwatching without having to travel far. Excellent lodge & location. Pace was just right for us as even in the midday down time we could bird around the lodge. Excellent tour leader & local guides. 

H.T. Gloucestershire, Dec 23

This was my first birding holiday to the tropics, and in the course of a single week We found over 160 species, with 132 lifers for me personally. Among these were many species of colourful kingfishers, rollers ands bee-eaters, as well as many kinds of sunbird. Mammals included four species of monkey including Teminck's Red Colobus and Patas Monkey as well as a large troupe of Guinea Baboons. Reptiles included West African Crocodile and Nile Monitor. Accommodation was excellent and the food was very good. I would certainly travel there again. Naturetrek has been running holidays to the Gambia and elsewhere for many years and I have travelled to many parts of Europe with them before, but this was my first African trip. Everything went smoothly and the tour leader and local guides were all excellent.

A.G. Avon, Apr 23

It was a tremendous holiday. We were based at Mandina Lodge, which is extremely comfortable and well equipped. We were taken on daily excursions to see birds, by canoe, on foot and by bus, led by expert local guides as well as by Naturetrek's tour leader. It was altogether a fantastic experience. They arrange, suggest, and organise a large range of wildlife holidays. They provide expert leaders and very reliable backup. I always feel confident booking with them.

C.W. Suffolk, Mar 23

Eight day trip to Gambia with Naturetrek to Mandina Lodges, for R&R, and birdwatching with a small group of similar minded people. Naturetrek provide an excellent balance in all their holidays, which always use excellent local guides in locations appropriate to the type of holiday. Great company, always there when you need them, can't speak too highly of them.

C.A. Suffolk, Jan 22

Fantastic first trip, I did not know that such an interesting destination with wildlife and winter sunshine could be enjoyed only a 6 hour flight from the UK. Mandina Lodge was very special - set in the Makasutu Cultural Forest on a tributary of the Gambia river, it had unusual accommodation, wonderful fresh food and friendly knowledgeable local guides.

C.C. Dorset, Nov 19

The Gambia in Style was everything it promised to be. The birdwatching was excellent lead with great skill by Richard who shared his knowledge in a professional yet relaxed manner. He took great care to ensure that all guests were catered for whatever their needs and abilities. The location was exceptional - luxurious and peaceful. All staff were very welcoming and helpful and we were all sorry to leave at the end of our week.

J.L. Nottinghamshire, Apr 19

A group of 9 of us plus marvellous Naturetrek leader stayed in the sumptuous and relaxing Mandina Lodges in the mangrove-lined tributaries of the River Gambia. During a mixture of canoe expeditions and walking excursions, with the occasional minibus trip to the coast, we saw an incredible, colourful array of nearly 200 magical Gambian bird species. The weather, local guides, quality of lodge and overwhelming wildlife made it an extraordinary and wonderful week.

N.W. Northamptonshire, Apr 19

We stayed at an Ecolodge on a tributary of the River Gambia, and could see the wildlife from our upgraded floating lodge on the river. We had safaris on foot or by canoe most days around the lodge, and on two days we went further afield. It was a birding tour, however we also saw various monkeys, reptiles and the resident baboon troupe who we liked! The food was delicious!

B.N. Kent, Dec 18

Wildlife watching with style and comfort. Wonderful tour leader and birding expert with the assistance of local guides who were able to take us to places which a group of western tourists might not have been so welcome by villagers. A trip to see the real Gambia!

R.H. East Yorkshire, Dec 18

Vast amount of birds. Excellent Naturetrek leader - Ed gets 12 out of 10. Took time with individuals to make sure everyone was catered for both in terms of logistics and also specific interest i.e. photography. He was also very knowledgeable on birds in Gambia. Likeable chap! Staff at Mandina Lodge gave a good level of service. Chef certainly looked after us - the food was scrumptious...felt spoilt.

P.L. Norfolk

Beautiful site at Mandina - charming staff and local guides - nothing too much trouble. Very pleased the week was not exclusively aimed at birds as this gets very tedious for those with more general interest in natural history. Ed was the star turn. Not only was he cheerful, positive, organised and very helpful, he had excellent knowledge and observation skills across the whole spectrum of species in the areas, making it much more interesting for generalists. He was also very professional.

J.P. Herefordshire

I have clocked up quite a few wildlife spotting trips over the last 15 years and have to say, this was probably the most enjoyable...for several reasons: A leader jointly skilled in identification of birds and interaction with people, who allowed the local guides to run the show, only chipping in to correct any mis-id's; a well run lodge with friendly, happy staff providing tasty meals; keen local guides; facilitated by a small friendly group of clients.

J.L. East Sussex

The local guides were particularly good at ensuring that everyone got a chance to get a good view of all the birds. Where there were gaps in their knowledge, Marcus was very good at clarifying the identity of birds seen. The accommodation was excellent. Service and food was also very good.

S.C. West Midlands

We had a wonderfully relaxing week in the tranquil surroundings of Mandina Lodge. Our hosts were well organised and tended to our every need; the guides were superbly knowledgeable and enabled us to see a splendid array of birds and baboons both on foot and by canoe. We have lovely memories of being paddled serenely along the river in the early mornings and evenings. We were also taken out from the base to visit very interesting places in the vicinity such as the beach where fish are landed in vast numbers every day. In between, we had a lovely pool and base in which to relax in or out of the sun! This trip is to be thoroughly recommended to anyone interested in birds.

T.R. Cleveland

Gambia in Style lived up to its description- with exotic floating lodges in a mangrove creek but still felt close to nature, being surrounded by forest. The pace was leisurely with morning and afternoon birding - some from a canoe and afternoons free to relax (or not) with a couple of days further afield. We crammed a lot into a week and the Naturetrek tour leader was truly exceptional at bird recognition as well as having an easy going manner with group members. However, the excellence of the local guides was wonderful to experience and their enthusiasm very contagious. It made for a wonderful birthday treat.

D.W. South Yorkshire

The staff were all excellent, very friendly. Great weather, and good food. Our guides really knew the birds. Overall an excellent trip and would like to return.

P.W. Hertfordshire

The pace was just right. The leader was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, helpful and willing to be flexible. Any minor problems sorted quickly. The group 'gelled' very well. The local guides were also excellent - friendly, interested, keen to show us everything. I had my 60th birthday on the trip and it was really memorable.

A.B. Clwyd

Mandina Lodge is a lovely place with lovely staff and very good service and food.

U.W. Buckinghamshire

The tour leader Eric Barnes - one of life's gentlemen.

I.N. Hertfordshire

We thought the balance of days out and walks and canoes trips locally was spot on. Mandina itself was great. Very easy to relax during the heat of the day but just as easy to keep yourself entertained if you wished. We had a great time not only with the wildlife but also the other tour participants. We feel the key to all these trips are the guides and Mandina's guides are brilliant. Always friendly, patient and helpful in showing you what their country has to offer. They are a real asset to the Lodge. On top of that we had our Naturetrek guide as well. Marcus is one of those rare individuals who can turn a group of strangers into friends within an hour. His enthusiasm was infectious and we learnt so much from him during the course of the week. First class!

A.P. Kent

Particularly impressed with the abilities of the trip leader and local guides to spot the birds and provide background information.

M.L. Buckinghamshire

I enjoyed having more time than is usual to use the facilities at Mandina Lodges, especially the swimming pool! The adjoining gardens were ideal to potter around, with many birds to see.

J.C. Norfolk

Very relaxed with itinerary changeable according to circumstances. Very capably led by Rob Mileto, who considered the views of all participants.

J.H. Hampshire

A blissful holiday in beautiful surroundings with an itinerary that mixed prolific bird sightings with welcome periods of relaxation. Rob Mileto was a splendid tour leader, both knowledgeable and entertaining. Brilliant local guides.

M.F. Dorset

Lovely accommodation, well situated for purpose with welcoming, helpful staff. Rob was an excellent tour leader: very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and well organised. And he didn't make this non-birder feel isolated!

D.F. Dorset