Gambia > On the Way to Gambia

This summer there have been very long waiting times at Schiphol due to staff shortages at security. On some days, the wait time extends to several hours. To be on time for the flight, it is important to arrive early at Schiphol. However, the check-in desk only opens three hours before departure. During preparations, I try to check in online in advance. Then at Schiphol, I would only need to drop off my luggage. This fails. My COVID vaccination proof is not accepted, even though I am fully vaccinated. Phone contact with TUI doesn’t help much either, except that I have to check in at the airport. At quarter to four, four hours before departure, I arrive at Schiphol. At the check-in desk, travelers for Banjul, the capital of Gambia, cannot yet join the queue. Just as an employee is about to explain where I can wait, the line is opened for travelers to Gambia. I am the first traveler to join the queue for this destination. At check-in, my vaccination is accepted, and shortly after I walk with my boarding pass to security. From the departure hall, the feared line is not visible. Even when I climb the stairs, I see no queue. The security staff are even waiting. I am immediately served. Because of this, I am checked in and through security within half an hour. This is fortunate, but it also means I have to spend three hours at the airport. The shops and kiosks aren’t even open yet. I sit down in one of the comfortable chairs. I close my eyes for a moment. Just to be safe, I set my alarm. I am quite tired because of the early hour and don’t want to oversleep. This proves unnecessary. Around six o’clock the coffee corners open. I order coffee with a cookie. Then I wait another hour before boarding starts. Around quarter to eight, everyone is on board and flight OR 3805 of TUIFly takes off toward Gambia. Next to me sits a German couple. She also speaks Dutch. They are flying on to Cape Verde. They should have flown yesterday, but at check-in it turned out their passport was no longer valid for six months. Quickly they arranged an emergency passport. Just after noon, the plane lands in Gambia.

Gambia - Arrival at Banjul airport

It is two hours earlier than in the Netherlands. In the arrivals hall, the COVID certificate is checked. There is no check to see if it is actually my certificate. Then I have to pay twenty dollars security tax to finally get my entry stamp at customs. I am now officially in Gambia. My travel bag is already waiting on the luggage belt. Outside the arrivals hall stands a TUI employee. He points me to the correct bus. Names are practiced for everyone arriving. This will probably be tricky for a while. Our group consists of sixteen people. Kebba, the local guide for the week, welcomes us as we drive through busy traffic to the hotel. Large puddles lie everywhere on the often sandy roads. August is the rainy season in Gambia. Not really a convenient month to visit the country. Before we go to the Senegambia Beach Hotel, the bus stops at a currency exchange office. Kebba advises exchanging money immediately for both Gambia and Senegal. Strangely, he advises two solo travelers to exchange more money than a couple. The reason is not quite clear. The amount to be exchanged is higher than I expected. The exchange rate at the currency exchange office is reasonable and corresponds to the rate I had looked up beforehand. The Senegambia Beach Hotel is located at the end of a street with restaurants and bars. There is a lot of liveliness here. The rooms lie in a large garden bordering the beach. The front of my room is entirely glass. To keep it from getting too warm, I keep the curtains closed. Between the apartments is a pool. On the beach is a second, larger pool. On the coast, the red flag is flying. This means it is advised not to swim in the sea. The current is dangerous. I take a dip in the cooling pool water. This helps against the nearly thirty-degree humid heat. After swimming, I go with a travel companion to the Kololi district. This is the region where all the larger and more luxurious hotels are located. Just as we turn the corner and walk onto the busy main road, it starts to rain. We quickly take shelter at a terrace. Within moments, the rain pours down heavily. The beer turns out to be sold out and there is only one cola left. We adjust our order to what is available. When the weather clears, we continue walking. Children are playing soccer on a sandy field. The goalkeeper has it extra tough. A large puddle lies right in front of his goal. With wet shoes, he tromps through the water. We try to walk back to the resort via the beach. On the beach, we are approached and pointed toward a local restaurant. “Very cheap cola,” we are assured. To underline this, an amount of 50 dalasi is written in the sand. This is just under one euro.

Gambia - We drink a beer in a local restaurant

When we ask for beer, a table with two chairs is quickly set up for us. Two boys come and ask if it is our first time in Gambia. “Blood” and “Chino,” as everyone here knows them, are surprised when we say we’ve only been here three hours. They advise against taking the route along the beach and insist we walk with them via a shortcut to the entrance of our resort. Nice guys. For the evening, we have agreed to eat with the travel group at half past seven. When I arrive, practically everyone is already at the table. I quickly join in. A buffet is ready. It seems we are the only guests in the restaurant tonight. The other hotel guests have probably gone to eat nearby the resort. While eating, I notice that I am tired. It was a long day. I retreat to my room and crawl into bed. I quickly fall asleep.