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HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Family
Location
98 Atlantic Boulevard, Bakau Gambia
African Village Hotel
152 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
African Village Hotel is an excellent hotel if you LOVE:
* Taking cold showers with very low water pressure where you get in doubt if you will ever rinse out your shampoo. * Seeing your poop again and again after you have flushed and you have a little plumber hidden inside of you so you can try and fix your toilet. * Slamming your room door because it is tilted and loose in the bracket. * Hearing the same music CD played loudly over and over every day by the pool. * Swearing at your smartphone/tablet because the WiFi is not working. * Sleeping to the the sound of a helicopter. Then you will love the sound of the fan in your room all night. Also, as a bonus you can get a cold from the fan. * Getting a good old back pain from an uneven bed. Also, as a bonus you can enjoy the experience of a bed with mattresses of different lengths. * Paying with piles of cash and having to go outside every other day to withdraw money and pay bank fees. * Eating the same simple breakfast everyday and drinking instant coffee in the morning. * Observing the cultural exchanges of happy tourists and their local bumpsters.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Pay extra for a room with an A/C if possible
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have just returned from a solo 7 night trip to The Gambia. I stayed at the African Village Hotel in Bakau. I have previously stayed in fairly up-market lodges and hotels in Kenya and Morocco, so was bracing myself for a comparatively basic hotel. Its selling point prior to my trip was that it would give me a better insight into African life, being slap bang in the centre of Bakau, a little removed from the tourist strip of Kololi and Kotu.
The advice was spot on, but the hotel was a surprise. Although the fabric of the building and decor was a little worn and dilapidated, the rooms and public areas were very clean and extremely pleasant..flowers and birds abounded, with a lovely central pool and bar, which was obviously the pride and joy of the owners as it seemed to receive constant attention from a very patient member of staff who spent much time keeping the water clean of slightly large African insects.
The rooms are basic, and judging from the comments of the guests, I would recommend up-grading to a sea view room. Mine really did have a lovely, uninterrupted view of the Atlantic and a small balcony: a place to sit and read and watch the pirogues on their inbound journey with the catch late in the afternoon.
The food was simple but well prepared and tasty. There was a twice weekly buffet, which is worth a night in. Bakau itself has a fairly good choice of restaurants...simple but the food is good and remarkably inexpensive.
Overall I would say that it is important to remember that this is Africa and that standards may well not be what you are accustomed to, but with a good sense of humour and a little patience, the African Village and the town of Bakau has much to offer and in my opinion puts many UK hotels of a similar grading to shame!
Would certainly consider going back and taking the kids next time.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed at this hotel for 1 week in October. A 2 star hotel and although I had been to Gambia 10 times before I had never stayed in Bakau and I was pleasantly surprised. The rooms are basic, clean and quite small, you can upgrade to have a room overlooking the sea for around 70 pounds a week. As I only wanted somewhere to sleep I didn't mind the room. The shower had very hot water which was nice at any time of the day.
The hotel has a nice large swimming pool and the gardens are nice. It also has a lovely balcony overlooking the sea where you can have breakfast/evening meal or just sit with a cup of tea. They have a man made beach underneath the balcony and steps going down to the sea. You had to be very careful when swimming as there are very big rocks in the sea.
Breakfast was standard but one of the biggest attractions of this hotel was the food. After staying in numerous hotels over the years in Gambia I have never experienced good food in any hotel I have stayed in and the food in this hotel was excellent. They had a reasonable menu and every evening the chef offered a 3 course meal for 6 pounds and the food was excellent, good sized portions and varied. We found that you could eat in every night if you wished, thus saving on taxi fares. The staff were fine and no one asked for money etc.
We took a short taxi ride to Cape Point beach and it is lovely up there. The sea is very calm and good for swimming. You have to pay 1 pound to hire a sun bed from the Cape Point Hotel but it was worth it to spend the day in peace and quiet on a beautiful beach.
We also found a new restaurant just up the road from the hotel called Sinatras. It was in very pleasant surroundings, the service from the waitressess was awful, they didn't have a clue what they were doing, but the food was lovely and more than made up for the bad service at a very reasonable price.
Bakau is a very nice, quiet area. There is a local market for wood carvings and jewellery etc just up the road. I enjoyed my stay at the African Village and would stay there again. Sometimes it is nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of the Senegambia area but still have easy access if you wish.
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Date of stay: October 2006
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check in / front desk
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sadly closed, perhaps for ever. Believed for sale or redevelopment. Prime, rare, clifftop/beach location, They dont make those any more! Arguably Bakau and Cape Point becoming upmarket area, and elevated, re. future rising sea levels.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Location
Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:Â For cheap sleeps in the area of Bakau and Cape Point try One World Village, 10 Kofi Anan Street...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is just a great hotel. It's simple and definitely not posh,but the staff are lovely, the pool is small and perfectly formed, and the terrace where you have breakfast is breathtaking, Set right on the ocean the terrace gives you a view of the fishing port (just a couple of hundred yards away) and the fishing boats heading out to sea. The breakfast food is straightforward and delicious while the staff have the warmest smiles and friendliest manners. The evening entertainment was not our cup of tea, and if your room is near the pool you will not be able to avoid it! Upgrade to a seaview room and ask for a fridge in the room, you will get a fan as standard in the upgraded room as well as a small private balcony. You will need to book a fan for a standard room (book any fans or fridges on arrival as you book your safe.
This is a budget hotel that excels at customer service. The location in Bakau is fab, walk out of the hotel and you are in Africa. If you are uncomfortable with being approached by 'bumsters', dislike the bustle of everyday life with associated smells and noise you need to go to one of the 4 or 5 star hotels which are definitely in a resort. We like to be able to walk out of the hotel and wander down to where the fisherman are landing their catch and have dinner at the hotel directly above the fishing port (again if smells sights and sounds is NOT your thing, don't go here!)
This hotel has no frills, it is basic, but clean and we love it! - Oh, there is no spa, there is no internet, there is no room service, there is no sky telly (there is no telly) there is no radio, there are no coffee making facilities (take a travel kettle) etcetera etcetera etcetera. BUT, you are in Africa and not in some sanitised western mega hotel. Vive la difference!
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Date of stay: November 2010
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â ALWAYS get an ocean view room
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a fab hotel...I was really surprised and delighted by how nice it is. I think it is such a shame it has been slated on here. It is true that everybody's expectations of holidays are different and therefore difficult to recommend places but I truly believe thsi place does not deserve the bad press.
Truthfully, I booked it because it was the cheapest option and did not carry asingle supplement - I was nervous having seen some of the reviews and figured that the with the price paid I could still afford to go off and find a local guest house if need be. Also, I wasn't sure about the beach as the pics only show what looks like a concrete slab area with sand on it and no actual beach - however when the tide goes out a small beach is revealed and I saw a few people take a swim, of course you have to be a little careful as you would anywhere unfamiliar and there is a rip at times. Also you can walk directly from the hotel along the sand to the fishing harbour where everyone is very friendly (I was shown the big barracuda catch of the day and offered fish to eat within minutes of arriving). When the tide is in it is often still possible to go along there if you are willing to get your feet wet.
The hotel staff are lovely and friendly and quickly remember your name. I did not eat in the hote in the evenings so cannot comment on that (instead I usually had fresh fish barbecued nearly everyday) but wonderful watermelon for breakfast plus there was choice of cereals,omelette, fried eggs, (cooked breakfast-not sure). There is a small supermarket on site, a pool bar and superb entartainment nearly every night. There are several types of accommodation - garden rooms with porch and seats outside, individual huts and sea view apartments. I cannot say what the others were like but I had a garden room and it was lovely. Everything worked, there was lovely big hot shower and it was immaculately clean. The layout is pretty, the gardens are pretty.
I have never stayed anywhere where everybody is so welcoming and friendly. If you want to just stay at the hotel and top up your tan the pool is small but great or go to the terracewhere the loungers overlook the ocean with no interruptions or there is the hotel sand beach and bar. If you want to explore, Bakau is conveniently located - nothing is very far and at night there is a night club and a 24hr bar in the town.Or, if you want to get out to somewhere more busy then short taxi ride to nearest tourist strip with clubs restaurents and loads of people plus tourist beaches. There is a place called Sanyong Beach (forgive the spelling) known as Paradise Beach which is beautiful and peaceful but still with few loungers and bar. Only thing I will say is that there is a lot of scaremongering about the hassle you'll get from 'bumsters' but the locals are lovely and well meaning - don't be put off by what you hear - I nearly did not venture out but am so glad I did. As always be a little careful as you would wherever you go but hey, you don't get the relentless hassle that you can get in Spain in the resorts or India on the beaches for example.
So, if you want somewhere that is right in the middle of a major tourist trap which is permanently buzzing don't stay here but if you want a cute hotel at a good price with friendly (but not overbearing) staff in a place where you can get about easily or stay and tan-up then I would not hesitate to recommend it.
It may not be 5 stars but it gets 5 stars from me.
Oh, nearly forgot - really comfy bed - often in hot climes the beds are rock hard - not here
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Date of stay: December 2011
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked a late deal to The African Village and we were pleasantly surprised. The hotel is quite basic but the rooms are clean and comfortable. The staff can't do enough to make your stay enjoyable and food standards put the average Gambian 4* to shame.
The hotel has a lovely pool area with a pool bar. The staff are friendly and attentive. The restaurant over looks the sea and snacks are served in the pool area and on the "private" beach. The fantastic beach at Cape Point is also within easy reach.
The town of Bakau is a bustling little place but when you’re in the hotel grounds you feel more like your staying in your own little Gambian village.
If you are considering staying at the African Village I would whole heartedly recommend it. Ignore all the negativity of other reviewers. Go with an open mind and enjoy the wonderful and friendly atmosphere.
I will definitely be joining the many British people I met who return to this hotel year after year.
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Date of stay: December 2006
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check in / front desk
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a 2 star hotel by african standards, in my opinion its a minus 1 star hotel. I can live with less comfortable beds, worn down interior, trashy bed linnen, stained madrases, and basic bathrooms. Only way to stay sane is to get a room with ocean wiev and stay at the window at your entire stay to avoid depresion. Anyhow the most disturbing element is the fact that managment allow hotel guests ( at a fees ) to bring night-guests to the rooms. Thay absolute vast majority of he guests using this option is female wester single travel ladys ranging from mid 40'ies to mid 60'ies. This becomes a problem due to the bad or non existing sound/noice insulation between the rooms. In short: You can hear every single activity taking place in the room next door. In detail, explicit. Get the picture ?
Managment: Please renovate the rooms, make them decent, and prohibit male prostitutes to enter you facility. You have a lovey location pleae make the best out of it.
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Date of stay: March 2010
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We’ve been here a year ago, happy to be back again and sure will come again! This hotel is extraordinary for one thing that looks for me very important – sincerely friendly and polite stuff. The key word is SINCERELY. A year after the first visit, we were remembered and met as old friends upon arrival and treated so for the whole stay! It worth more than money. Hotel itself is quite decent, albeit modest in room furniture. Hair dryers, fridges, and air conditioners should be rented separately. Service, room cleaning, restaurant are on the highest level. Prices for drinks and food are very low, especially if you know that you can order special “half board” menu at the dinner even if you don’t have half board. It costs D600 ( $13) for the full course dinner menus changes every day. Entertainment is on the high level with professional performers every day from 8:30 to 10, albeit this year I _hear_ too much of African style performances with very loud drums, that aren’t very pleasant when you have a dinner. I would prefer more quite shows. Hotel has its private beach closely guarded from intrusive locals this year even with policeman. So you can be sure nobody will disturb you… except beach attendant – the only unique unfriendly and annoying person at the hotel. It seems, that working far away from supervising managers he imagined himself the “King of the Beach” so he keeps enjoying himself with loud and annoying music of his taste from his own BT speakers with his phone, for the whole day, constantly gathering a loud companies of the staff not employed at the moment, cheerfully and pleasantly spending time together, laughing loudly, sipping tea, absolutely forgotten about any guests being at the beach as useless garbage. There is no way he will come to help guest to move a sunbed, carry a drink, or even greet him, unless he sticks face to face and there is no way not to say “Hello” as he required by the management. Obviously, he despises the rich and lazy guests that prevent him from enjoying his comfortable workplace (maybe his possessed lands?) with his friends. So the best day at the beach is his day off - SUNDAY when nice and friendly gardener takes his place. It is absolutely quite on Sundays. No annoying music, no employees companies at the beach bar and he is always ready to help. Wish the gardener take this place! Next minor problem is that there are hidden rocks at the sea bottom and the steps from the beach to the sea are in very bad condition, needs repair. There is 6 hrs tide circle and at high tide it is safe to swim near shore (if there is no big waves), but at low tide there are dangerous rocks the whole way. Be careful since there are no warning signs there!
The sea food at the restaurant is excellent cooked and of big variety, since local fish market is just 100m away. It’s strange, but lamb is not available for immediate order and one preordered was cooked too hard as long as other meat dishes during our stay. For the room placement – I suggest to get sea view rooms if you wish to pay for them, if not – try to get room as far as possible from the pool bar to have a quite sleep, since up to 1 am there is music there and sometimes loud drunk guests.
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Date of stay: January 2018
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Seaview rooms are the best, else take one most far from the pool bar to be quite.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were encouraged by the many good reviews of this hotel which appeared to offer much of what we like in a hotel, ocean views, good pool, local, untouristy, local character etc.However we were very disappointed on arrival to discover that the reception manager was hell bent on fleecing us to the tune of 1,500 Dalasi per night for a delapidated room in need of maintenance.
Perhaps our mistake was in not booking a package, but we prefer to travel independently and had booked flights from Barcelona and showed up at the desk where the opportunity for them to rip you off when it's late at night is so easy.
The first room we were given was a total disaster, dark dated and delapidated. I almost incurred a hernia while trying to push open the balcony door which was stuck with decades of damp and rust.
Even worse the taps and shower handles gave us electric shocks and we awoke to a flood of two inches of water as the toilet spurted out a flow of water.
We were then moved to another room, and decided to take a shower since it had been almost three days since we had left Barcelona. Turned on the shower tap to discover that there was no water in the room, and this was costing us 1,500 D. a night!.
Third time lucky - or so we thought. However the next room had a toilet which did not flush nor did it contain water.
By now we had had enough and asked to see the general manager - Francis, who appeared to be more elusive that Houdini. Call him please we asked the receptionist. He does not pick up on Saturdays were were told. Francis did not pick up on Sundays or Mondays either!. Send him a text we suggested. 'We have no phone credit and cannot ring out on the hotel phone' was the reply.
This fiasco carried on for five days. Finally the mysteriousmanager - Francis, made an appearance like a diva carrying a bundle of files. 'I have so much to do' he said. 'Overworked' yeah right we said, and asked him to make a note of out comments.
He sighed, rolled his eyes and looked at us with contempt. We told him we were about to walk unless he resolved the issues regarding our room. Tourism was down what the hell was he playing at!.
This hotel is in serious need of proper management. The current one needs to be kiked out. 'My father is a judge' he bragged to us, as if that excused his lazy negligent attitude and lack of regard to the hotel he is supposed to manage.
To the Irish owner of African Village hotel: - wherever you are in the world, I know it's not Gambia. - You seriously need to wake up and sack this lazy inept manager before your hotel is driven into bankruptcy as a result of lazy could not care less manager..
We saw this so called 'manager' just one during our stay, even then we were treated like we were the problem and shown complete contempt.
This hotel which has great potential, deserves better, as does Gambia and Gambian tourism!
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Date of stay: January 2015
Rooms
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leyburn, United Kingdom77 contributions23 helpful votes
I take anti malaria tablets, i get mine from Boots.
Never have trouble with mosquitoes, i use mosquito repellant. Hotel will supply most things you need they are very good, email them and ask. The local shops sell a good mosquito repellant in a small green bottle, sorry i dont remember the name.
The local guide i use is Dodou Sanyang - gambia friendly tours, he will always help you too.
Hi Alice. Yes. But next week when I go there again, I got double bed, but I need to pay little extra, cos every room has a double bed and if you go alone, you need to pay little more, but it´s not much.
There are more places to choose from in the Bakau area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
african village bakau, hotel african village
LOCATION
GambiaBanjul DivisionBakau
NUMBER OF ROOMS
96
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