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Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
4.5
#4 of 23 hotels in Serekunda
Location
4.7
Cleanliness
4.4
Service
4.7
Value
4.3
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The newly opened in December 2019 Kalimba Beach Resort is a stylish contemporary African beachside resort located in the peaceful township of Kotu in The Gambia.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Charming
Mid-range
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Kotu Beach, Serekunda Gambia
Kalimba Beach Resort
137 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.
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Kalimba Beach Resort is celebrated for its cleanliness, ample amenities, and proximity to the beach, which many guests find conducive to relaxation. While the resort's rooms are generally regarded as clean, spacious, and comfortable, some travelers mention noise and mosquitoes as minor drawbacks. The staff's friendly service frequently receives high marks, although there is occasional room for improvement.
The vibrant live entertainment and picturesque setting are particular highlights, despite a desire for a warmer ambiance in the restaurant. Although some guests suggest the need for more towels and mention minor water supply issues, the resort is often praised for its value, especially the affordability of local taxi services.
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Relaxing
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A very enjoyable stay at the Kalimba, Our spacious room with really comfortable bed was well laid out and had a large balcony overlooking the pool. Bottled water was put in the room every morning, but if you needed more or other drinks, they were available all day from the beach bar.
All facilities were shared with the Tamala next door and meals were taken there. It was only a short walk through a gap in a wall, so no problem. We arrived very late long after the All Inclusive buffet had finished, but on saying on our arrival in Reception that we were hungry, the staff immediately said to leave checking in and another member of staff took us to the main restaurant where they cooked us fish and chips. This was really appreciated. We found the All Inclusive buffet included a good selection of food, but for a special occasion, the al a carte restaurant was definitely worth visiting. Both the quality of food and the presentation were outstanding.
There were plenty of sunbeds on the beach directly outside the hotel and around the pools in both hotels, but I did prefer the beach bar and the attractive long narrow pool in the Kalimba, where due to its shape you could have a really good swim.
Staff were very friendly and attentive and Victor the manager was always about throughout the day chatting to guests. When we had a problem with the water supply to our room, he dealt with it swiftly.
We will return.
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip 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.
Response from Victor Soares, General Manager at Kalimba Beach Resort
Responded Jan 3, 2023
We are indebted for your support and well put comment. Our team will really feel 2023 a good year. Thank you so much.
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My husband and I had booked a trip to Kalimba beach Resort in Gambia. We arrived on November 1 and were given a beautiful room at the edge of the pool. so wonderful, in the afternoon between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. it was so hot that you could not sit in the garden in front of your room, but you could float in the water, we enjoyed it so much. All employees at the Resort are extremely nice and friendly, nothing is too much for them. The beds were great, as were the pillows. the bathroom could use a lick of paint. Our room was kept clean by Lamin Samba. What a friendly, helpful young man he was!! The bed was beautifully made every day, everything was neatly cleaned. He put some bottles of water in the refrigerator and in the toilet he made sure you had enough toilet paper. What a hard worker he was. If I could give it a grade it would definitely be a 10!! In short, we enjoyed our holiday, tomorrow we go back to the Netherlands, with wonderful memories in our hearts!
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Pinnen gaat moeilijk in Gambia, wissel je euro in bij een wisselkantoor voor Dalasie
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Response from Victor Soares, General Manager at Kalimba Beach Resort
Responded Nov 8, 2023
A real pleasure to read your review. We shall acknowledge Lamin and our team. Thank you so much.
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We've loved our holiday in The Gambia. Had a very nice stay at Kalimba Beach Resort and Tamala Beach Resort. The staff is very friendly, helpfull and the service is great. We special want to name Babou Cham for how he solved a problem for us; if he says he will solve it he does!! Every day before dinner we went to the Kalimba Bar. The service here was great and the team was very friendly. Special thanks to Ebrima Yellow; what a good member of the team! Before you can ask something he allready served it. The housekeeping is good and if you miss something, just ask and they will arrange it. The manager has a big commitment. Every day he ask the guests how they are, if they're still satisfied about their stay. You will see him every day from the morning until the evening (nice to see a manager who's not inside a office the whole day but who is making sure that everything goes well!) The food is good and there's allways enough. Don't understand people who are complaining about it. You don't have to like everything but you can choose different meals so there should allways be something you like! We went in november and will go back in februari. Love Gambia, the hotel and the staff!
Greetz Jacqueline.
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip 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.
Response from Victor Soares, Owner at Kalimba Beach Resort
Responded Dec 2, 2022
Amazing detailed comment. Surely our team will take this as a VITAMIN to do better. Just waiting for your return in February. Lovely day to you from The Gambia.....
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Kalimba is a nice,clean hotel.If you sleep in Kalimba you can use the faciliteit of the adjacent hotel Tamala. The staff of Tamala is managed smoothly but effectively by the managers Suares and Sulyman. The food is very varied(fish,meat vegetarian). There are fun events such as brunch on Sunday and Afrikanen evening on Wednesday. There is live music almost even day. Good wine from South Africa and many different cocktails The Gambia is safe,in and around the hotel and on the beach you feel well. A downside: after a week the coca cola zero was gone and thuis was not supplemented
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Occasionally also give a tip to the staff who clean the room and to the beach boys who prepare...
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.
Response from Victor Soares, General Manager at Kalimba Beach Resort
Responded Mar 5, 2023
Thank you for your super feedback. We have a good many things lined up, Your next visit will be even better.
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2 weeks stay at Kalimba beach resort The pool and the beach are excellent, what a view from my room near the beach.
The restaurant at Kalimba, looks like an office kantine, so kill no warm atmosphere. We only had our breakfast in the 'kantine'. The supervisor mister Lamin M.F Camara is the best of all and a great person, he made our holiday as perfect as it could be, thnx Lamin. If you have any problems he is the person who can solve your problems. The best waitress is Maria, thnx for the great service you gave us every morning. In general the boys do the job most of the time, the girls at the 'kantine' are standing just like a statue in my opinion they do not like the job of serving the customers, they prefer to talk with the tourist in the hope to get tip or gifts. The manager of that restaurant Ismael is not suitable to be a manager, looking sullen for me not a manager worthy.
Our lunch and diner we had it at Tamala, the hotel next Kalimba. There they have a la cart restaurant, food there is excellent. Special thanks to the indian chef, he did his job very well.
Notice to the General manager of Kalimba Please buy plenty towels for the beach and the rooms, there where days the towels where empty.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:if you have problems at the restaurant, please ask for Lamin M.F. Camara, he's the person who can...
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.
Response from Victor Soares, General Manager at Kalimba Beach Resort
Responded Nov 27, 2023
Thank you for your valued review. We are already acting on the Kalimba restaurant. The ambience is being changed in due course. New stock of towels has already arrived. We definitely acknowledge the staff you named. Please do visit us again.
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Kalimba is a great hotel to go to for your holiday, the people are very nice and can provide with whatever you need, everyone talks to you, asks your name, just great. The food is good and the chef in the kitchen Assan Jallow cooks great food and made satesaus for us, wonderfull. Our room was cleaned every day perfectly by Lamin Samba, he takes care of everything you need. Overall a great place to visit. Corendon has som nice excursions with local people.
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
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.
Response from Zahran Bessaidi, Owner at Kalimba Beach Resort
Responded May 13, 2024
Dear Peggyj, Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with other travellers. I am thrilled to read that you truly enjoyed your stay with us at Kalimba Beach Resort and that you found our team very friendly. Thank you for recommending us. I do hope we will have the opportunity to welcome you back soon! Kind regards, Zahran BESSAIDI General Manager
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We stayed here the first week in December. On arrival we were shown to our room which was a beautiful swim up room. The hotel is the sister hotel of the Tamala Beach Resort. All your meals are at this hotel but its a 2 minute walk. Don't let that put you off I have walked further in a larger resort. They look like they are in the process of building a snack bar at the Kalimba. That will be lovely at lunchtime is you just want a snack.
I would say that this hotel is going to be very popular in the future. Go now because they will be able to charge much more for this hotel in the future!!! They have a new General Manager Victor Soares who had only been there 6 weeks when we arrived. Every day we saw changes and improvements that he was making. He was a very visible presence at every meal chatting to guests about their experience and how the hotel could be improved.
Even down to a local man playing music at meal times was a lovely touch and you really felt like you were in Africa.
We are not big on evening entertainment but there was some every night but we would just pop back to the bar and have a drink in our own hotel which was lovely.
We met some lovely people there.
We had a BBQ on the Sunday lunchtime and there was a new one started mid week which was amazing. We left on the Friday but from that Friday onwards they are having a fish market that you can choose your fish and have it cooked for you.
We had a meal in the A la Carte restaurant and the steak was so tender you didn't have to use your knife the presentation was amazing. You really should try this it was very special.
Breakfast was varied. I asked for poached eggs and they did them specially for me. The normal range of eggs fried and omelettes were lovely too.
Lots of choice at lunch and dinner and it never felt boring.
I am not a big eater and at lunchtime didn't want a full meal. I mentioned that it would be nice to have cheese and cold meats and low and behold the next day there was meat and cheese for lunch. The salad bowls were lovely and varied and the bread was to die for it was the best bread I have ever eaten. I am well travelled around the world and you have to accept that the Gambia 5***** is not like 5***** in other parts of the world in general but this hotel is very close and I think it can only get better.
The staff at this hotel go out of their way to help from our first contact before we arrived to super service in resort.
We are going to return in February hopefully and it will be lovely to see what further changes are made.
Thank you for a wonderful holiday Kalimba we will be back.
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Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:This hotel is the best hotel in the Gambia. Go now its new and it will become very popular and...
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.
Response from Victor Soares, Owner at Kalimba Beach Resort
Responded Dec 19, 2022
Oh!!!!! Thank you so much. You have said it all. This really elates our spirits. We are striving to make the resort a big, big better place to stay. Looking forward to seeing you in February.
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We were transferred to the hotel instead of Kombo beach. Kombo was far superior & had soul. The choice of food was limited-hardly any cold choices at lunch. The water supply was an issue- even after we were told a new pump had been fitted there was still problems Although the pool area looks nice there are no quiet areas, you have to move to chase the sun & end up on top of everyone Avoid room K701, this room is above the pumps & even with earplugs there is a constant noise from the pumps sometimes really loud Unfortunately Kombo beach has been taken over by the same group so we will be looking for alternatives for next year
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
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.
Response from Victor Soares, General Manager at Kalimba Beach Resort
Responded Dec 30, 2023
Thank you for your feedback. All issues have been resolved. We are in process of opening The Kombo Beach Resort next week. This one will be the best Gambia has ever seen.
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The Hotel is modern and novel, but still with lots of african art ornaments decorated. It was very clean everywhere!
We felt very comfortable in our apartment. We missed nothing.
We were amazed about the attentive and friendly staff and also about the service at beach.
We enjoyed especially the african music in the evening which played two times a week.
Not far from the hotel are shops where can buy the local products. In Serekunda are nice bars and clubs which is reachable by taxi in a few minutes.
It's possible to book trips in the hotel. We did the Senegal Safari and the makasutu forest tour which was very nice. I went also to Banjul which was very nice and authentic.
We highly recommend this Hotel and would love to come back again.
Thanks,
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
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.
Response from ClaireJ2119, Guest Relations Manager at Kalimba Beach Resort
Responded Mar 8, 2020
It was a pleasure to have you come and stay at Kalimba. We are also happy to learn that our guests get out and about from the hotel and explore what Gambia and neighbouring Senegal has to offer. Our musicians will also be happy to read that you enjoyed their entertainment. We are appreciative of your review and your custom.
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Hotel is luxurious, bed and pillows nice and comfortable! Shower big and clean.
Hotel is clean and well kept together. Food is good, a lot of variation.
Ramatoulie is the nicest waitress, full of joy 😊
Taxi service in front of the hotel, Moses and Lamin, so nice and trustworthy, always there to pick you up and guide you through the Royal Albert Market and branch back to the hotel.
Max is very kind and helpfull at the front desk.
Don't doubt and book this nice hotel. ✨️
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Date of stay: January 2024
Value
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.
Response from Victor Soares, General Manager at Kalimba Beach Resort
Responded Jan 24, 2024
A pleasure to read your review. A big thank you from our entire team. Assure you always the best.
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There are more places to choose from in the Serekunda area.
PRICE RANGE
$89 - $108 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
GambiaBanjul DivisionSerekunda
NUMBER OF ROOMS
91
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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