Top The Gambia hotels
Sponsored Links
You find this shop inside the Kombo Beach Hotel and has a lot of souvenirs on sale but also an impressive collection of native jewellery, clothes, music and other interesting items. Prices are reasonable and fixed. You don't need to barter. What you also can do is visit this shop and use their prices as a guideline for when shopping at the craft markets.
If you love your carvings then you must go to Brikama market,, be warned though i kid you not it can get a bit stressful,, i have been 3 times now and i have never made it round the entire market because of all the hassel,, the stall holders ask you to "look, no charge to look" BUT they never let you go!!!! once they have you!! be prepared to do some barganing and haggling,, but remember these men are trying to make a living,, get yourself a bargain but allow them to earn their money. we met on our first visit to gambia bubba, now we return every time and make sure we always buy something from him, you must visit bargains to be had i promise!!! Drums,, carvings, jewellery etc
The most beautiful wood statues of the Gambia are sold on this area and also in comparatively good price. Everything is handmade and you can see the artists doing the wood carving just there on the spot.A bit too anxious salesman are some pain in the ass but one must understand that they are just trying to make a living. Also be prepared for the young boys desperately trying to change addresses outside the market.
In all local markets you will find a vast range of hand crafted necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Prices vary depending on where you are shopping. I found if you attempt to buy in more popular tourist areas those selling will attempt to charge you more than if you find a quieter local market. Still very cheap and i have always found to be of a good quality.
Food shopping is great at Bakau market, we bought two kilos of black pepper for next to nothing. The best place for all your non-tourist pesents has to be Serrekunda, all the Gambia's colour is here. One thing you must buy is Lucas' palm wine, get it fresh about 10am or at about 6pm when he has finished his collections. You can take a bottle back to your hotel, it will have fermented by the next day and will start getting more alcoholic. Due to restrictions on liquids in hand luggage you won't be able to take any home with you. You can however take home some well wrapped bottles of Cana and Casa Cana, the distilled palm and cashew juice in your main luggage. Our own four litres survived the flight, we're very pleased to say. Lucas also grows his own delicious fruit in the land around the lagoon that borders his Nature. Lucas is a lovely man and I do urge you to support him, try his palm...
In almost every hotel beach area you will see the fruit ladies. They carry fresh fruit on plates they balance on their heads. It is more of a show and an interesting experience.Once you have agreed a price and which fruit you want, the fruit is prepared. Definately buy an orange. The lady pictured here "Ayshea" took out her very sharp MACHETE and peeled our oranges. The peel was removed as a single peice!Cheap too. Definately buy at least an orange. Cheap. Just agree a price
Always go the the local markets!! The Gambian markets are -- like most other countries -- the best places to really understand what people do for work, what they eat, how they relax, how they live... Beautiful batiks and woven coloured boxes; baskets, beaded belts, local wood carvings.
The markets are interesting, But not for the faint hearted , when you see something you like be prepared to barter , have fun set yourself a price you would want to pay ,and dont forget these people are poor Gifts include local handcrafts and beautiful materials
The Gambia is renowned for its creation of great batik designs and you can get cloth in all colours and sizes. Batik sarongs and tops are also a great purchase. There are specialist markets for batik goods where you can actually see how they make the different colours. Bargain and bargais some more...
Everywhere you go you can find souvenir shops and art shops, along the main roads in the big cities, along the coastline, near tourist attractions.In the Gambia you can find many skilled artists, painters and carvers.But most of the articles are produced in mass production.Animal art, masks, wooden statues, batiks and much more...
Kombo Beach Hotel Banjul
1 Review and 333 Opinions The Kombo Beach is the only hotel we have been to in The Gambia, we stayed here the first time and...
Kairaba Beach Hotel Kololi
2 Reviews and 283 Opinions well such an extraordinarily well run venue in Gambia. German influence, very efficient. What...
Sheraton Gambia Hotel Resort & Spa Serekunda
371 Opinions
Reviews and photos of The Gambia attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for The Gambia sightseeing.
More Cities in The Gambia
Q: Hi, we are going to Gambia on the 22nd Feb and our GP has given us a private prescription for Malarone. It's quite expensive and I...
A: It's not cheap anywhere as it is a relatively new and very effective anti-malarial drug, but is encumbered by patents, so there is only a single manufacturer, hence the...
Read 9 Replies
Sponsored Links
