Brilliant safari experience not to be missed - Fabulous tour to Fathala reserve with our wonderful guide Lamin who could not have been kinder and more friendly. Punctual arrival to start the day then Lamin and friends ensured the ferry crossing and border checks went as smoothly as they could possibly make them. A first class and personal service, we now feel we have made a new friend and enjoyed the best the Gambia and the safari park had to offer, including our generous guide buying us water along the way. We were also joined in Fathala by a local park guide on board the jeep to help guide the driver and find the animals quickly and safely. Our luck was great and we saw all the animals within 1.5 hrs but did not feel rushed to leave till we wanted to, as despite the comfort of our jeep, the heat, dust and long journey from the hotel meant after an 11 hr day we were ready for a lovely shower and dip in the pool. This trip is a must do and TJ’s tours are very much recommended! Hopefully you’ll get Lamin to show you round these fabulous countries as we did 🙂

Walking with lions !! - Very long journey to get to the safari park The ferry was horrendous never felt so uneasy on any trip before Got of at Senegal pushed through showed our passports and our yellow fever card and finger prints taken Bit of a joke because if you hadn’t had the vaccination you could pay and get a piece of paper stamped Anyway got through headed to park got on jeep Saw Kevin the rino at the start few giraffe,s monkeys came back to restaurant our main reason for going was to walk with the loins well our guide wasn’t very pleased when we said this told us we should have told him at the start ( WE DID ) and this is a paid extra to cost of the trip which you are not told about Anyway after a few raised voices we did get to walk with the loins which we will never forget Then back to ferry port and through the scary process again

Friendly and reliable taxi and tour guide. - T-J was the first person we spoke to when we left our hotel for the first time. He gave us useful information and ideas for trips round the area. We went out with him 3 times during our holiday. Twice to the monkey park and once on a tailor made trip to the crocodile pool and then Lamin Lodge for a gentle boat ride through the mangroves. The beauty of using a local guide is the flexibility you have to just stop at things that may interest you but would not be part of a group tour. For example we stopped to have a look at the National football stadium. T-J was also happy to pull in so we could go to a pharmacy and showed us restaurants and bars we may like to try. Having a 4x4 is also very useful given the road conditions in The Gambia! T-J speaks excellent English, is friendly and reliable and I would highly recommend his services.

Amazing Experience - TJ is the best guide you can think of. He picked me up on time at my hotel and drove us to the ferry where he bought tickets to cross the river. On the other side of the river his driver in a 4x4 was already waiting to go for Senegal. Both were very funny and talkative and could it was more like going on a trip with friends. TJ knows all the people at the border/ferry and everything was very efficient. We were in the Safari park in no time (considering the distance and broder crossing to Senegal) and could drive in to the Safari park right away. Having a smaller car inside here is definitela a plus, because it makes everything more intense. We were able to spot a giraffe and antilopes and these little piggies known from lion king, but the tall grass made it difficult. Maybe dont come after the rainy season if you want to see lots of animals. But even just driving around and enjoying the nature and the impressive trees was amazing. On the way back we stopped at a local restaurant to get some food because I was hungry, before drivong back to the ferry. TJ is a fun guy, very intelligent, and definitely someone who will have a good time with. Higle recommended.

Safari fun day - Amazing day out... Great hosts. The experience of a lifetime going from Banjul to fathala on the ferry. The safari was lovely. Managed to see the giraffes zebras warthogs along with a host of other animals and birds. Would recommend it.

Safari in Senegal! - My wife and I had a good time on the safari. Both tour guides were helpful and knowledgeable. The ferry and travel to the site were very interesting and informative.

Bad experience - Booked and paid for the trip via Tripadvisor. Around Eur. 400,- for 2 persons. When I arrived in Gambia, I was politely informed via WhatsApp about the safari trip and that we would be picked up at the hotel. My girlfriend had stomach problems on the day of the trip so I had to reschedule the trip to another day. Fortunately, that was possible the next day. However, additional costs of D4,000 (Eur. 80) were requested, which I paid in cash to TJ, the guide. He said the ferry had to be paid for again. Around 7:00 am we left with another couple to the ferry in Banjul. When we arrived there, we had a delay of 1.5 hours and it turned out that the ferry could no longer sail due to technical problems. Another was deployed, but had to come from elsewhere. It turned out to be a ferry instead. 4 diesel engines, only 1 worked. Instead 45 minutes before the crossing, this ferry took 3 hours. We had now been delayed for 4 hours when we reached the other side. There we were met by a driver with a pickup who took us to the safari reserve in Senegal. TJ came along as a guide. We reached the reserve around 3 p.m. and most of the animals were no longer visible due to the heat (40 degrees). We ended up seeing a few giraffes, antelopes and wild boars. The journey back started around 5 p.m. and when we arrived at the ferry it turned out that the same ferry with a single working diesel engine was still being used. So we opted for a crossing with a fishing boat that can accommodate a maximum of 30 people. To our surprise, the boat filled up with around 50 people. (See refugees from Africa to Italy.) We arrived safely and back at the hotel in the evening. Conclusion: The safari trip is not the trip we hoped to get. In a range of 1-10, this gets a 3 from us. TJ is a friendly guide and tries to make the best of it. It wasn't his fault. If you ask others what they paid for this trip, it turns out that you spend around EUR elsewhere. 90 per person is much less expensive. So do not book via this site.