Ylva this is your dream come true

Travel

September 07, 2002



Far from the tourist-riddled beaches of The Gambia, up to 30 visitors can live among the 300 villagers of Tumani Tenda, where they stay in their own huts
Tumani Tenda, The Gambia

Visitors to The Gambia are finally seeing beyond beaches flanked by foreign-owned, all-inclusive hotels, and are heading inland to the call of djembe drums. Although the Government’s brave attempt in 2000 to ban all-inclusives was thwarted by pressure from foreign operators, the pattern of Gambian tourism is changing. At the forefront are the 300 villagers of Tumani Tenda, who have built guesthouses for up to 30 visitors.
Although simple, with grass mattresses, the huts are clean and comfortable. As at any resort, there’s a choice of activities — only they are not put on for entertainment. They’re part of life in this self-sufficient village. Immersion in such a different culture can initially seem strange, but is not unpleasant; more like an awakening to possibilities beyond your own world.
Guests can join fishing trips or help tend the village’s tree plantation in the forest full of monkeys and birds. Women take visitors to gather oysters and medicinal plants, or explain the cultivation of papayas and bananas in the communal garden. You can try anything, from grinding palm kernels and batik-making, to frenetic, limb-thrashing dancing.
Dishes such as domoda (rice and fish in peanut sauce) are served on large, shared plates. Guests pay for well water (a valuable resource) according to the amount consumed.
Under the scheme, established with Gambia Tourism Concern, 15 villagers work full-time, without payment, hosting visitors and translating. The begging that blights other Gambian villages is forbidden. Revenue accrues in a development fund to buy schoolbooks and equipment. Longer-term goals include a clinic and a generator.

Tribes (01728 685971, www.tribes.co.uk) offers an eight-day stay at Tumani Tenda from £480, including all meals. Flights, also bookable through Tribes, cost about £400. Further information: www.gambiatourismconcern.com

_________________________________________________________

GROWING OLD IS MANDATORY; BECOMING WISE IS OPTIONAL.

__________________________________________________________


---------------------------------
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~