Winter Sun Holiday in The Gambia

As mentioned in my previous post, I went on a winter sun holiday to The Gambia in West Africa this year, and escaped a little the English winter over Christmas.

The flight is only meant to be six hours from Gatwick Airport, but unfortunately we were delayed by two hours in Gatwick because of poor weather! Luckily this would be the last sort of any bad weather we'd see again until returning back in England!

After landing at Banjul International Airport, we spent a night at the coast and stayed at the Safari Garden Hotel, we then traveled inland, partly on land by bush taxi and partly by boat on the Gambia River.

Along the way we spotted many birds, we also saw dolphins in the river, monkeys, baboons, hippos and chimpanzees!



Our destination up country was the Bird Safari Camp, located near Georgetown on MacCarthy Island, not far from the Gambia River national park and where the The Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project is located. We stayed at the Bird Safari Camp for three nights, before returning back to the beaches of The Gambia.

On the whole I would say that The Gambia is a pretty good location if you are looking for some winter sun, the temperature never dropped below 30 degrees and we never saw a cloud whilst we were there. The prices are, for me a little high for what you get, especially when you compare it to a few other locations in Africa, this is probably because of just how popular The Gambia is becoming as a tourist location, especially as a beach holiday location. The trip that we did up river was excellent and I would recommend it to anyone looking for more than just a beach holiday in the sun.

I have written a full report about the trip on another of my websites if you would like to read it: Winter Sun Holiday in the Gambia

Kenya Winter Sun Holidays 2007

Staying on the continent of Africa for the moment Kenya is a fantastic country to visit, especially for your Winter Sun Holidays. What is very popular for 2007 is a beach and safari holiday in Mombasa.

Kenya Beach and Safari Holidays from Mombasa
A beach resort in Mombasa, Kenya can be the ideal spot for finding you place in the sun this winter, not only will your hotel be right on the beach but how does an early morning game drive, viewing some of Africa's top wildlife like Elephants, Lions, Zebra and the hoards of antelope species, followed by and Afternoon lazing on the beach sound?<

I have been to Kenya and whilst in Mombasa, stayed at Bamburi Beach which is less than 30mins from Mombasa by a local shared taxi. The Hotel was stayed at called the Travellers Inn. The hotel was excellent from our balcony we had a wonderful view of the sun rising every morning, there are also many other excellent looking hotels dotted along the coast line.

Scuba Diving in Mombasa
Winter Sun Holidays don't get much better when you can be learning to scuba dive or snorkeling in warm crystal clear water. I got my PADI divers license in Kenya and this was definitely one of the highlights of my trip, not only was it cheap (compared to the west) but the diving was pretty good as well, with plenty of tropical fish to see. We started our lessons in the Hotel pool and once I had passed a few tests, which I had studied for lazing on Bamburi beach in the afternoons! After a few days I was ready for my first open water dive. The feeling was incredible and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Wildlife Viewing in Kenya
Obviously Kenya is famous for the Masai Mara and it's great Wildebeest migration, and you can organise to visit the Masai Mara from your hotel or before you go on holiday, I would recommend making it a one or two day excursion at least, just so that you get the most of it. If that time frame is a little to long, there is the Tsavo game reserve famous for it's lions (The Lions of Tsavo) and some more less well known game reserves closer to Mombasa and it is even possible to go a day trip to them from your hotel.

These are just a few of the many, many things you can do whilst on your Winter Sun holidays in Kenya, but there is so much more, Including, exploring the old town of Mombasa, including Fort Jesus in Mombasa built in 1593 by order of King Philip II of Spain. Visit one of the many fine restaurants in Kenya, including the famous Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi

I hope I gave given you just a taster of what is available on your Winter Sun Holiday in Kenya. For more details and info try the Kenyan Safari Holiday Guide Website

Winter Sun Holidays in Dubai

Dubai is a pretty new destination for winter sun holidays, but it is becoming more and more common for people to take their holidays in Dubai, So what is the reason why?

When most people think of Dubai as a holiday destination, I guess their first thought would be cheap shopping, and this still holds true, but there is so much more to this oil-rich emirate.

As far as a winter sun holiday destination goes, Dubai is not a bad bet, Dubai has some excellent beaches, some of the best hotels in the world, cheap shopping and for those looking for some adventure how does a desert safari, camel racing, sand skiing and driving 4x4 vehicle on sand dunes sound? Dubai Golf Holidays are also very popular and there are some excellent golf courses.

Dubai Beach Hotels
Dubai has some of the best hotels in the world, many of the best are situated right on the beach, a few of the best to look out for are:
Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Hotel - 5 Star
Madinat Jumeirah - 5 Star
Le Royal Meridien - 5 Star Beach Resort and Spa

For More information on Winter Sun Holidays in Dubai, Cheap Flights to Dubai, all inclusive holiday packages to dubai or if you are just looking to book a hotel in Dubai, try the Winter Sun Holidays in Dubai Guide

Cheap Winter Sun Holidays in Gambia

For my very first post on Winter Sun Holidays I have decided to focus on my favourite continent of Africa. most people won't associate Africa and a cheap holiday abroad, but it is possible and is perfect if you are looking for a Winter Sun Holiday.

So why go to The Gambia?
The Gambia has incredible uncrowded beaches, which are as yet unspoilt. You can laze in the Hot African sun, do some scuba diving or snorkelling or go on an excursion. How does fishing sound, as the fishing in the Gambia is excellent. You can also venture further inland into the bush, the huge variety of bird life making a Gambia holiday great for birdwatchers.

Flights to Gambia

As holidays in the Gambia become more and more common, flights to Gambia get cheaper and cheaper and it is even possible to find last minute and cheap flight deals these days. The flight duration is only 6 hours, and to think that you will then be stepping off in Africa!

The weather in Gambia?

Obviously one of the main reasons you are planning a winter sun holiday is to escape the cold weather, well the good news is that the weather in Gambia pretty good all year round and averages over 30°C every month, even in the winter!

So when is the best time to go to the Gambia?
The great news is if you are looking for winter dun holidays, then from around the middle of October to the early part of June is the dry season in the Gambia this is also the main tourist season, so there are cheap flights to Gambia as well as more regular flights available. At this time of the year, you are almost guaranteed sunshine!!

Gambia Holiday Precautions
Please remember that the Gambia is a malaria area and so you will need to visit your doctor before you leave in order to take the necessary precautions.

For more details on a Cheap Holiday in Gambia, check out the Safari Holiday Guide.

So in my opinion if you are looking for cheap winter sun holidays, the Gambia has on your list of places to visit!