The best hotels in Banjul
Picking a hotel in Banjul sounds simple until you realize the best beaches, restaurants, and nightlife are actually 20-40 minutes from the city center, spread across Bakau, Kololi, and Bijilo. We reviewed 8,000+ options across the whole coastal strip. These 10 made the cut.
Our 10 Top Picks in Banjul
Click any hotel to check availability and book at the best price.
Sunbeach Hotel & Resort
Banjul
$80/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
RoofTop Hotel aka ”The Roof” The Gambia
Banjul
$80/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Sarawally Guesthouse
Banjul
$24/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Coco Ocean Resort & Spa Hotel
Banjul
$146/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Ngala Lodge
Banjul
$80/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Senegambia Beach Hotel
Banjul
$70/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Ocean Bay Hotel & Spa
Banjul
$93/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Majula Boutique Hotel
Banjul
$78/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Bakadaji Hotel
Banjul
$129/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Kololi Beach Resort
Banjul
$64/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Why These Hotels Made Our List
Here's why each one made the cut.
Sunbeach Hotel & Resort
Right on the Atlantic coast, away from the Kololi strip's noise. That separation works for you if you want a quiet beach holiday. You'll need a taxi to reach Senegambia's bars (about 500 dalasi each way). The 4.5 from 321 guests is genuinely consistent. Pool's solid, rooms deliver. Good for couples who don't need nightlife on the doorstep.
Address:Sunbeach Hotel & Resort, F8PJ+PW6, Cape Point, Bakau, Gambia
Neighborhood:Cape Point
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Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.
RoofTop Hotel aka ”The Roof” The Gambia
That 4.8 from 73 guests is one of the highest scores in The Gambia. The rooftop setting gives you breezes and views that standard beach hotels can't match. It's in Banjul proper, not the tourist strip, so you're closer to the real city. Smaller sample but the consistency is there. Try it if you want something genuinely different.
Address:RoofTop Hotel aka ”The Roof” The Gambia, C7HG+WPM, Kerr Serign, Gambia
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Sarawally Guesthouse
$24/night and a 4.5 from 96 reviews. That combination is rare. You're getting a 3-star guesthouse that outscores plenty of 4-stars. It's not going to have pools or a spa. What you get is clean, honest accommodation at a price that leaves room for food, taxis, and actually doing things. Best budget pick in the city.
Address:Sarawally Guesthouse, F Section, Ampaya, Gambia
Neighborhood:Fajara
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Coco Ocean Resort & Spa Hotel
The best full-service beach resort in The Gambia. $146/night gets you a proper spa, a beautiful pool, and direct beach access near Bijilo Forest. 703 reviews at 4.3 means it's proven at scale. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for here. If you're doing a proper beach holiday, this is the reference point.
Address:Coco Ocean Resort & Spa Hotel, Costal Highway, Bijilo, Gambia
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Ngala Lodge
4.9 from 37 guests. That's near-perfect and it's not a fluke. Ngala is a small boutique property in Fajara, one of the nicer residential areas away from the main tourist crush. Personal service at this level is hard to find in The Gambia. Book early, it fills fast. If you can get a room, take it.
Address:Ngala Lodge, 64 Atlantic Blvd, Bakau, Gambia
Neighborhood:Fajara
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Senegambia Beach Hotel
The heart of the tourist strip in Kololi. 1,359 reviews at 4.2 tells you everything: it works, it's reliable, it handles crowds. The strip's bars and restaurants are walking distance, so you won't need taxis at night. $70/night is fair for the location. Expect noise on weekends. Good for first-timers who want to be in the action.
Address:Senegambia Beach Hotel, Kololi, Banjul, Gambia
Neighborhood:Kololi
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Ocean Bay Hotel & Spa
Five stars at $93/night, which is $53 less per night than Coco Ocean. In Bakau, close to the craft market and Cape Point. 558 reviews at 4.2 means it's a proven property. The spa and pool are solid. If you want luxury without the luxury price tag, this is your pick.
Address:Ocean Bay Hotel & Spa, F8MM+XFG, Bakau, Gambia
Neighborhood:Cape Point
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Majula Boutique Hotel
4.7 from 29 reviews is a small sample but the score is impressive. $78/night for a 3-star boutique that outperforms many 4-stars. Boutique properties in The Gambia typically mean personal attention, real local food, and staff who actually know your name. Worth trying if you're done with big resort anonymity. Book early, rooms are limited.
Address:Majula Boutique Hotel, 62 Atlantic Blvd, Serrekunda, Gambia
Neighborhood:Fajara
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Bakadaji Hotel
Two stars but $129/night and a 4.4 from 101 reviews. The price doesn't match the classification, which usually means it's underrating its own quality. Strong bet it punches above its star rating. 101 reviews at 4.4 is solid evidence. Go in knowing it won't look like a 4-star on paper, but it'll feel like one.
Address:Bakadaji Hotel, Serrekunda, Gambia
Neighborhood:Kololi
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Kololi Beach Resort
Four stars at $64/night in Kololi puts you right where the action is. Walking distance to the Senegambia strip and the beach. 176 reviews at 4.2 is consistent for the price point. Not as polished as Ocean Bay or Coco Ocean, but you're paying $30 to $80 less. Good trade-off if location matters more than finish.
Address:Kololi Beach Resort, C7RF+MW4 Kololi Beach Resort, Serrekunda, Gambia
Neighborhood:Senegambia
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Didn't find your match above? Here's every hotel in Banjul.
Every scored hotel in the city. Filter by price, rating, or type to find yours.
| # | Hotel | Our Score | Guest Rating | Reviews | Type | Price/Night | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunbeach Hotel & Resort | 4.5 | 321 | 4★ | $80/night | Book → | |
| 2 | RoofTop Hotel aka ”The Roof” The Gambia | 4.8 | 73 | Apartment / Guesthouse | $80/night | Book → | |
| 3 | Sarawally Guesthouse | 4.5 | 96 | 3★ | $20/night | Book → | |
| 4 | Coco Ocean Resort & Spa Hotel | 4.3 | 703 | 5★ | $150/night | Book → | |
| 5 | Ngala Lodge | 4.9 | 37 | 4★ | $80/night | Book → | |
| 6 | Senegambia Beach Hotel | 4.2 | 1 359 | 3★ | $70/night | Book → | |
| 7 | Ocean Bay Hotel & Spa | 4.2 | 558 | 5★ | $90/night | Book → | |
| 8 | Majula Boutique Hotel | 4.7 | 29 | 3★ | $80/night | Book → | |
| 9 | Bakadaji Hotel | 4.4 | 101 | 2★ | $130/night | Book → | |
| 10 | Kololi Beach Resort | 4.2 | 176 | 4★ | $60/night | Book → | |
| 11 | Camping Sukuta Lodge | 4.3 | 53 | Apartment / Guesthouse | $20/night | Book → | |
| 12 | SJ Kololi Apartments Senegambia Area - One-Bedroom Apartment | 4.9 | 8 | Apartment / Guesthouse | $20/night | Book → | |
| 13 | Jinack Lodge | 4.6 | 26 | 3★ | $30/night | Book → | |
| 14 | Sunset Beach | 4.2 | 406 | 3★ | $70/night | Book → | |
| 15 | Mandinari River Lodge | 4.5 | 28 | Apartment / Guesthouse | $50/night | Book → | |
| 16 | One World Village Guesthouse | 4.0 | 3 | Apartment / Guesthouse | $20/night | Book → | |
| 17 | TUI BLUE Tamala | 4.1 | 735 | 4★ | $110/night | Book → | |
| 18 | Leybato Beach Hotel | 4.1 | 14 | 2★ | $40/night | Book → | |
| 19 | Kombo Beach Resort | 4.1 | 575 | 4★ | $100/night | Book → | |
| 20 | The Girls Guest house - One-Bedroom Apartment | Apartment / Guesthouse | $20/night | Book → |
Where to Stay in Banjul
The neighborhood you pick matters more than the hotel.
Don't stay in Banjul city if you want the beach
This is the mistake we see constantly. Travelers book a cheap room near Albert Market or Arch 22 thinking they're 'in Banjul' and then spend every day in taxis to the actual tourist areas. Banjul city is worth a half-day visit, not a base.
The real action is 20-40 minutes west along the Atlantic coast. Kololi, Bijilo, Kotu, and Bakau are where the hotels, beaches, and restaurants actually cluster. Budget another $5-10/day for transport if you insist on staying in the city, or just book coastal from the start.
How to read hotel prices on the Gambia coast
Most hotels here price in USD or Euros for international guests, but always confirm what currency the rack rate is in. Some smaller guesthouses around Serrekunda and Kotu quote in GMD, which looks cheap until you do the conversion and realize it's about the same.
Peak season surcharges in Kololi and Bijilo can be brutal. A room at $120/night in October might list at $180 in December. If your dates are flexible, the sweet spot is October or early November: dry season has kicked in, prices haven't peaked yet, and the beaches are quiet.
Getting around: what nobody tells you about taxis here
There are two types of taxis in the Gambia: yellow tourist taxis and green town taxis. Never take the tourist taxi rate at face value. From Kololi to Banjul ferry terminal, a fair rate is $4-6. Drivers will quote $15-20 to first-timers. Politely refuse and they'll come down fast.
Green shared taxis run fixed routes for 20-50 GMD and are perfectly safe for short hops along Kairaba Avenue or between Kololi and Serrekunda. For longer trips like Banjul to Brufut Heights where the Sheraton sits, agree a price before getting in. Bolt works in the Gambia now and removes the negotiation entirely.
The real deal on 'beachfront' hotels in the Gambia
Half the properties marketed as beachfront in Kotu and Bijilo require a 10-20 minute walk through a hotel access path to reach the actual sand. Kombo Beach Hotel in Kotu is genuinely on the beach. Coco Ocean Resort in Bijilo is close enough that it counts. Always check satellite images on Google Maps before booking.
Sheraton Gambia in Brufut has a beautiful beach, but the resort is large and your room could be a 6-8 minute walk from the water. That's not a dealbreaker if you're paying for the pool and spa, but know what you're getting.
Birdwatching and nature: which hotel base works best
The Gambia punches way above its weight for birding. Over 600 species recorded in a country you can drive end-to-end in 3 hours. Bijilo Forest Park is walkable from Sunbeach Hotel and Coco Ocean Resort, and the park opens at 8am for about $2 entry. You'll see green monkeys before breakfast.
For serious birding trips to Abuko Nature Reserve or the River Gambia National Park, Ngala Lodge in Bakau is a strong base. It's 25 minutes from Abuko by taxi and the lodge staff know the local guide community well. Fajara Hotel also works if you want a quieter residential neighborhood as your base.
Luxury in Banjul: worth it or overpriced?
Sheraton Gambia in Brufut Heights and Laico Atlantic Hotel on Marina Parade represent the ceiling here. The Sheraton at $290-480/night delivers proper international luxury: multiple pools, a full spa, and a private beach strip. Laico Atlantic at $255-370/night is Banjul's grand old colonial-style hotel and genuinely the most prestigious address in the city.
Coco Ocean Resort and Ngala Lodge are the smart luxury plays. Both hover in the $150-230/night range, and both score higher on personal service than the big chain properties. Ngala Lodge on Atlantic Boulevard in Bakau in particular feels like staying in someone's beautifully renovated home rather than a resort. That's not for everyone, but the guests who love it really love it.
Banjul's best hotel regions
Don't limit yourself to Banjul city proper. The action is along the Atlantic coast, from Bakau down through Fajara, Kololi, and Bijilo to Brufut. If you want beach access and nightlife within walking distance, plant yourself in Kololi or Bijilo first.
Banjul City 2 vetted hotels History and budget beds, but not a beach holiday base.
History and budget beds, but not a beach holiday base.
Banjul is tiny by capital city standards, roughly 5 km² of peninsula between the Gambia River and the Atlantic. Albert Market, Arch 22, and the Gambia National Museum on Independence Drive are all walkable from the Marina Parade hotel strip. But the nearest proper beach is a 20-minute taxi ride.
Laico Atlantic Hotel and its Annex both sit on Marina Parade, which is the best address in the city proper. The Annex is the budget-friendly sibling at $45-75/night. The main hotel at $255-370/night is where visiting dignitaries and business delegations stay, and it shows in the service.
Don't base your entire trip here unless you're in Banjul for work or a short stopover. For a beach holiday, you'll spend too much time and money in taxis commuting to the coast.
Browse all Banjul City hotels → Bakau & Fajara 2 vetted hotels Local neighborhood feel with easy city access.
Local neighborhood feel with easy city access.
Bakau sits about 12 km from Banjul city center and feels noticeably more local than the polished tourist zones further south. Cape Point juts into the Atlantic here and the beach at the point is quiet and clean. Kachikally Crocodile Pool on Crocodile Pool Road draws curious visitors and is a 10-minute walk from Cape Point Hotel.
Fajara is the quieter, more residential neighbor to Bakau. Kairaba Avenue runs through both neighborhoods and is lined with the best independent restaurants in the greater Banjul area. Fajara Hotel sits right on the edge of Fajara Golf Club, which is one of West Africa's more scenic 9-hole courses.
This stretch is ideal if you want an authentic neighborhood base rather than a resort bubble. It's also 15-20 minutes closer to Banjul city than Kololi, which matters if you're mixing work with leisure.
Browse all Bakau & Fajara hotels → Kololi & Kotu 2 vetted hotels The tourist heartbeat of the Gambia coast.
The tourist heartbeat of the Gambia coast.
Kololi's Senegambia Strip is the spine of tourist life in the Gambia. Restaurants, bars, craft markets, and beach clubs line it from end to end. Baobab Holiday Resort sits right in the center of it, which is either perfect or exhausting depending on what you're after. Kotu Beach is 10 minutes walk from the strip and significantly quieter than the main Kololi beach access points.
Kombo Beach Hotel in Kotu occupies one of the best actual beachfront positions on this coastline. Kotu Stream runs behind the hotel and is a surprisingly good spot for birdwatching at dawn. The beach here is wider and less crowded than Senegambia-adjacent stretches.
Prices here are mid-range, $120-195/night for our picks, and represent genuinely good value for what's on offer. This is the best region if you're visiting for the first time and want everything within easy walking distance.
Browse all Kololi & Kotu hotels → Bijilo & Brufut 3 vetted hotels Quieter, greener, and home to the coast's top-rated properties.
Quieter, greener, and home to the coast's top-rated properties.
Bijilo is just south of Kololi but feels calmer. Bijilo Forest Park creates a natural buffer that keeps development in check, and the beach here tends to be less crowded. Sunbeach Hotel and Coco Ocean Resort both sit on Bijilo Beach, and both are within a 5-minute walk of the forest park entrance. The park's green monkeys are a highlight.
Brufut Heights, another 10 km south, is where Sheraton Gambia sits in splendid isolation above the cliffs. The views over the Atlantic from Brufut are the best on this coastline, full stop. You're further from the Senegambia Strip restaurants, about 20 minutes by taxi, but the Sheraton's own dining is good enough that it doesn't matter much.
This region makes the most sense for couples, honeymooners, and anyone who wants space from the package-holiday crowd. Coco Ocean at $150-220/night and Sheraton at $290-480/night are both worth every dollar for what they deliver.
Browse all Bijilo & Brufut hotels →Best Areas by Vibe
Tell us how you travel.
Romantic Stay
Bijilo Beach is your best bet. Coco Ocean Resort in Bijilo has private beach access, a full spa, and small enough guest numbers that it never feels like a package resort.
Culture & History
Base yourself on Marina Parade in Banjul city. You're a 10-minute walk from Arch 22, the Gambia National Museum, and the chaos of Albert Market all at once.
Family Holiday
Bijilo Beach, specifically around Sunbeach Hotel, is ideal. Bijilo Forest Park is 5 minutes walk for monkey spotting, and the beach shelf is gentle enough for kids.
Budget Travel
Banjul city's Marina Parade strip gives you the cheapest beds on the entire coast, starting at $45/night, with Albert Market street food a short walk away.
Beach & Sun
Kotu Beach edges out the others for sheer quality of sand. Kombo Beach Hotel sits directly on it, and the beach stretches wide with far fewer vendors than the Kololi stretch.
Food & Nightlife
The Senegambia Strip in Kololi is where you want to be. Everything from fresh barracuda grills to cocktail bars is within a 10-minute walk of Baobab Holiday Resort.
We reviewed 8,000+ options across the main regions of Banjul and the Atlantic coast. Most of what we cut had one or more of the same problems: misleading beachfront photos where the hotel is actually a 25-minute walk from the water, budget guesthouses on Kairaba Avenue that charge city-center prices for paper-thin walls, and mid-range resorts in Kotu that haven't updated their rooms since 2009 but still list themselves as four-star. We also cut any property with a pattern of bait-and-switch pricing at check-in, which is more common here than most guides will admit. What's left are 10 hotels that actually deliver what they promise.
Location Quality
Is the neighborhood walkable? Are restaurants, shops, and attractions within 10 minutes on foot? How does it feel after dark? We evaluate safety, public transport access, and whether the area has genuine local character or just tourist traps. A hotel in the wrong neighborhood ruins a trip. That's why location carries the most weight.
Value for Money
We compare what you pay against what you get. A €150 hotel with a great location, clean rooms, and helpful staff can outscore a €500 hotel with fancy amenities in a bad area. We factor in seasonal pricing, cancellation policies, and hidden costs like tourist tax and breakfast surcharges. The goal is finding the best ratio, not the lowest price.
Guest Experience
We analyze thousands of verified guest reviews across multiple platforms, looking for patterns rather than individual complaints. Consistent praise for cleanliness, staff, and room quality counts. We also assess the intangibles: does the hotel have character? Would you recommend it to a friend? A soul-less chain hotel with perfect facilities still loses to a well-run boutique with personality.
Every hotel on this page earned its spot through this process.
When to Visit Banjul
Hotel prices, crowds, and weather vary by season.
Peak Season (Nov-Feb)
This is when Europe empties into the Gambia. November through February brings perfect dry weather, cool evenings around 20°C, and every decent hotel filling up fast. Christmas week in Kololi and Bijilo sees prices jump 40-60% above the already-elevated peak rates. Book at least 8-10 weeks ahead for anything in Kololi, Bijilo, or Kotu.
Sweet Spot (Oct & Mar)
October and March are the transition months and genuinely the best time to visit. Dry season conditions hold, prices are 20-35% lower than December peaks, and the beaches are noticeably emptier. March gets warm, pushing toward 34°C by midday, but the evenings are still pleasant and the Bijilo Forest Park birdlife is at its most active.
Shoulder Season (Apr-Jun)
April through June gets hot, with temperatures cresting 36-38°C in May. Humidity starts building from June onward. Most European package tour operators have pulled out by April, so you'll have a more local experience. Hotels in Brufut and Bijilo offer their lowest rates, with some rooms dipping to $70-90/night at properties that hit $150+ in December.
Rainy Season (Jul-Sep)
July through September brings heavy afternoon downpours, sometimes lasting 2-3 hours, but mornings are often clear. This is the Gambia at its greenest and cheapest. Rooms in Kololi and Bijilo drop to $70-110/night. The upside: virtually no tourist crowds, the countryside is lush, and Abuko Nature Reserve is spectacular with migrant birds passing through.
Booking Tips for Banjul
Smart booking strategies for Banjul.
Book Kololi and Bijilo hotels 8 weeks out for December
Peak-season demand in the Gambia is driven almost entirely by UK and Scandinavian charter flights that book en masse. By October, the good rooms in Senegambia Strip and Bijilo Beach properties are already spoken for. If you're flexible on dates, the first two weeks of November offer peak-season weather at $30-50/night less than December.
Always negotiate your taxi fare before getting in
Yellow tourist taxis at Banjul International Airport and outside Senegambia Strip hotels quote inflated fares to new arrivals. A fair rate from the airport in Yundum to Kololi is $15-20. From Kololi to Banjul city center, $5-8. Download Bolt before you arrive and you'll bypass the negotiation entirely. It operates across the coastal strip from Bakau down to Brufut.
Ask about room position, not just category, at Sheraton and Coco Ocean
Both Sheraton Gambia in Brufut Heights and Coco Ocean Resort in Bijilo have sprawling grounds. A 'sea view room' at Sheraton can mean a 7-minute walk from your room to the beach. Ask specifically which building your room is in and how far from the main pool. At Coco Ocean, rooms in the Garden Wing are 4-5 minutes from the beach. Ocean Wing rooms are worth the slight premium.
Get Dalasi cash before you leave the airport arrivals hall
There's a bank exchange desk in the Banjul International Airport arrivals area with decent rates, far better than hotel reception desks. ATMs on Kairaba Avenue in Fajara are more reliable than those in Banjul city center, where outages are common. Budget roughly 500-700 GMD ($7-10) per person per day for local food, transport, and tips on top of your hotel costs.
Don't write off the Annex to save $10
Laico Atlantic Hotel Annex at $45-75/night is the best-value genuine hotel stay in Banjul city. The main Laico Atlantic next door shares some facilities and the Marina Parade location puts you 10 minutes walk from the Banjul ferry terminal, Albert Market, and Arch 22. For a 1-2 night stopover or budget city base, nothing else comes close at this price.
Use hotels as birding bases, not just beach bases
The Gambia has over 600 recorded bird species. Ngala Lodge on Atlantic Boulevard in Bakau is 25 minutes by taxi from Abuko Nature Reserve and staff can connect you with reliable local guides for around $30-50/day. Sunbeach Hotel in Bijilo is the easiest base for Bijilo Forest Park, open daily from 8am for around 100 GMD entry. Early morning, before 9am, is when you'll see the most.
Hotels in Banjul, FAQ
Straight answers from our team.
Where should I actually stay in Banjul?
Stay on the Atlantic coast, not in Banjul city itself. Kololi, Bijilo, and Bakau give you beach access, restaurants, and things to do within walking distance. Banjul city center is mostly government offices and Albert Market. You can day-trip there in 20-25 minutes by taxi for around $3-5 each way.
What's the cheapest time to visit Banjul?
July through September is low season. Hotel prices drop 30-40% compared to peak, and you'll find rooms in Kololi and Bijilo for $70-110/night that cost $150+ in December. The trade-off is humidity and occasional heavy rain, but most days are still sunny by afternoon.
Is Banjul safe for tourists?
Generally yes, but stay aware around Banjul's Serrekunda market area after dark and on the main Kairaba Avenue tourist strip where petty theft is most common. The hotel zones in Kololi, Bijilo, and Fajara are calm and well-lit. Don't flash expensive gear on public transport between Banjul ferry terminal and the tourist belt.
How do I get from Banjul Airport to the hotels?
Banjul International Airport is in Yundum, roughly 23 km from the Kololi hotel strip. An official taxi runs $15-25 to Kololi or Bijilo, and $30-40 to Banjul city. Agree the price before you get in. Some hotels like Sheraton Gambia and Coco Ocean offer direct transfers. worth asking when you book.
Which hotels are closest to the beach?
Kombo Beach Hotel in Kotu sits right on Kotu Beach, practically steps from the sand. Sunbeach Hotel and Coco Ocean Resort are both on Bijilo Beach and equally close. Sheraton Gambia in Brufut Heights has a long private beach walk but the resort grounds are huge, so your room might be 5-8 minutes from the water.
What's the best area for nightlife and restaurants?
Kololi's Senegambia Strip is the undisputed center of nightlife in the Gambia. You'll find everything from local grills to cocktail bars within a 10-minute walk. Baobab Holiday Resort sits right in the middle of it. Kairaba Avenue in Fajara also has solid restaurants if you want something calmer.
Are there good budget hotels in Banjul?
Yes, two of our picks come in under $100/night. Laico Atlantic Hotel Annex on Marina Parade in Banjul city goes for $45-75/night and is your best genuine budget option. Cape Point Hotel in Bakau runs $65-95/night and puts you near the Kachikally Crocodile Pool, about 10 minutes walk from Cape Point beach.
Which hotel is best for families with kids?
Sunbeach Hotel and Resort on Bijilo Beach is our Family Friendly pick for good reason. It has a proper pool area, shallow beach access, and kids' activities, all within a short walk of Bijilo Forest Park where you can spot monkeys. Rooms run $110-175/night, which is fair for what you get.
Do I need a visa to visit the Gambia?
Citizens of ECOWAS member states don't need a visa. Most other nationalities, including UK, US, and EU passport holders, can get a visa on arrival at Banjul International Airport in Yundum for $20-50 depending on nationality. Always verify current requirements with the Gambian High Commission before travel, as policies shift.
What currency is used and can I pay by card?
The Gambian Dalasi (GMD) is the local currency. At time of writing, roughly 70-75 GMD to $1 USD. Most mid-range and luxury hotels accept Visa and Mastercard, but budget guesthouses and local restaurants on Senegambia Strip are mostly cash-only. Get Dalasi from the Standard Chartered ATM on Kairaba Avenue rather than airport exchange booths.
When is peak season in Banjul?
Peak season runs November through February, when Europeans flee winter and temperatures sit at a very pleasant 24-28°C. Hotels in Kololi and Bijilo fill up fast, especially around Christmas and New Year when prices jump 40-60%. Book at least 8-10 weeks ahead if you're traveling in December or January.
What's the difference between Kololi, Bijilo, and Bakau?
Kololi is the liveliest, built around the Senegambia Strip with bars, restaurants, and beach clubs. Bijilo is quieter and a bit more upscale, sitting next to Bijilo Forest Park with two of our top-rated hotels. Bakau is the most local-feeling of the three, just 15 minutes drive from Banjul city and home to the famous Kachikally Crocodile Pool on Crocodile Pool Road.
Useful links for Banjul
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