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Heinz Foerster5. April, 2024Great place to stay! I higly recommend the lodge as a fantastic and safe place for your holiday in The Gambia. Delicious food, great nature, friendly staff, not far from the beach, live music every here and then, and cold beer - nothing to complainShuggie Murphy18. March, 2024I’ve been to The Gambia several times and Footsteps is utter bliss. Well away from crowds, wonderful rooms and the most accommodating and friendly staff with a wonderful beach close by. The whole ethos of the place is inspiring, from the emphasis on ecology to the enhancement of the local community. Wonderful food, and I really miss Campari o’clock.Marina Bock3. March, 2024Ich kam über ein AFROYOGA -Retreat an diesen wunderbaren Ort und fühlte mich in meinem kleinen Rundhaus sofort sehr sehr wohl. Die ganze Anlage scheint organisch gewachsen und genial gestaltet. Ökologisch durchdacht, nachhaltig und durch den Beitrag all der freundlichen und liebenswerten Mitarbeitenden gibt es von hier einen tollen Einstieg in The Gambia. Neben unseren Yoga-Einheiten war Zeit für Gartenspaziergänge, Massagen, Gespräche mit den Künstlern und Handwerkern in der Lodge und außerhalb. Zu einem schönen Strand dauert es zu Fuß ca. 25 Minuten. In der Lodge gibt es regelmäßig Konzerte mit lokalen Künstlern verbunden mit Barbecue und Feuer. Die Atmosphäre war sehr familiär! David, Linda und ihr Team sind in weiteren Projekten engagiert, Menschen und Tiere zu unterstützen ( Dog patrol), Plastik sammeln, etc . Überhaupt scheint footsteps ein Ort zu sein, an dem die verschiedensten interessanten Menschen aufeinandertreffen und sich wohlfühlen können während sie hre Fühler ausstrecken um The Gambia besser kennen zu lernen. Die Verpflegung und das Essen (besonders das Abendmenü) war köstlich auch für mich als Vegetarierin. Der Platz für die Yogapraxis war ein Traum! Alleine durch den Garten zu spazieren, in dem das Gemüse für das Abendessen wächst, ist inspirierend. Ebenso hat die Vogel- und Pflanzenführung unsere Augen und Ohren etwas öffnen können. Die Angebote zu lernen und zu erfahren waren sehr vielfältig!!Ned Sedgwick20. February, 2024An incredibly special place. Perfectly located 45 minutes from the airport, near a town but feeling like its own planet. You could be there a year and not run out of things to do- I'm not a birdwatcher but by the end of my trip was obsessive thanks to Lamin. As a foodie though the cooking course was the stuff of dreams- cooking proper Gambian food for the staff, no gimmicks and the domoda we made at the end was one of the most delivious things (although all the food was great). Unbelievable value and the staff were and the atmosphere which means you end up friends with everyone. 5 starspaula George18. February, 2024We spent 3 nights in one of the roundhouses and had a really good break. The accommodation is quiet, clean and comfortable. The food and service is excellent. Meals are served 'en famille' style which was a lovely sociable experience and we met lots of interesting people. The beach is a 30-40 minute walk away. We only went once because there was plenty to see and do on site. The grounds are quite extensive and are divided into beautiful garden, growing, service and relaxation areas. We pre-booked yoga and a massage on site - both of which were great. We also enjoyed a kayaking trip. We were there for the kayaking and scenery, rather than the bird watching, but got the full birding guide too. There are very talented craftspeople working within the Footsteps grounds. This was a bonus for me because I teach and practise various craftwork in the UK. Will definitely be going back if I get the chance.DAVID HUFTON18. February, 2024What an amazing experience. Set in beautiful and peaceful surroundings, with wildlife on your doorstep. The staff could not have been more friendly and accommodating, and such lovely food. Would very happily visit again. Thank you all.John van Rooijen17. February, 2024We had a wonderful stay at Footsteps. David and Linda and their staff took care for us in an amazing way. Food is very good and the drinks are affordable. Many birds in the garden. It is easy to make a nice walk to the beach and the wetlands with lots of beautiful birds and nature.Leah Desmond16. February, 2024What a rare gem! If you want to visit Gambia and tread lightly, the organic food grown on site, the compost toilets and solar panels all go a long way to protecting the local ecosystem. The staff are phenomenal and paid fair wages. David and his partner who own it also run some local charities so knowing that the money spent here is having some positive impact on the local community is really great 🌺C Taylor11. February, 2024I spent two incredible weeks exploring Gambia from the brilliant ‘base’ that is the Footsteps Eco Lodge. My first journey to Gambia and I didn’t know what to expect. I couldn’t have found a better place to start my explorations. The food and accommodation are excellent and the crew that David and Linda have working there are brilliant. Friendly, knowledgeable and always step up to help when needed. The day trips are a must with Lamin an ex-Forest ranger who knows his birds and forests. Take time out to watch Malang sculpting his lovely iron wood, Bai making his jewellery and Lamin tailoring away to make beautiful clothes to for you to take home. Take some time to wander through the gardens and see what food is being grown for the table or have a dip in the refreshing pool. The Eco principles are alive and well here and it’s inspiring to see. Thanks also to all the wonderful staff who all had great senses of humour and were really interesting to chat with. Thanks David and Linda for a very special trip.meike wagner22. January, 2024Footsteps is a great place on all levels. The property is beautiful and well-maintained. Accommodations are super comfy and clean (we stayed in the round-house as well as the villa Kaira Bunga). David (the owner) is an awesome resource when it comes to getting tips for excursions and things to do and the entire staff is amazing, caring and very helpful. They all seem to operate as a family which made us feel right at home and part of the community. The food is delicious and we loved chef Fatou's varied and thought out menus. After each day trip we were happy to return to the Lodge. It really did feel like home. Would go back any time and can only highly recommend!
Read our 1 bad review! 🟢 🟢
Reviewed Dec 2017
Great staff and location, but….
“Fantastic secluded location with access to the real gambian experience of nature, country and seaside. Local staff were very welcoming, accommodating and hospitable. The lodges were fairly secluded and very clean. But, the down side, no electric plugs in each lodge, showers were often just cold water with very little pressure, bottled water very expensive on site, Wi-Fi only in place in one area for entire location and tourist trips ludicrously expensive and often calculated at different rates for different people with management taking large cuts from the locals. We would definitely recommend the Gambia but not unfortunately Footsteps….”
Response from David W, Owner of Footsteps Eco Lodge
Responded 17 Dec 2017
“Hello John and thank you for your feedback which while quite disappointing for my team and myself is of course reflective of your experience.
I want to take this opportunity to answer some of your points.
Our lodges have never had electric power points and we have never advertised as such, in fact, we specifically mention in our website advertising that indeed there is no power in the huts and that items such as cameras and smart devices are charged in our dedicated charging area in reception.
Our showers are solar and brand new and have been extremely well received by our visitors. There is nothing more we can do to get more pressure or more hot water out of a solar-powered system and can only apologise if you felt we did not deliver a suitable shower.
Our bottled water is available at 60 dalasi for a one-and-a-half litre bottle which is in line with most other establishments in Gambia, we also offer the bottle frozen so it stays cold and refreshing for our guests throughout the whole day at no extra charge.
Our wifi is advertised as not being available throughout all our rooms but available in the main areas. Also, our wifi is free to our guests and we make it very clear indeed it is not fast or reliable, it may interest you to know that we pay almost £100 per month just to achieve what we do and once again we are sorry that we did not meet your expectations.
Our pricing for trips is clear on our website and I can assure you that our guides are paid extremely well. There are guides outside the lodge who offer inferior trips for less money and these guides often try to persuade our guests that it’s better to go with them, it is not and does not support a good business model for the local area or its people. All in all, it was a very disappointing review for us which has come as a shock for the whole team but rest assured we will never stop striving to be the very best we can 😀”
NB – Since 2017 we have installed power in each of our rooms and also have led the charge to become a plastic-free lodge by supplying FREE filtered water to all of our guests.
You can find plenty more reviews about Footsteps Eco-lodge. We are now in their ‘Hall of Fame’, having consistently achieved a ‘Certificate of Excellence for each of the previous 5 years. Indeed, since the day we opened in 2002, we are proud that 97% of our guests have rated their vacation at Footsteps Eco-lodge with a 4 or 5-star review. We hope you’ll agree!
TripAdvisor verified holiday reviews!
VerifiedFootprints78000Relaxed birding in Gambia We spent 10 days at Footsteps on a leisurely birding holiday. Lovely setting with plenty of bird life within close proximity and of course whilst relaxing in the grounds, over 150 species seen. A lovely 25 minute easy, flat walk to the beach with a large crocodile observed in the wetland! Food excellent and it was really nice to sit chatting with other guests over the evening meal. A couple of great birding day trips with Lamin Bojang increased our bird count, thankyou! Our Marakissa tour was excellent with a delicious meal at the Marakissa River Camp included. All the staff were extremely kind, friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Transfers to and from the airport worked very well for us. If you would like a quiet, restful holiday with full sun and pleasant surroundings this is the place for you.Verifiedkate6390A perfect stay Incredible place. Accommodation was as described if not better . Plenty of space , hot shower , fan and mosquito net. Room cleaned daily with fresh towels if needed. The outside areas were perfect for relaxing in , dappled shade amongst the trees and plants. Lots of bird life / wild life around the complex. The food was exemplary, from the fresh breakfast to a great choice for lunch to the table d’hote in the evenings. We did the beach clean , the beach walk in both directions plus plenty of birding in the area. There is lots to explore but it was also lovely just to relax in the grounds. The plunge pool was refreshing when returning from a trip for an immediate cool down. We throughly enjoyed our time here , didn’t want to leave and we are definitely looking at returning and exploring Gambia in more depth including another stay at foot steps of course .VerifiedMichaBeautiful sunsets in paradise Footsteps is a really special place. Bouba and Doudou were very welcoming and friendly and Karamo is a wonderful host - he helped us to find the local places that we wanted to visit. The pool is cool that's for sure and a great highlight of our trip as it is freshwater and not chlorinated. Our room was lovely and the bed was really comfortable. There are so many beautiful birds there and the grounds are lovely and well maintained. I would highly recommend Footsteps.VerifiedJeremy GGreat place and perfect sanctuary in south Gambia TRhis is a great place less than a mile from Gunjur one way and a fabulous empty beach the other way. Footsteps is a perferct snactuary from the heat and the food served for breakfast and dinner really good (they even sell guiness!). Wandering through the forest on the sandy lanes is a great experience and you can organise various trips through the lodge which are great (we especially enjoyed the wildlife and bird spotting trip with Lamin. Would definitely go back in a heartbeatVerifiedExplorer828139Great bird photography opportunities Main goal with my ten nights stay was photographing birds. I ended up with good pictures of around 145 species. The accommodation in the sunbird house was great and spacious and the meals served were delicious. I especially appreciated the barbecue arrangements with dance and drums/kora music on saturdays. The photographing possibilities were very good both guided and on my own by the wetlands locally. I will recommend the kayaking in Tanji as a must-experience highlight.VerifiedJan Sverre KHoliday of my life! The holiday of my life! Met all my expectations. Welcoming, friendly, laid-back, relaxing, picturesque, beatiful. Great staff. Good food. Sensible in every way. A perfect match for my long-standing passion for both Gambian culture and birding. Good oportunities to socialise with other guests. Interesting cultural visits by Jeli Yankuba and a djembe group from Gunjur which made us all dance. And not least, birding was incredible. Me and my travel companion registered more than 130 bird species in ten days! A small platform obove the little pool in the centre of Footsteps was a perfect place to photograph beautiful sunbirds, a pygmy kingfisher, weavers and many more. And Footsteps' excellent bird-guide Lamin Bojang took us to other places where we saw owls, spoonbills, pelicans and more. One thing I know for sure: I will be back!VerifiedShuggie MBest ecolodge there is! This has to be the best lodge in the Gambia. Amazing staff, great food and the last word in comfort. Really impressed by the whole approach to sustainability. Not to mention the incredible wood carver, the weavers (when was the last time you could say I know who grew the cotton, know who spun it, and wove it?), and jeweller. The most relaxing time ever! Thank you David and Linda.VerifiedMartin 14Home from Home We have visited the Gambia many times and this was our 4th visit to Footsteps. Every time we walk through the gates the place feels like a home from home. David, Linda and their staff keep the lodges and grounds clean and tidy. The food produced by the chefs is always to a high standard and the barbeques with entertainment from the local drummers is always a great evening. Every time we come we make new friends and discover new places to visit. We will be back very soon.VerifiedLiz KA Gambian Haven! Can’t stop returning to this Gambian Haven. It was wonderful to return for our 5th visit this year and to be greeted again so warmly by David and his staff. The food as always was delicious, accommodation spotless and every time we come we experience more and varied things about this delightful country and its people, all arranged through Footsteps. We will certainly be back againVerifiedAngele VA Warm and wonderful stay in the most beautiful environment Footsteps is a fantastic natural place where David and Linda and their staff welcome you with warmth and care. All praise! Sitting in front of your roundhouse you will see many birds, but you can also take bird walks and walk towards the beach and wetlands from the lodge. The food is delicious and fresh. For us, the shared dinner was an addition. Lots of beautiful stories and encounters. We will definitely come back! recommended!
