Reviews about Footsteps Eco-lodge

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Martin 14
3 March 2024
Verified
Home 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.
Liz K
2 March 2024
Verified
A 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 again
Angele V
19 February 2024
Verified
A 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!
Dave H
18 February 2024
Verified
Bliss What 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..
paula G
18 February 2024
Verified
Great place to feel cared for and retreat from busy lives We 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. The transport is not included in the trips off site. If you need to book this, make sure you have the driver's number and arrange a time for collection well in advance of your expected finish time. 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.
John
17 February 2024
Verified
Footsteps een parel in Gambia. Ik heb een uitstekend verblijf gehad in een roundhouse van Footsteps. David en Linda en hun staf zorgen voor een zeer goede sfeer. Door de vele vogels op het terrein kun je van kortbij genieten van de geweldige natuur. Het eten is voortreffelijk. Zeker in dit deel van Gambia zijn de mensen zeer vriendelijk en behulpzaam. Op 20 minuten lopen ligt een flink strand met wat ligbedjes met parasols en juicebars. Doordat er weinig toeristen zijn heb je altijd plek. Onderweg naar het strand kom langs de zgn. Wetlands. Hier wemelt het van de vogels. Ter plaatse zijn allerlei leuke natuurtrips te boeken. Ook behoort vissen tot de mogelijkheden. Wij komen zeker terug.
Lynne S
16 February 2024
Verified
A fabulous week at Footsteps We loved our time at Footsteps. Sunbird House worked well for us. It was spacious and comfortable. One tip we’d like to recommend is for there to be some written guidance in the house re do’s, don’ts and what’s available. The staff were really welcoming and helpful and we loved engaging with (and spending money!) with the craftsmen and women. We can recommend the Black & White drumming team. They created a great last night for us with our many Gambian friends. I’m sure we’ll be back 🙂
Clarareist
12 February 2024
Verified
Gambias schönste Küste Ein traumhafter Ort, mitten in der Natur, der Strand ist fußläufig zu erreichen und einer der wenigen sauberen Strände Gambias. Sehr nettes Personal! Das Rundhaus gemütlich und sauber. Essen vor Ort top! Haben nette Menschen kennengelernt. Wir kommen wieder!
Kathryn J
10 February 2024
Verified
A truly special place Footsteps is a truly special place. We had the most incredible stay. Everything was wonderful. The staff were exceptionally helpful and friendly, the accommodation was beautiful, comfortable and clean, the food was fantastic and the grounds were really peaceful and well cared for. The bird song all around was spectacular each day and the walk to the beach was lovely. We had an unforgettable time there. It was wonderful to meet the local craftsman working on site and be able to support their work. I’ve never met such friendly and open people ! Footsteps really has everything you need for a great holiday in The Gambia. We arranged bird watching trips with an extremely knowledgeable guide, as well as having Djembe lessons locally and a really good massage on site. We left feeling really grateful for such a special time. I celebrated my birthday whilst there and it was the best birthday ever!! Thank you David and all the team at Footsteps. We’ll be back !!!

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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, accomodating and hospitable. Lodges were fairly secluded and very clean. But, on 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 at 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 would like 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 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 absolutely assure you that our guides are paid extremely well. There are guides outside the lodge which offer inferior trips for less money and these guides often try to persuade our guests that its better to go with them, it is not and in fact does not support a good business model for the local area or its people. All in all 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!

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