Arch Tours Gambia

Dance Party in South Senegal

2010-02-20T17:25:00.000-08:00

Trip to South Senegal

2009-02-23T09:22:00.000-08:00

Went to south Senegal and what a lovely day we had, you will really enjoy the children (you can take too many sweets).

Had a lovely meal and the entire day was no hassle.

Lese Michele
London

Lamin Lodge, Gambia, Senegal

2009-02-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

We took two of the trips- The four tours in one day + the Senegal trip, both of which were excellent.

We particularly enjoyed the 4 tours, Alex and Ali were excellent and we especially loved the pancake/doughnuts at Lamin lodge.

We would highly recommend any of the tours provided, the guides are really knowledgeable, helpful and friendly, and you will definitely have a great day.

Vicky, Emma,and Gemma

England and Wales

PS. Pencils and sweets for the kids is a must

Holidays in Gambia

2009-02-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

4 TOURS IN 1 DAY (8am – 6pm)

This tour entails four major tours that are offered by other tour companies separately. It is not physically demanding as one may think, so we decided to do them in one day to provide our customers real value for the money that they pay to us. It is not a constant drive the whole day; in every 30 – 45 minutes, we have a stop at a place of interest.

This tour starts with a visit to Serrekunda market. We go through the market showing you some of the local products sold in the market as well as their uses.

We then proceed to “Kachikally” crocodile pool. Come to learn the history of these crocs and also the story of fertility from the waters from the pond. Shake hand with “Charlie” the croc before we board our jeeps again to the “Abuko” cattle market.

This is time to learn all about cattle farming in the Gambia and how these cattle relate to the Gambia and Gambians being a predominantly Muslim country.

From here, we then drive to “Lamin Lodge” for a 30 minutes coffee or tea break. After the break, visit the main oyster collection point and learn about its use in the community. This time we are ready for the safari which takes us into nearly 20 small villages and hamlets in the west and south of the country. Our aim this time is to show you real Gambia and not tourist Gambia.

Stop in one of the villages along the way and see how the locals live as a social family.

On our way to Paradise beach, we will be telling you about the 3 types of education in the Gambia making stops at different points for a detailed illustration. We will also stop by a termite hill and tell you their importance to the community. We will spend between 2– 2:30 mins at “Paradise” beach for lunch. Here you can relax on free sun beds or go for a swim before getting ready for the 22 kilometers drive along the beach if the tide allow us. Otherwise we will drive upland and still miss nothing except having good time and fun.

Get to “Tanji” the biggest fishing village in the Gambia. See how fish is processed, preserved and also see the role that is played by Gambian women in this industry. From here we go to “King Kombo” a liquor distillery. This liquor is made from local products in the Gambia e.g. cashew, orange, grapes, banana etc. You can have free sample of all available types. No hard sales – only if you wish to bring along 1 or 2 bottles as a souvenir, its fine. Now its getting to 6pm and its about time we drive you back to your hotels.

Ground Tour Operators in The Gambia

2009-02-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

Arch Tours can provide services for overseas tour operators in several ways:

Creatively packaging the Gambian tourism product - groups, free independent travellers (FITs) and business tourism

Assisting the overseas tour operating partner company in developing brochure content, marketing programmes, training and familarisation visits

Providing competitively priced land arrangements.

Full on-the-ground backup services to your clients

Serra Kunda Market, Katchikally, Abuko, Lamin Lodge, Tanji

2009-02-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

4 TOURS IN 1 DAY (8am – 6pm)

This tour entails four major tours that are offered by other tour companies separately. It is not physically demanding as one may think, so we decided to do them in one day to provide our customers real value for the money that they pay to us. It is not a constant drive the whole day; in every 30 – 45 minutes, we have a stop at a place of interest.

This tour starts with a visit to Serrekunda market. We go through the market showing you some of the local products sold in the market as well as their uses.

We then proceed to “Kachikally” crocodile pool. Come to learn the history of these crocs and also the story of fertility from the waters from the pond. Shake hand with “Charlie” the croc before we board our jeeps again to the “Abuko” cattle market.

This is time to learn all about cattle farming in the Gambia and how these cattle relate to the Gambia and Gambians being a predominantly Muslim country.

From here, we then drive to “Lamin Lodge” for a 30 minutes coffee or tea break. After the break, visit the main oyster collection point and learn about its use in the community. This time we are ready for the safari which takes us into nearly 20 small villages and hamlets in the west and south of the country. Our aim this time is to show you real Gambia and not tourist Gambia.

Stop in one of the villages along the way and see how the locals live as a social family.

On our way to Paradise beach, we will be telling you about the 3 types of education in the Gambia making stops at different points for a detailed illustration. We will also stop by a termite hill and tell you their importance to the community. We will spend between 2– 2:30 mins at “Paradise” beach for lunch. Here you can relax on free sun beds or go for a swim before getting ready for the 22 kilometers drive along the beach if the tide allow us. Otherwise we will drive upland and still miss nothing except having good time and fun.

Get to “Tanji” the biggest fishing village in the Gambia. See how fish is processed, preserved and also see the role that is played by Gambian women in this industry.

From here we go to “King Kombo” a liquor distillery. This liquor is made from local products in the Gambia e.g. cashew, orange, grapes, banana etc. You can have free sample of all available types. No hard sales – only if you wish to bring along 1 or 2 bottles as a souvenir, its fine. Now its getting to 6pm and its about time we drive you back to your hotels.

Smugglers Route Tour Through Gambia To South Senegal

2009-01-29T06:16:00.000-08:00

Abdul maps out the details of the Smugglers Route Tour through Gambia to South Senegal.

Roots by Land: Trips to Juffureh, the village of Kunta Kinteh

2009-01-27T10:37:00.000-08:00

Cross the busy ferry with the local to “Barra”, the first town in the North Bank of the country. This is the only means of connecting to the Northern part of the country and also links the country to the North of Senegal.

This is an experience not to be missed. The ferry crossing gives you an insight into river traffic in the Country. Join your jeeps and drive on to “Juffureh”/”Albreda”.

Visit the historic slave museum before joining a boat trip to “James Island”, the place where most of the slaves exported from the Gambia were kept for a forth night. Before being transported to Goree in north Senegal on a journey of no return, Come back and visit the 7th generation of “Kunta Kinteh”.lunch and a drive back at 15:00 hrs to the ferry terminal.

This 200 years old history is something you must not miss having the opportunity to visit the Gambia.

Trip to North Senegal, Barra, Amdali, Missirah, Toubacuta, Fatalah Game Park

2009-01-25T10:48:00.000-08:00

2 DAYS NORTH SENEGAL Pick up 8am

DAY 1 – Drive to Banjul and cross the ferry to Barra and then join our jeeps to the Gambian border town of Amdalai, Have your passport stamped and then on to the Senegal border town of Karang”, where the same process will be repeated, allowing you entry into North Senegal. We then drive to missirah” Village which is one of the most traditional villages in this area. It has a small population that live mainly on Agriculture and farming,

In Missirah, we visit the famous “kaopak” Tree with a circumference of about 40 meters. Seeing this thousand year old giant is the only way to believe the statistics. Try to frame the whole tree in your view finder. it has provided many generations with shelter.

From missirah, we then drive to “Toubacuta” and proceed to Hotel “Les Paletuvies” for an overnight stop. Lunch, Boat Trip at 17:00hrs. Dinner at 20:00hrs entertainment by a local dance Troupe.

DAY 2 Wake up call at 6:30 hrs, Breakfast at 7:00 hrs and then depart to Fatalah Game Park at 08: 00 hrs; spot some of the world’s exotic and almost extinct animals in their own natural environment. i. e Giraffes, Rhinos , Wild Bucks, Bush pigs , Buffaloes and a wide variety of monkeys.

Depart Game Park at 12:00 hrs. Arrive in hotel Les paletuviers for lunch and refreshments before departing our rooms at 15:00hrs for a drive back to the border and going through the same process of passport stamping.

A drive to Barra ferry terminal and by ferry to Banjul and drive to our respective hotels.

Sunset Cruise in The Gambia

2009-01-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

Drive to “Kiti” for a cultural show by a group of about 180 women belonging to a group called “Kambeng Kafu”.

This lasts for about 1hr 30 minutes, give or take 5 minutes before joining our jeeps again to proceed to “Denton” bridge otherwise known as the“Oyster” creek bridge where we will be joining our double deck boat for a cruise in the river Gambia that will last for 3 hours.

This will be just about time to witness the sunset as we cruise in the mangroves heading to “Lamin Lodge” where we stop for a buffet dinner. We then drive you back to your hotels.

Arch-Tours, a great holiday experience in The Gambia

2009-01-15T12:09:00.000-08:00

Two excellent tours, particularly 4 in 1, which was a great experience and very informative.

Ali was a friendly and helpful guide and we have really enjoyed the Arch tours experience.

Roger & Melody,

England

Gambia Tour Operators: Eco Tour Operators in Gambia

2009-01-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

Arch Tours have become one of the leading eco tour operators in the Gambia / Senegal region.

We are very sensitive about the environment and many of our Gambian eco tours are designed to give our visitors another experience of The Gambia - different from that generally offered to tourists.

Kafountine and Kailo Island in South Senegal

2009-01-13T10:40:00.000-08:00

Pick up from the front door of your hotel and drive to the Gambia border town of Giboroh and get your passports stamped and then on to the Senegal border town of Seleti and stamp passports as well.

Drive to Kafountine in South Senegal the largest fishing village. To hotel Lekaroune and board a boat to ’Kailo’ Island. This Island is occupied by animists. Come to learn about their way of life. Back to the hotel for lunch, swim or relax.

Then drive back to the Gambia, this time using the smugglers route. See how this happens in the evenings. We will make a stop at ‘Mamuda’ village and have an entertaining performance from local ‘Jola’ women. You don’t want to miss this, I believe that no matter what; you will take off your shoe and have a try before driving on to ‘Darussalam’ border town where your passports will be stamped allowing you entry into the Gambia.

We are sure to be back at your hotel at 6pm give or take 15 minutes.

Holiday Tours in Gambia: 4 Tours in 1

2009-01-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

Fantastic trip. 4 in 1 is worthwhile and interesting.

Alex is a great guide despite what they say!!

Simon

Gambia River Cruise to Tendaba Camp and Kiang West National Park

2009-01-11T10:43:00.000-08:00

2 DAYS TENDABA CAMP 8am – 6pm

Day 1-Pick up at 8am from the hotel and drive to the West Bank division of The Gambia. This is the largest Division in the Gambia. We stop at Tendaba camp for lunch and then proceed for a 2hrs 30mins boat trip. We cruise in the river Gambia where you can see different species of birds. This is a great opportunity for you to see the widest part of the river Gambia, overnight stop at Tendaba Camp.

Day 2-Breakfast at 8: am and a drive to Kiang west national park. Here you can see baboons, monkeys and bush pigs among others. Please note that these animals are living in the wild and there is every possibility to miss sight of them at various times though it is very rare. Drive back through the lower river division and get to your hotels at 6pm. (A week end in the Country).

Arch Tours, perfect tour guides

2009-01-07T12:11:00.000-08:00

4 in 1 day is a must. Ali and Alex were the perfect guides and made the day really enjoyable and were very informative. The trip has some excellent photo opportunities.

Hannah & Joe

Leeds, England

Tours in Gambia

2008-12-26T09:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Abdul and colleagues,

We are very impressed with your organization. Our day with our family of seven was fantastic.

Very smooth, kind, relaxed, with humor and sense of responsibility.

Special thanks to Allagie, Gin and Solomon

26th December (tour was on 23rd Dec) 2008

The Van Stapele and Resinh Party, Bussum , Holland

British Tourist in Gambia

2008-12-23T09:25:00.000-08:00

I have highly recommended the Arch tours experience to my friends.

I took the 4 in 1 tour a few days ago and not only enjoyed seeing hitherto unfamiliar Gambian features and learning about them from Yaya and Alex, but was impressed by the variety of aspects they highlight. If you want to enjoy excellent value-book here!.

Eddie Wildmary
British tourist.

See the real Gambia

2008-12-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

I went on 3 tours with Arch tours and can honestly say it was fantastic. The staff are very well trained and informative.

They made the whole journey really enjoyable.

I highly recommend the tours and want to return with my sister to have fun in the Gambia and to see the real Gambia by doing the tours with Arch tours.

Marian Ampofo
London, England

Roots by Land: Trips to Juffureh, the village of Kunta Kinteh

2008-12-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all the Arch tour guys, we thoroughly enjoyed Roots and 4 in 1. We will highly recommend Arch tours to all, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

See you next year guys!

Andy and George Smith
London, England

Professional tour operators in the Gambia

2008-12-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

I traveled on two tours, south Senegal and 4 in one day.

The organization for both was excellent; the staff were both friendly and professional in their service and advice.

Having been to the Gambia many times, Arch tours are second to none, well done Abdul.

Steve Clarkson
Salford, G Manchester
England, UK

Tour Guides in Gambia

2008-12-06T09:30:00.000-08:00

The four in one tour.

Our choice proved to be a wonderful experience.

The overall organization was extremely professional and the tour guides Alex and Ali were so knowledgeable and helpful.

Plenty of food and drink and all destinations were clearly well presented.

We would highly recommend Arch tours for anyone who wants to see the “real Gambia”.

John & Angela Parker
Tim & Tener Davie
Blackburn, Lancashire, England

Roots, Gambia and South Senegal

2008-11-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

We went on three tours, ‘Roots by land”, ‘Four tours in 1 day’ and ‘South Senegal’.

All very good and interesting.

Exceptional value for money.

I would definitely go with Arch tours again.

Peter & Shelagh Barlow
England

Both 4 in 1 tour and 1 day in Senegal were superlative. Learnt a lot about Gambian life, excellently organized and superb value for money.

The boys are great and really looked after us.

Diane & Hughie
Derby, England

4 tours in 1 day. A truly excellent day out. It would not have been better. Everything was excellent, personal, polite, informational and a great experience.

Ice cold drinks as promised supplied all day, Incredible. Abdul and his staff took such good care of us all day too.
Just brilliant.

Jill & Roger Parker
Preston, England

We went on the roots trip, and really enjoyed the experience, our tour guides were excellent and nice, and answered many questions regarding the Roots tour, and the buffet in Jufureh was really well prepared, and there were plenty of drinks along the way.

We would highly recommend this trip to anyone wanting to learn about the slave trade.

Darran & Adele Brown
Blackpool
England

If Carlsberg ran tours....

2008-11-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

Both 4 in 1 tour and I day Senegal is excellent very well planned and delivered with no problems.
Food at lunch was excellent and the boys in red did a good job of repelling the bumsters away.

If Carlsberg ran tours…

Terry & Jill
Derby, England

Excursions in Gambia

2008-11-19T09:41:00.000-08:00

4 in 1 – What a fantastic day!.

We are people who don’t do excursions but I can honestly say that this day was the best experience of our stay in the Gambia by far.

Abdul and his team looked after us very professionally and we seemed to spend most of the day laughing.

If you go on this trip, you will not be disappointed.

Mike & Angela
Bolsover, UK

(P.S. Ask Abdul about the rice pounding!! It’s his specialty).

Experience the real Gambian people

2008-11-19T09:40:00.000-08:00

4 tours in 1 day- This tour covers everything and we experienced the real Gambian people. Fantastic.

“It does everything it says on the tin and more!!

Mark recommends the fish and chips.

The team and staff made the difference. They were polite, informative and lots of fun.

Most enjoyable

Mark & Denise (The castles)
From Cheshire, England

Tourist Guide in Gambia

2008-11-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

There is never a problem in the Gambia.

All the days here are very nice, friendly people.

Maybe in other year we come back and visit your tourist burs. A good guide and driver.

We have had an interesting day.

Greetings

Geert en frea Wind, Holland

Gambia tourist trips and tour guides

2008-11-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

We did the 4 in 1 trips.

We are lucky enough to have traveled the world and been on many tourist trips such as this and can honestly sat that this was one of the best we have experienced.

The tour guides were excellent and ensured that your day was fun, informative and hassle free!

To be recommended highly!

Anne & Terry
Sevenoaks, UK

Gambian life and history

2008-04-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Have excellent days for both trips. The guides were very good and spoke well, explaining local Gambian life and history.

Thanks and hope to see it again

Two great days, thanks to Alex, Ali for looking after us and giving us a true Gambian experience.

Roots trip was on some boat as the first choice tour and trip was cheaper and more personal than through the rep.

Peter & Myra
Wales, UK

Tour Guides in Gambia

2008-04-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

We have been on 3 trips while we have been here, everyone is very helpful in every way possible, very polite. They look after you very well and don’t rub you off.

Brilliant people, brilliant trips and brilliant time. Thank you all.

Joyce & Jim
England

Brilliant day, excellent tour guides and driver.

John 7 Joger
England

We had a brilliant day. The tour guide was excellent. Great value and good to see “real’ Gambia.
Thank you

Sully & stavant
Bishaps, Statford
UK

Educational Trips in Gambia

2008-04-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

We had an excellent trip. The 4 in 1 tour. Arch tours were recommended to us by Terry Butcher and Margaret Thatcher, our neighbors at the Sea view!

So much better than the trip booked through your travel company. Very educational and informative and well worth a day out of your holiday.

Cill & Nick, Bury
Nr M/CR – MUFC!

Hey everyone,

We’ve been here for only one week, but in the trip, we’ve seen more than the rest of the week. An experience you mustn’t miss.

Next time, we want to see more. We have had a lovely day and have a lot of fun. We advise everybody to do this because Kololi is different. You must see more.

Best wishes from Sjaah en vera Smit from Holland

De were
See you later

Knowlegeable tour guides in Gambia

2008-02-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

We had done 2 tours with Arch and they were all thoroughly enjoyable.

Much better than hotel or travel company. Go with these guys, good fun, educational and we made good friends. We’ll be back

Ian & Ber Hutchinson, England

Highly recommended. Friendly, knowledgeable tour guides. Had a great time.

Jie & Rob, England

Arch Tours

2008-02-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

WHO IS ARCH TOURS
ARCH-Tours was founded in the year 2004 by Mr. Abdul Rahman Conteh in collaboration with some prominent Gambian personalities with the sole aim of providing first class customer service that would be equal to none bearing in mind the importance of tourism in our national economy.
The word ARCH -Tours represents, AFRICAN REAL CULTURAL and HISTORICAL Tours.
Arch tours are a locally based tour company operating in The Gambia and internationally recognized. Our guides and drivers have all received training in tourism and hospitality. They are all self motivated, highly responsible and dedicated in ensuring that customer’s needs are met.
What arch-tours offer you?
Well organized and hassle free tours throughout the Gambia and Senegal.
Lunch and soft drinks.{water and beer included]
Traveling in small groups 4 – 12 persons maximum.
An informative, reliable and safe way to travel around the Gambia and Senegal.
Each driver is an experienced safari driver and mechanic.
We travel in open top 109 land rovers or air conditioned buses when necessary.
What arch-tours is doing for THE GAMBIA?
Conservation.
Conservation may be practiced in many different ways. Habitat preservation is one of the principal forms of conservation. this can be done by establishing private reserves, supporting established national parks and reserves, or funding native tree reforestation projects. Though protected areas may be visited by tourist, it is important to recognize that their purpose is preservation. Whenever visiting a protected area, Arch-tours ensure that your visit will be made with minimal impact.
Minimal environmental impact
Minimal environmental impact is the fundamental goal of every eco-operator. How anyone manages its impact will tell you immediately if it is truly ecological minded. Ecologically responsible businesses recycle, conserve water and energy, manage waste properly, and allow guest to choose whether or not to change linens or towels daily. Arch tours believe that these simple efforts make a huge difference in the long term environmental impact tourism has in The Gambia.
Sustainable Tourism Development
Arch Tours believes that sustainability is vital to the long-term success of Gambia Tourism. The majority of products consumed at an eco-resort should be locally produced. Furthermore, construction should be done using local materials and methods, and local organic gardens should be the source of the majority of the food served. Ultimately, sustainability means a lifestyle that is in balance and that can be maintained indefinitely without depleting local resources.
Meaningful Community Involvement
Community Involvement is a crucial aspect of Arch Tours brand of ecotourism. Arch Tours believes that tourism should generate revenue for the local Gambian economy. Ideally, the local Gambian community should own the establishment and employ local labor. Moreover, in addition to generating revenue and providing employment, Arch Tours encourages and sponsors community development projects.
Environmental Education
Environmental education teaches others to be ecologically responsible. Arch Tours aims to ensure that every guest leaves our tour having learned something about environmental preservation and cultural sensitivity. This will ensure the continued growth of environmental and cultural awareness in The Gambia.
The Director and founder of ARCH Tours and Chief Guide as well Mr. Abdul Raman Conteh is a 48 years old Gambian national. After graduation from high school, he first served as a teacher in the Gambia covering history and English language in a junior Sec. School. When he left the teaching field, he served the medical research council (MRC) in the Gambia collecting data and information on malaria. Later, he joined the Gambian army and was a DRILL instructor for six years, Trained by the British Army. Resigning from the army in 1992, he started his private career as a tourist guide at the Senegambia hotel area. In 1994, he established the Gambia Adventure Safari which was popularly known as Abdul’s SAFARI or “THE BOYS IN RED”. In October 2002, he was appointed as tour supervisor for African Adventure Tours which was then the agent for the Olympia International in Holland.
In 2004, he founded ARCH-Tours. With his number of years experience in conducting excursions in the Gambia and working experience, the Director strongly feels that there is a lot to be done to upgrade standards. He believes “the only way to successfully upgrade standards in excursions in the Gambia is to set up your own safari company where you have all the powers to use your initiative as much as possible to set the visions that others would follow.
METHODS AND STRATEGIES
v Prioritize customer satisfaction.
v Small high quality tours in open top 4 wheel vehicles or mini buses with a maximum of 12 people.
v Providing training and workshops for staff on tourism, hospitality and management.
v We take radical steps to bring hassling to a halt and replacing this style of life with creativity; hard work and self discipline.
v Broad based employment on merit and great chances given to females in order to promote gender equality.

Visit to Roots by River

2008-01-23T09:57:00.000-08:00

4 tours in 1 and Roots by river

We had an absolutely brilliant time. The guides ere friendly, funny and the whole tour were excellent. I’d definitely recommend the 4 tours in 1 as a starter.

Will be coming back
Lai Mei & Ben

Gambian Tour Guides

2008-01-01T09:59:00.000-08:00

We had an excellent trip and the full day exertion was tiring but well worth the money. The tour guides are very friendly and extremely knowledgeable.

We loved every minute of it.

So we would like to say happy New Year and “Nice and Easy”.

Thank you all for a lovely holiday.

Take care
Andy, Yolanda, Mitch, Sammy
Essex, England