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4.5
#1 of 1 lodge in Karang
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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Each of the 4.5 star luxury tented and air-conditioned suites at Fathala Wildlife Reserve is decorated in a romantic African colonial theme with mosquito nets. The en-suite facilities are equipped with twin basins, deep free-standing baths and open-air showers. The suites are equipped with electronic safe, hairdryer, coffee/tea facilities and guest amenities.
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This place is amazing and a must visit if in Senegal. There are a wide range of activities available from Safari to fishing and local village tours, If you are visiting to do the lion walk you will not be disappointed as it is amazing. Also check out the Lion Cubs they are nothing short of awesome. The accomadation is 5 star quality, I stayed in the luxury tent with a spa bath and i tell you it was fantastic, you are sitting out side right in the Bush where all the animals are and nothing could be more relaxing or peaceful. The housekeeping could not be faulted they would clean my room in the mornings while I had breakfast and I would take a nap in the afternoon and mess up the bed, in the evening they would come again and make my bed and leave a little chocolate for me. Highligh of the accomadation was coming out of my tent and seeing the white Rino walking around one morning. The food was unbelievable and is something I would have expected in a Gordon Ramsay restaurant. All meals were bursting with flavour and presentation was 10/10 well done to the chiefs. Even if you were not interested in any of the activities you would come just for the food. This is not really a place to stay with young children as apart from the safari I think they may find little else to do. Children from 6 and up would love it. Hinie and Erin are great to talk to and will really go out of thier way to make you feel special. Hinie is slightly elusive and hard to catch up with as he is working nonstop, but speak with him for a short time and you will feel as though you have known him for ever. Erin runs the lodge and always takes time not just to greet her guests but to get to know them. Fatou in the restaurant prides herself on service and took great care off all who came fir meals. Over all ratings Accomadation 10/10 Activities 10/10 due to the uniqueness Meals 10/10 Staff 10/10 If you check my other many reviews you will see I very rearly, almost never provide such a high rating. I hope to return with my family in the future.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Francina Terblanche, Agency / Consultant at Fathala Wildlife Reserve
Responded 9 Jul 2020
Dear Bradly, Wow! Thank you for the special review. We are so glad to hear that everything was 10/10. Truly hope we can welcome you and your family back the lodge someday soon! Kind Regards Kate Hattingh
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This is a wonderful place to get away from the hectic pace of Dakar. Friends and I went down for a long weekend on a package which included walking with the lions, a game drive and a sundowner on the mangroves. Erin, Abdou, Joseph and the front of house team run a tight ship. Everyone was friendly and only desired to make our stay more comfortable.
The tents were perfect. Hot water, surprisingly comfortable beds and pillows, electricity outlets, deep bathtubs, outdoor showers and cold A/C to hide from the head of the day. There's even the possibility to rent a Wifi FlyBox if you cannot live with Internet in the room.
We were nervous about coming during the 'rainy season' (humidity, mosquitoes, etc.) but this is actually a great time of year to come. The land is lush green and the occasional storm breaks the humidity. The mosquitoes were not as fierce as I had anticipated.
The activities were of course the highlight. Following a really fun, nerve-wracking walk with the lions, we were able to spend time with the 3-10 month old cubs and feed them their morning milk. It was an unforgettable experience.
You can visit the park and walk with the lions as a day trip, but I highly recommend spending the night here as you get the peace and quiet of the park at night all around you.
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Date of stay: July 2020
Value
Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Francina Terblanche, Agency / Consultant at Fathala Wildlife Reserve
Responded 29 Jul 2020
Dear Robert, Such a lovely review, thank you! I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed everything from the rooms to the amazing activities. Hope we will welcome you at the lodge again sometime in the future! Kind Regards Kate Hattingh
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We had three days at Fathala as part of our 2 week holiday that was principally at a Gambian coastal resort with The Gambia Experience. This made a very pleasant change from the usual tourist traps. The tent accommodation is very spacious and even includes a bath and toilet with a separate outside shower. It is also air conditioned. Bottled water, milk tea and coffee are provided.
The food in the restaurant was to a good standard and we enjoyed all our meals here.
The safari is interesting with a range of animals (some imported from South Africa) however this isn't what you'd get in Tanzania though it is still very enjoyable. There is an abundance of birdlife and animals including a rhino, various antelopes, giraffes, zebras, warthogs and crocodiles. Monkeys roam freely through the site.
The guides are knowledgeable and very helpful. The day out to an island with a guide was very worthwhile.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fathala, Guest Relations Manager at Fathala Wildlife Reserve
Responded 12 Feb 2020
Dear Chris, So great to here you enjoyed glamping in our Luxury Tents. And glad to hear you enjoyed all of your activities here with us. Thank you for the review and hope to welcome you back! Kind Regards Kate Hattingh
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We stayed for 3 nights at Fathala, Senegal as part of a months holiday in The Gambia. We took the Banjul to Barra ferry ( an experience in itself - allow plenty of time and don’t rely on the timetable). Fathala sent a driver to collect us which was well worth the money as our passage through border control and military checkpoints was seamless and stress free. We stopped off at a small village on the way to give sweets to the children - take plenty with you) We stayed in a deluxe tent with a jacuzzi on the decking. The tent was spacious, the bed comfortable and the outdoor shower private. The jacuzzi is a welcome relief from the afternoon heat. The chef is fabulous, every meal was beautifully cooked and presented and were delicious. There is no TV but you can pay for internet or just soak up the sounds of nature. We received a warm welcome from all the staff, they are friendly and will do everything they can to make your stay enjoyable. The outdoor pool is small but fine for a dip and overlooks the watering hole. We spent each evening on the decking watching the animals arrive for a drink and the Water Hog family of 6 having mud baths. We saw Giraffes, Zebra, a Rhino, Antelopes, Monkeys and birds. We went on 3 trips, the morning safari, walking with lions and playing with the lion cubs. Each was a fabulous, unique experience. The Rangers are very knowledgeable and devote their lives to the animals. This is not a conveyor belt, commercialised wildlife reserve like many well known ones in Africa, it is small, personalised and intimate, maximising your experience with the wildlife and excellent value.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kate Hattingh, Agency / Consultant at Fathala Wildlife Reserve
Responded 16 Mar 2022
Dear Dawn, What a lovely review! Thank you so much for your positive and valuable feedback. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed every element of your stay with us! We hope to welcome you back again in the near future! Kind Regards Kate Hattingh
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Professional, well managed (south africans) lodge that provides a great overall experience. Love the way the have set up the lodge in front of water and 24/7 access to the animals that come to drink, including the rhinos. For west africa this is probably as good a wild life experience as you can get (ok. so i havent traveled that much in west africa and may be very wrong..). but really nice, although the seasoned safari-goer should be aware that this is just not equivalent to eastern and southern Africa's safaris. But if you are in Senegal for other reasons, and want a glimpse of the continents natural beauty - do come here!! Will be a nice appetizer before the dedicated trip to Masai Mara & elsewhere.
One word of caution. The lion walk. Well, i wouldnt recommend it. Its not a serene close to nature moment (I have done gorillas and chimpanzees). This is a prolonged photo opp where every person in the group takes turn having their photo taking in 6-7 different locations. If you want a photo with you next to a Lion, for all mean go! If you are looking for a close connection with the great cats, nature then maybe dont. At least you are now warned and can manage your expectations. Oh, and I loved the outdoor showers!!
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Date of stay: May 2019
Value
Cleanliness
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Room Tip:all are the same. all have great location in the middle of the reserve.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fathala, Guest Relations Manager at Fathala Wildlife Reserve
Responded 23 Jan 2020
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you for your review. Your feedback is highly appreciated and helps us ensure the very best service and experiences for our guests. Hope to welcome you back one day! Kind Regards Kate Hattingh
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A great place to stay. Tents are excellent and the local wildlife is all around,,local guides and staff are some of the friendliest helpful people you could meet. We attended a GALA dinner which was the same buffet as the previous days food just with a couple of trays of canapés brought around, however a local choir was the entertainment which was very good indeed.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fathala, Guest Relations Manager at Fathala Wildlife Reserve
Responded 11 Jan 2020
Dear Tony, Thank you for taking the time to write this review. We appreciate your feedback. Kind Regards Kate Hattingh
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Outstanding place and Experience. The food was awesome. The lion encounter, the safari and the National Park were perfect. The Reserve has excelent conditions for the guest’s and we saw Kevin (the rhino) at night! Amazing!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jolene Cooper, Agency / Consultant at Fathala Wildlife Reserve
Responded 22 Jun 2022
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you so much for this beautiful feedback. We are so glad that you had an awesome time here at Fathala and that you saw our dear Kevin at night. We hope to see you again soon. Kindest Regards Jolene Cooper
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What a pleasant 2 day stay here, staff were very welcoming, food was delicious, cleanliness, surroundings & ambience was 5* I undertook 2 excursions, 1 walking with lions and the second a brief sunset safari (I had already done a safari in South Africa so this was just a refresh, guides on both excursions we’re very professional with good knowledge, I would highly recommend both either booking directly with the hotel.
Alcoholic & non-alcohol including food was plentiful, well presented & plenty of variety.
Accomdation, I opted for one of the safari tents, very cosy, ample and space with outdoor showers (this was pretty cool)
Overall I would certainly stay here again, thank you to all staff and most certainly Gambia Experience (add link)
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jolene Cooper, Agency / Consultant at Fathala Wildlife Reserve
Responded 23 Nov 2022
Dearest Anthony, We want to thank you for this beautiful review. It is very detailed and exactly the way we want our guests to feel when they stay with us. We are happy that you enjoyed your excursions, food and your outdoor shower. We surely do hope to welcome you back in the near future. Kindest Regards Jolene Cooper
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We have booked at this lodge because it has very good reviews on trip advisor and bookings. The lodge is in the middle of the reserve of fathala, a beautiful place with many wild animals like monkeys, ryno, antylops. Sadly the management is terrible. The staff is ok but this is a real trap for toursits. We paid 285 euo per night as we were looking for 2 days of total relax but the place is faraway from a four star standard lodge . You have to pay even to brieth e.g. 18 euro per person for a simple breakfast, 50/70 euros for activities that ususally cost 15/20 euros, almost 10 euros per day for internet connection (not included)!. The lodge is totally isolated so you don't have any other options. For example we wanted to get a car to go around nearby and they charged 4/5 times the normal price and they were not helpful in finding alternatives. For a local beer (around 1 euro) they charged 7 euros. We were really disappointed. There is no care in running this business, only making money. We would not reccomend to book this place unless you are fine to be robbed and pay more than european prices for lower standard without any other options.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Visit the reserve if you like a small safari but without staying at the lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
An oasis of wildlife and relaxation in what can be a challenging region in which to travel. The lodge staff and guides were friendly and knowledgeable. Special mention to Jolene who assisted us with on-line planning with the utmost kindness and professionalism! We did many activities (game drive and lion walk, island tour, bush walk and birding) and would recommend them all. The food was good quality and reasonably-priced (eg. 3-course dinner, 2 choices for each course, €30). We enjoyed the good bar selection to go with our dinner or sunset wildlife viewing on the deck overlooking the watering hole. The tent accommodations were spacious with good facilities and a small air conditioning unit. My one negative would be that af this price point, wifi should be free rather than €8/day. Overall a memorable stay.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jolene Cooper, Agency / Consultant at Fathala Wildlife Reserve
Responded 20 Apr 2023
Dearest Phil, Thank you so much for this beautiful review. It was wonderful having you here with us at Fathala and we are so glad that you had such a lovely time here and could enjoy all the special moments with us. We surely do hope that you and your family will come visit us again. With the Kindest Regards Jolene Cooper
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Los Angeles, California4,136 contributions137 helpful votes
I flew into the Dakar, Senegal Airport - DSS.
I spent 4 days in Mbour before going to Fathala. My plan was to go to Gambia overland from Fathala. Fathala is very close to the Gambia border.
If you have no plans to visit other places in Senegal other than Fathala, you might try flying into the airport in Gambia- BLJ and get the ferry from Banjul to cross over to Senegal to visit Fathala Wildlife Reserve.
Hi Helena
I am happy to inform you that we do offer return transfers from Barra. Please feen free to contact us direct.
Kind Regards
Fathala Reservations
Rugby, United Kingdom24 contributions2 helpful votes
"The rooms have everything except for an iron.
Although we didn't need one and I'm sure they could find you one if you asked.
Definitely use bug spray."
There are more places to choose from in the Karang area.
PRICE RANGE
£129 - £185 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
SenegalFatick RegionKarang
NUMBER OF ROOMS
20
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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