Full view
View all photos (98)98
Dining (8)
Room & Suite (8)
About
#1 of 1 ranch in Tujereng
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
We own and run deluxe, spacious, detached eco-lodges with restaurant, in the countryside, near a beautiful beach, in unspoilt, untouristy South Gambia.
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free parking
Pool
Outdoor pool
Free breakfast
Bar / lounge
Airport transportation
Shuttle bus service
Laundry service
Restaurant
Show more
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Location
Farakunku, Tujereng Gambia
185Reviews1Q+A54Room tips
ReviewsWe perform checks on reviews.Tripadvisor’s approach to reviewsBefore posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
Traveller rating
- 182
- 2
- 0
- 0
- 1
Time of year
Traveller type
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Most Recent
We stayed for five nights right at the end of the season. The accommodation was first rate, so much better than I imagined. The lodge was in excellent repair, unlike a lot of accommodation in the Gambia. Everything worked. Comfortable bed, spacious room. nice hot shower in en suite, clever lockable walk in wardrobe to keep everything including birding equipment. Excellent three course meal each evening. Everyone very friendly and helpful. Heather runs wonderful art classes and her studio is a testament to what she can do and encourage others to try. Excellent value for money. Birdguides can be found by Heather and Moses and they can also arrange for you to be taken to a beach or a market or whatever you would like. A very personal service.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Returning to Farakunku is like returning home on a winter's day and settling down in your favourite chair in front of a log fire. We consider it home from home. In addition to owners Heather and Moses, all the staff are welcoming and do all in their power to make you feel at home. Food was again of a high standard, a lovely mix of European and Gambian dishes and flavours. The laundry service was as good as we have experienced anywhere. We stayed for a fortnight and spent seven days birding with Lie, a young bird guide who has proved knowledge and adaptable. Not all bird watchers want to chase birds all day long, but he was he able to adjust to our needs and we saw more than we expected. He was good company, as was Serif who was driving us.. On our local days we walked round the area which proved very productive and we always felt completely safe and were never hassled. Another great holiday, thank you everyone. Philip and Gill…
Read more
Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
I have just spent 10 days at Farakunku Lodge and we could not have been made more welcome. The accommodation was clean, very spacious and comfortable. There was a seating area outside each lodge to relax in, but Heather and Moses (the hosts) were happy for us to sit in their garden should we choose to do so which gave additional bird watching areas. Food was well presented and very tasty. There were options of trying African dishes at the midday meal or baguettes. The grounds were peaceful and the wildlife garden that has been developed to attract birds in was fantastic with plenty of comfortable seating in shaded areas. The hosts were keen to help and provided a wealth of information about the area, nothing was too much trouble. All the staff at Farakunku were polite and helpful. Other people staying there at the same time as us had listed previously and could not recommend it enough.…
Read more
Date of stay: January 2023
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.
Helpful
My wife and I stayed at Farakunku November/December 2022. It was a lovely trip, Heather and Moses are great hosts, the food is good, and the staff at the lodge are extremely friendly and helpful. We did a number of bird watching trips while we were there. Each one of them is worthwhile, the guide we had (Mas) is great, we saw a lot of birds and other wildlife on each day out. We also spent a few days in Tendaba, which was very enjoyable. Plenty of cormorants, storks, herons, pelicans in and around the mangroves
Read more
Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
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.
Helpful
+1
We have just returned from an 11 day stay at Farakunku and we are missing it already! Heather and Moses are the perfect hosts, their team are friendly and helpful and the Lodges are spacious and immqculately clean. I have back problems and a comfortable bed is high on my agenda. This did not disappoint. The gardens are beautifully designed and maintained and a lot of care has gone into attracting wildlife. We are avid birdwatchers and we spent many hours wandering around the gardens and watching birds flock to the feeders. We booked 6 days of trips and these were led by our knowledgeable guide, Abdulie (Lie) Saine, who was sensitive to our needs and with whom we developed a wonderful rapport. Serif, our driver, was a delight, with his cheery smile and super safe driving. Our focus was birdwatching and our trips were all enjoyable and successful. We intend to return in December as we can't think of a more magical way to celebrate my husband's 'special' birthday. We are now back home and missing it all - the ambience, the friendliness of the locals, the amazing 3 course meals every night, the climate and, of course, Heather and Moses.…
Read more
Date of stay: January 2023Trip 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.
Helpful
We stayed at Farakunku over Christmas and the New Year 2022/3. Our main reason for the trip was birdwatching, but we were also looking forward to some relaxation. Farakunku is well positioned in the centre of the western and southern part of The Gambia, and is, thankfully, well south of the main tourist "strip". The lodge is located an easy walk from the village of Tujereng and a longer walk to the excellent beach. Birding around the Lodge and within walking distance is excellent with the lodges enclosed bird and tree reserve pulling in many species to it's drinking pots. This is worth a visit and quiet "sit and wait" in the covered seating areas at any time of the day. We had 6 full days with a professional birding guide booked by the Lodge, and the first 5 trips were with the excellent Masanneh, and he was excellent - probably helping us see twice as many birds as we would have found unaided. The 6th trip was with Lamin, and he was faultless, and we shall book him again (later this year). Both guides had their own transport, and picked us up at 7:30 for a full days birding. I also had a day booked butterflying and dragonflying with the extraordinarily knowledgeable expat Allen Holmes - a great day out - he is very good at the birds as well. Farakunku is a brilliant place to stay. Our lodge was very spacious and was cleaned every day. The lodge had the real advantage of a lockable "walk-in wardrobe" for safely storing valuables, camera and computer gear and travel documents. There was an excellent supply of hot water for showers and a private area with sun lounger, table and chairs. There are no power sockets in the lodges, but 4 UK sockets in the restaurant area for charging batteries and laptops etc. Not suitable for hairdryers or straighteners (my wife and I have very short hairI and have no need for either!) The area alongside the restaurant/bar has a very clean plunge pool, and plenty of chairs, tables and sun-loungers. Tea and (instant) coffee were constantly and freely available. Filter coffee was available at a small extra charge. The area around the lodges is full of flowers and mature trees, and is excellent for birds and butterflies. Heather and Moses (the lovely owners) have a bungalow next door, and guests are encouraged to use thier garden - which has an even better assortment of birds visiting. My very artistic and crafty wife spent quite a lot of time with Heather in her studio where she did some mosaic work, and acrylic paint "pouring". Heather is a retired art teacher and the results were really good. The compound is walled and very secure with a night watchman in attendance. The food was, in a word, fabulous. Breakfast was buffet style with eggs done any which way you choose. Lunch was either a light snack, or a Gambian dish - try the Chicken Domada - one of the best meals ever! Evening meal was 3 courses, and never the same dish twice (except for carrot and coriander soup we had twice - no complaint though because it was delicious). To illustrate how good Heather and Moses are as hosts - I have a very wierd diet, and Heather researched it heavily and ensured that all my meals were on my "diet sheet". No easy task. The staff were, without exception, attentive (but not over attentive!) and conscientious. We had great fun with them, and am really looking forward to seeing them again later this year. They are happy to drive you anywhere, and they took us to the beach a couple of times and we had a lovely walk back. Strongly recomended is a trip to Tanje for the colourful and bustling market. We had a really interesting trip around the fish smoking shed. Quite simply, Farakunku is a brilliant place to stay. Friendly owners and staff and clean and comfortable accomodation close to most of the best birding spots. All the trips were arranged by Heather and Moses in advance. We are returning this December - that is how good it is.…
Read more
Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
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.
Helpful
Our family were concerned about our January departure to Gambia for another birdwatching and relaxing trip. Thjeir fears were unfounded. Everything went smoothly and the new airport Terminal was a big plus. Farakunku was as homely and comfortable as ever, we were well fed and the staff could not have done more for us. We went out birdwatching every other day with Serif driving and Abdulie as our guide. Lie was young, knew his birds, was very enthusiastic and was sensitive to our requirements. Our aim is to enjoy and savour great views of birds not see the maximum number possible and he adjusted his style accordingly. There was always a bit of guilt at the damage Covid has done to the Gambian Tourist Industry, the accommodation providers, drivers, bird guides and the local forest guide. We must start visiting again or we will put at risk all the good work in bird conservation within the country. Heather and Moses were impeccable hosts and we cannot wait to be back again next January.…
Read more
Date of stay: January 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: All four huts are identical so no problem
See more room tips
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.
Helpful
We have just returned from our second trip to Farakunku - and we enjoyed this trip just like the first. I simply have no desire to stay in the busy tourist areas further north, instead preferring the 'away from it all' feel provided by Farakunku. Once again food was excellent, accommodation was good and the staff were great. I came away with several recipes to try at home.... so that I can cook something that will always remind me of Gambia and Farakunku. We had a great time on my Dad's birthday and a superb Christmas. Always well organised and nothing overlooked. Birdwatching with Lie was once again a pleasure. It was with regret that we had to return to the wet and dreary weather in the UK. Heather and Moses thanks for a great holiday.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
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.
Helpful
A beautiful ecolodge, professionally operated and managed by Heather and Moses. Immaculately presented the whole site was clean and accessible, a major feat having not been open for a whole season due to C19. I was their first guest for 18 months and was expecting teething problems. I looked, but could not find any! Moses provides free 4x4 vehicle trips to the local beach (around 10 minute drive) if you need to go; the wildlife was amazing on the coast - waders, ospreys, kites and much more. Birdlife was rich at the lodge too; a pair of blue-bellied rollers were living inside a dead palm tree stump just meters from the reception area. The grounds and gardens are teaming with birds and other plant and animal life. The food was amazing. All hand made and tailored exactly to my dietary requirements. You won't find anything processed or off the shelf here. All hand made, delicious and set out on a menu board each day. Thank you Heather and Moses for looking after me for my 8-days with you. The only negative was having to leave after such a wonderful time. Best wishes for the season and I look forward to returning... as soon as I can.…
Read more
Date of stay: November 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Just go and relax!
See more room tips
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.
Helpful
I received a warm and friendly welcome from the owner run lodge. Heather and Moses have a very hands on approach to the welfare of their guests and are backed up by good natured staff. The octagonal guest houses are well designed, very comfortable and clean, and pleasantly, everything worked. The food each night is delicious and substantial, prepared by their master chef Lasse. They have built a separate and secluded second garden that is planted with different Gambian plants, which carry the name and a short description of the uses that the Gambians have, from medicine to building and of course fire wood. Water and food is put out for the birds throughout the gardens, which of course attracts numerous species of Gambias fabulous bird life. With a plunge pool for guests, both bird and travellors, what more could be asked. Heather now offers art classes as well as excursions around Gambia. The sea is a short car ride away, that is provided by the lodge when required. There is great attention to detail, and the result is a very comfortable stay. Thank you all so much.…
Read more
Date of stay: March 2020
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.
Helpful
Response from tranquil59, Owner at Farakunku Lodges
Responded 12 Mar 2020
We are so pleased to know that your stay lived up to expectations...you deserved some comforts after your lengthy travels around Gambia. It was a pleasure to know you ...as our last pre-booked guest of the season it made for a pleasant finale for us too. Thank you for taking the time to send in a review.
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LOCATION
GambiaWest Coast DivisionTujereng
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your ListingFARAKUNKU LODGES - Updated 2023 Reviews (Tujereng, Gambia)
Frequently Asked Questions about Farakunku Lodges
What are some of the property amenities at Farakunku Lodges?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Farakunku Lodges?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Farakunku Lodges?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Farakunku Lodges have an airport shuttle?
Yes, Farakunku Lodges offers an airport shuttle for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Does Farakunku Lodges have airport transportation?
Yes, Farakunku Lodges offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Is Farakunku Lodges accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.