Into the forest

After a final morning at Ngala we said our goodbyes to Jenny, the friendly manager, to all the staff and to Rasta, the cute tabby cat, hoping to return one day.

We were picked up in a minibus around lunch time. There were also three other guests already on board who had been staying at different coastal hotels and like us were moving on to Mandina Lodges - a young couple who I think were on their honeymoon, and a man of about our age travelling alone. Incidentally, we learned when we arrived at Mandina and got chatting to him that he had been due to come on this holiday with his wife, but at the last minute she got cold feet as she was nervous about the (very low) risk of catching malaria. Having already paid in full he had decided to leave her at home and come alone. I couldn't help thinking that there would be some 'interesting' conversations when he got back!

Our luggage was piled on the roof and we set off, soon leaving the more touristy strip behind and driving through dusty markets and local villages. After about half an hour we turned off this busy road on to the track to Mandina and immediately saw why everyone comments on this road - it is a very bumpy, sandy track that must take its toll on the vehicles as well as the comfort of passengers. The oft-repeated joke is that you are getting a free Gambian massage! But this part of the journey only lasted about 15 minutes and we were soon pulling up in the car parking area of the lodges, to be welcomed by the smiling staff.

Mandina Lodges

Mandina consists of a small group of very individual lodges set among the mangroves in the Makasutu Cultural Forest. Three of the lodges (‘Jungle Lodges’) are tucked among the trees, with a roof terrace that looks out over the forest. Four of them (‘Floating Lodges’) are moored among the mangroves on the edge of the river, which is an off-shoot of the Gambia. The two most luxurious are large two-storey affairs - one on the river (the ‘Stilted Lodge’) and one slightly set back from it (the ‘Mangrove Lodge’).

We had booked a Floating Lodge as I liked the idea of being near the water, and were allocated Floating Lodge 1, a short walk along the boardwalk from the communal area where we had been welcomed. The room was large, with a centrally-placed four poster bed facing out over the water. It all looked lovely, but this is a remote area so there are some compromises within the apparent luxury - no A/C (we had a ceiling fan however), erratic electricity supply and a composting toilet in the open-air bathroom that was inclined to be smelly at times. But while the room got rather hot during the day, by bed-time it was always comfortable and we even found that we needed the cosy bedding provided; while a good door kept the toilet smells at bay!

Outside our Floating Lodge was a large private deck with sun loungers and chairs, from where we had wonderful views of the river with lots of passing birds. On several occasions during our stay we saw the local Goliath Heron here in the mornings as he often comes on to the lodge decking to fish. We could watch the local fishermen paddle past, and the women in search of oysters which they gather from the mangroves.

Our first priority on arriving had been to make plans for our stay. Every lodge is assigned a private guide - ours was Amadou – and almost all activities are included in the price of your stay. One activity is extra however, but as I had read countless very positive reviews about the Sunset Cruise we were keen to pay the additional cost and mentioned it during our welcome chat. We were told there was space available this evening, so we signed up, and then were free for a few hours to settle in and enjoy our new temporary home.

Once we’d unpacked, we made for the large pool which is well provided with seating and loungers and surrounded by the shady gardens. I had a swim (possibly Chris swam too – I don’t recall!) and we made friends with one of the many cats who live at the lodges.

We also spent some time enjoying the river views from our deck, but as sunset approached it was time to head for the main jetty to join our ‘cruise’

Sunset cruise

The small motorboat used for this outing takes six people, but we were lucky to have just one other couple with us, leaving room to move around a little – great! Before leaving we were asked about our beverage of choice - red or white wine, beer or soft drinks. We chose white wine as did the other couple, who had helpfully planned ahead and brought a can of mixed nuts from Marks & Spencer with them which they gladly shared and which made a great accompaniment to the drinks. But I am getting ahead of myself!

To start with we followed the small river downstream from the lodge. On the way we saw the small village and factory where the local women open and clean the oysters they collect from the mangrove roots.

We also saw lots of birds, and our knowledgeable guide, Amadou, pointed these out. Among many others we saw:
~ Egrets - Great White and Cattle
~ Pied Kingfishers
~ Whimbrels
~ White-throated Bee-eater
~ Sandwich tern
~ Spur-winged Plover
~ Various herons - Grey, Western Reef, and the amazing and very well-named Goliath

Pied Kingfisher

After a while we reached the mouth of this river, where it opens into the wide expanses of the Gambia River, opposite Dog Island. The light was just fading, the sky was a pearly hue, and it was time to open the wine. We drifted for a while, enjoying our drinks, those nuts and the beautiful view, and chatting with our companions. We learned that he was now retired but had been the British Ambassador in several countries, which made for an interesting conversation.

After a while Amadou said that we should start to head back up the river in time to view the sunset and more birds. As the sun dipped lower the sky turned a beautiful shade of orange.

And when Amadou said more birds, he meant it! First we passed a large group of Black Kites, settling down in some treetops to roost for the night.

Then we came to the small islet he termed Bird Island, where some Cattle Egrets were doing the same. As we waited near the opposite bank more and more birds started to arrive - Cattle Egrets, Great White Egrets, various herons, Pelicans, Cormorants and Darters. They came singly and in small groups, from all sides, until the trees were thick with them. Several times we exclaimed that there was no room for more, but still they came.

My video can give only a small sense of what the experience was like, as I wanted to spend most of the time simply soaking up the atmosphere.

Before leaving this amazing sight, we sailed right round the islet, very close to the overhanging trees and the birds just settling down there for the night, who took no notice of us as we passed.

Then it was time to return to the lodge, sipping the last of our wine and reflecting on a wonderful few hours.

Dinner time

Stays at Mandina are on a half-board basis. The dinner menus are somewhat limited, constrained by the remote location and the availability in the local markets, but the food is of a good quality and well-prepared. Choice however is limited – understandably, as they can’t be expected to buy in loads of ingredients that may not be used. The chef makes a point of visiting all the guests each afternoon somewhere around the lodge to explain that evening's options and take their orders, and also confirm what time they want to eat. We found that there was a choice each day of two starters (one always a soup), two main courses and two desserts. The main courses were usually both meat or one meat and one fish, but vegetarians could be catered for if advance notice was given, as could other dietary requirements.

Today he had spoken to us earlier in the afternoon to take our orders, so as soon as we returned from the cruise we popped back to our lodge to freshen up and change, and hurried back to the open sided restaurant next to the pool. We were allocated the same table and waiter for the whole of our stay and it was good to get to know ours (whose name I have sadly forgotten), just as he got to know us and our tastes. Although the day had been hot, once the sun set it was quite cool and breezy so I was glad I’d brought a light jumper to slip over my shoulders.

After dinner we had a night-cap around the fire pit, sharing the day's experiences with the other guests. We found that the drinks list was somewhat limited compared with that at Ngala Lodge, but there were some decent house wines and the local Julbrew beer, so we were happy enough!

We went to bed in our beautiful Floating Lodge looking forward to the adventures to come!