CLOTH TOURS in GAMBIA, WEST AFRICA
General Information
The African Fabric Lady, Jobo Kunda invite you to join us
for a 10-14 day CLOTH TOUR in Gambia/Casamance, Senegal. AFL
hosts your small self-arranged group of 6-10 guests for dates
determined by your group, that fit within our residency in Africa
each year. We regret that it is not economically feasible for
us to operate a tour with fewer than 6 guests, nor practical
for us to arrange groups of unrelated individuals ourselves.
Individuals or smaller groups interested in a similar experience
are encouraged to discuss a Jobo Kunda Independent Residency
with us. You are welcome for any period of time during our winter
season in Africa.
AFL Cloth Tour costs for 2006 are estimated at $1650 per person
for a group of 6-10. This charge covers all ground transport,
accommodations and all meals, guides, and occasional entertainment.
We encourage additional gratuities at your discretion. Airfares
are a separate expense and you make your own travel arrangements.
(With 10 guests in your group, you may qualify for an airline
discount.) We recommend South Africa Airlines from JFK-Dakar,
and then Air Senegal to Gambia. Expect to pay $1100+ for round
trip travel from New York JFK to Dakar and on to Gambia.
Additional pre-trip costs will include your passport, your visa
or visas, your pre-trip medical consultation and precautions
as well as your preventive pharmaceuticals. This will cost you
several hundred dollars.
During the course of your visit you will meet cloth-workers
in urban and rural Gambia, and comb the lively markets to see
and purchase the hand-decorated, hand-woven and machine-made
textiles characteristic of the people of West Africa. Each tour
group's itinerary is shaped around group interests and subject
to change within the evolving group dynamic. All activities are
optional and may include a hands-on component with Gambia's dye
ladies, day and overnight trips, entertainment, wildlife and
nature excursions refuges, a river boat trip, & visits to
historical and cultural sites.
Our daily activities generally conclude in the late afternoon,
leaving you free for a cost-inclusive dinner at our African compound
or elsewhere at your choice and expense, and the option of going
out for entertainment at one of the resort areas. Occasionally
additional time is set aside for you to explore individual interests,
or simply to spent time at the beach or resting in the shade.
Our guides are available outside planned activity times at additional
expense, to help you accomplish any other objectives.
Banjul is the capital of the Gambia, and is about a 20 minute
drive from the seaside community of Kololi where the group will
be staying. Banjul is the site of the Cultural Museum, which
houses objects representing the material culture of the area
and the historical record with regard to the Colonial Period.
Along the colonial esplanade beside the river, in an area of
modern commerce, the Albert Market is a legacy of colonial Great
Britain. The street markets are orderly in an African manner,
but once inside, the Albert Market is an African bazaar, featuring
foods, cloths and handcrafts. English is spoken by many vendors.
Serekunda is the general market for the developed portion
of the country. Here you can find everything-we will see factory
and hand decorated cloth in the bazaar as well as lace, beads,
and just about anything else you might desire. Tourist Craft
markets can be found at the resort areas. Don't let your ideas
about what tourist art is or might be keep you from exploring
this resource. Many wonderful items can be found here, and you
will have a chance to meet some of the artisans as well. The
craft markets are confederations of contemporary artisans organized
into a single location. Usually the craft items, which include
tie & dye and batiks, are of the best quality, and include
modern and antique wood sculpture, weaving, jewelry, clothes,
textiles, paintings masks, baskets, house wares and more. The
prices are sometimes a little higher than on the street or in
the market, but the quality is good and the booths are all together.
In any case, usually the dollar is so strong that you'll be embarrassed
at how little you have to pay for your items.
Overland up-country trips usually occur during the middle
of the tour. You travel from Coastal Gambia to MacCarthy Island
located in the Gambia River. A former colonial trading post,
Georgetown on MacCarthy is about 125 miles from the Atlantic
Coast. This portion of the trip offers sight-seeing opportunities
which include an excursion to see the standing stones of Wassau,
a river trip to see the riparian wildlife, and an entertainment
in the traditional village of Boraba. Enroute, we will attend
a lumoo market. These regional markets serve the local population
and generally meet once per week at a series of fixed locations.
Merchants travel from Senegal, Mali,Casamance, Guinea and beyond.
Final days will allow time to finish up work started with
the dyers if that is part of your group itinerary, to finish
up your shopping or to achieve other items on your wish list.
A non-refundable deposit of $250 per person is due when you
make your group's reservation
Questions? Call 207-422-9529 |
