3 nights at Fathala Wildlife Reserve, Senegal

Posted on by Fee Hudson

We visited Fathala Wildlife Reserve during our 10 night trip to The Gambia with The Gambia Experience. Fathala isn’t far from The Gambia/ Senegal border and in theory it is an easy trip although it did involve 2 different cars, 3 different guides, a ferry and a bit of a wait at immigration.

The reception area of Fathala with high beamed, thatched ceilings, the root of a large tree hanging from the ceiling and a large table.
The Fathala welcome slushie. In the background is the reception of Fathala and the corner of a sofa.
A wooden walkway with wooden railings on each side. At the end there is a small seating area with a thatched umbrella.

Fathala Wildlife Reserve

Fathala Wildlife Reserve is 6000 hectares of protected forest within a National park. The reserve is home to a variety of species of wildlife, many of whom are endangered. There are no natural predators within the park so the herds of animals are very easy to spot.

As well as being home to Western Giant Lord Derby Eland, Roan Antelope, Giraffes and Zebra there are also many species of bird life, insects, reptiles, monkeys and even a naughty Rhinoceros called Kevin. The Wildlife Reserve can be visited for the day at the visitors centre but we chose to extend our stay and venture further in to the park to the tented camp.

A giraffe walks through a clearing with large trees in the background.
An 11 year old girl wearing her hair up and a straw sun visor, denim shorts, a green vest top and a green safari shirt unbuttoned. She is stood in a clearing of the national park with trees behind her and a zebra. She is holding her hand up so that it looks like the zebra is sniffing her fingers.
Two zebras stood amongst the trees. One is facing towards the camera and the other away and they are resting against each other.

The Accommodation

There are 20 tents set out on either side of a central area which has the pool, restaurant and bar. The tents are accessed by a wooden walkway and all face on to the reserve so that you can sit outside your tent and watch the wildlife.

The main area has sofa seating, a dining area and sun loungers and is decorated in safari style.

We had a deluxe tent which had a large four poster bed, a single bed for Pip and a bathroom containing a bath tub. Outside of the deck was an outdoor shower and hot tub. The luxury tents are the same set up but without the hot tub. The tents are extremely comfortable and well decorated and the bed one of the most comfortable I have ever slept in.

The tent has an air conditioning unit above the main bed although at the hottest times of the day this didn’t manage to cool the tent down but did provide a bit of air. There were plenty of plug sockets around the tent.

The hot tub was not in fact hot and was actually a lovely way to cool down whilst watching the monkeys play.

Pip's single bed in the tent. I wooden bed frame with white sheets and 2 rolled up beige towels.
The double four poster bed with white sheets and white mosquito nets. There is a cow hide rug on the floor in front of the bed.
Two dark pink armchairs with checked cushions in the corner of the tent. Between them is a side table and large table lamp.
A white woman in her forties wearing khaki dungaree shorts, a black vest top and black trainers. She is sitting in a wicker egg chair on the wooden deck of the tent.
The outdoor shower. Three concrete walls with a shower head on each side and a drain in the middle.
An 11 year old girl sits in a hot tub on the deck of the tent. Behind her is the tent and some wooden screening.

The Food

Breakfast and dinner were included in our package. These were served in the main dining area and each tent is allocated a table on arrival.

Breakfast was a buffet of fruit, cereals, bread and juices. There was also a menu to order from for cooked items including pancakes. Breakfast is served from 7:30- 11:00am.

Lunch is available from 12:00-2:30 and can be ordered off menu, everything from sandwiches to burgers and pasta dishes.

Dinner is served between 7:00- 9:00pm, there is a menu for the day with 2 starters, 2 mains and 2 deserts to choose from. Before and after dinner there is the opportunity to have a drink whilst watching the animals visiting the watering hole including a family of warthogs and Kevin the Rhinoceros who comes for his evening treats.

Drinks are available from the bar at all times and are added to your room bill.

Some of the trips from the camp do include a meal or snacks and drinks are provided on safari and day trips.

As a vegetarian, there wasn’t a lot of choice but there was always something I could eat. There isn’t a vegetarian option on the evening menu but the chef was happy to cook anything I wanted so I never went hungry.

A cheese and tomato toast with chips and a side salad on a white plate.
Two grilled lady fish on a white plate on a checked table cloth. The fish are decorated with slices of lime.
A beef dish with chips and a side salad.

What we did

Day 1: Travel from The Gambia. This involved a car from Senegambia Hotel to the ferry port where we met a second guide who bought our ferry tickets and accompanied us on to the ferry. We were very lucky in that there were two ferry running on the day we traveled and one arrived at the same time as we did so we walked straight on.

The ferry takes about an hour and was an interesting experience. We sat up on the top deck where there is no shade. There were constant vendors walking around selling everything from water and snacks, to phone chargers and pants! On arrival in Barra we met a 3rd guide and driver who took us through the border to Senegal and Fathala.

The border is 2 buildings, the first is the Gambian border where you get your passport stamped out of The Gambia and the second Senegalese where you get stamped in to Senegal. This was a fairly straightforward process although there were queues and lots of people. There is a small market area around the border and there were lots of children asking for sweets.

From the border it is a straightforward drive to Fathala where we were met with big smiles and a welcome drink.

On our first day we had an evening safari with drinks and snacks. It was a lovely way to see all the animals in the reserve and get some great photos.

A white 11 year old girl wearing denim shorts and a khaki green shirt sits in the back seat of the safari 4x4 (an open vehicle with a green tarpaulin roof.
A man and a woman in their forties stood in a clearing with trees and a zebra behind them.
The safari vehicle. A white pick up truck with seating in the back and a green tarpaulin roof.

Day 2: Island Adventure

Fathala have a private island/ beach. We set off from Fathala mid morning through the National Park to the water where we boarded a boat that took us first to a fishing village. We were really lucky that our guide Djere is one of the elders of the village so not only did we get a tour but we also met his family, visited his home and were introduced to lots of the villagers.

From the village we then crossed the water again to a private beach area where we had a barbecue and swam and sunbathed. The beach is the most idyllic of places and the food was amazing.

The minaret of a mosque with blue sky behind and a palm tree
A man wearing a grey polo shirt and black trousers walks away from the camera through the streets on a Senegalese fishing village. He holds hands with two small children, on a left a boy wearing a brightly coloured football shirt and blue shorts and on the left a girl wearing a long floral dress.
A large rooster stands on the roots of a tree with buckets and cooking equipment in the background. In from of the rooster is a white chicken laying down with a tiny chick next to her.
A Senegalese fishing boat painted in bright colours and with a bright blue inside is pulled up on to the shore surrounded by trees. The bright blue sea is in the background.
A cluster of trees on the beach with the water in the foreground.
A Senegalese fishing boat moored next to a beach with fishermen unloading the contents. In the background are several palm trees.

Day 3: Village visit

We had been booked in to do a bush walk and bird watch but Pip decided she didn’t fancy this so we changed to a visit to a local village visit. We visited the biggest tree I have ever seen, and is a huge part of village life and their culture. This was also an opportunity to buy souvenirs.

We spent the rest of this day around the pool enjoying the peacefulness of the camp.

A large cotton tree in the background with a yellow cow grazing in the foreground.
A shop in a wooden hot with various brightly coloured items of clothing hanging outside and a hand painted board with the shop details leaning against the front wall.
A large tree trunk painted with the face of a lion and the words Paradise.

Internet

There is no free internet at the camp so we took the opportunity to go off grid for a few days. There is the option to buy an internet package for your stay which is about 8 for your own router for your tent.

Tipping

Tipping is expected in Senegal. We tipped the individual staff the looked after us on drives and also the staff at the camp who looked after us so well.

Gifts for the local community

We really wished we had done some research before we had gone and taken some items with us for the local community. The majority of the Senegalese population live in poverty and it is difficult to get goods in to the country due to a corrupt postal service. If we visit again we would take equipment for the school in the fishing village or maybe women’s products. You could always ask Fathala before you go if you want to know what they need.

Things to Bring

There is nothing rustic about the camp so bring everything you would for a usual hotel stay.

  • Bug Spray, we used deet and were fine but I imagine we would have got bitten to death if we hadn’t.
  • Camera
  • Yellow fever vaccination certificates
  • Small denominations of money so that you can tip drivers etc.
  • A pack of cards or a book for downtime.
An 11 year old girl with her hair tied back in to a pony tail hanging over her shoulder and sunglasses. She is wearing a light blue hoodie and smiling at the camera. The wall behind her is painted in bright yellow with family trees and bushes.
The swimming pool at Fathala, surrounded by wooden deck and with trees and a watering hole in the distance. A woman in a black swimsuit is at the far end of the pool looking out in to the distance.
A line up of Senegalese fishing boats painted in bright colours at anchor in the sea.

Our Thoughts

We absolutely loved our time at Fathala Wildlife Reserve, it was such a relaxing place and we were so well taken care of. We couldn’t fault any aspect of our stay.

We visited in December 2023 as part of our trip to The Gambia, when Pip was 11.

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