Five-star Fajara, about 13 km from Banjul, Banjul
Ngala Lodge
A Dutch-built lodge of suites on the clifftop at Fajara, open since 1995, with a secluded beach below and a restaurant open to all, every day of the year.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Opened
- 1995
- Guests
- Adults only
- Setting
- Clifftop over the Atlantic at Fajara
- From the airport
- About 30 minutes from Banjul International (our estimate)
The hotel
A Dutchman's house on the cliff.
Peter Engels first came to The Gambia on holiday in the early 1990s. He returned to help raise money for a small hospital, and Chris Rowles of the tour operator The Gambia Experience urged him to build a hotel of his own. Ngala Lodge opened in 1995 on Atlantic Boulevard in Fajara, between Banjul and the beach resorts, and he has kept building it for thirty years.
The lodge stands on a cliff above a small beach, away from the hotel strip at Kololi. Suites are spread across several wings: Manor Suites with sea balconies, Atlantic Suites with jacuzzis on their terraces, and Lodge Suites in a colonial-style house by the pool. The Femmy Suite sits on its own at the beachfront, with a garden and plunge pool. Guests must be adults.
- The restaurant Open all year for lunch and dinner, with Atlantic lobster, bouillabaisse and the Gambian stew domoda on the same menu, and sunset tapas in the garden.
- Above the beach The lodge sits on the cliff top over a secluded beach, away from the main resort areas, with views across the Atlantic.
- Lounges A two-storey loft lounge, a rooftop lounge and a Technogym fitness room, with massage on request.
Rooms & suites
Suites in several wings.
Every room is a suite. Most look at the ocean; the Segu suites are smaller and have no sea view.
- On the sand Femmy Suite 60 square metres on the beachfront, with a tropical garden of its own, a plunge pool and an outdoor shower.
- Terrace jacuzzi Atlantic Suites Four large suites in the Atlantic Wing, each with a private terrace and jacuzzi, a separate dressing room and fine art on the walls.
- By the pool Lodge Suites Ten suites in a colonial-style mansion, with a balcony or terrace, wet rooms with rain showers, and baths in some.
Dining
Food with the sea in view.
Restaurant details as given by the lodge. Shown for information.
- The Restaurant at Ngala Lodge Atlantic seafood, Mediterranean and Gambian Executive chef Peter Vanstalle; lunch and dinner daily
- Rooftop lounge Drinks Sunset over the Atlantic
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 2 pm.
- Age Adults only. The lodge gives a minimum check-in age of 18 on most of its pages and 16 on one; we confirm the rule before booking.
- Restaurant Open to outside guests for lunch and dinner; tables are booked by telephone.
Getting there
Flying to Banjul.
Banjul International Airport at Yundum is about 20 kilometres away, roughly half an hour by car by our estimate. Private jets use the same airport, which is open day and night and clears foreign aircraft through customs.
- Dakar 30 min
- Casablanca 3 h 30
- Lisbon 4 h 10
- Paris 6 h 00
- London 6 h 10
Questions
What guests ask first.
- Is Ngala Lodge adults only?
- Yes. The lodge takes adult guests only, with a minimum check-in age of 18 given on most of its pages.
- Where is Ngala Lodge?
- At 64 Atlantic Boulevard in Fajara, on the cliff above the beach, about 13 kilometres from Banjul and about 4 kilometres from the hotels at Kololi.
- Can non-residents eat at Ngala Lodge?
- Yes. The restaurant is open every day for lunch and dinner, all year, and takes bookings by telephone.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Banjul?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Banjul, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Banjul
Other hotels worth the trip.
- Coco Ocean Resort & Spa Built as a resort of about 98 suites, with beach villas, penthouses and a spa that works with aloe and plant essences.
-
Kairaba Beach Hotel On the beach at Kololi, with a spa and health club, and Casa Fernando, the Kingfisher and the Shikra among its seven bars and restaurants.
Staying at Ngala Lodge?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Banjul, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.