The following TripReport snippet is taken from 2004/01 Fornic8 - The Gambia

I have been holidaying in The Gambia for many years now, and I thought it would be of some help to fellow WSA members if I relayed a little bit of my experience. The Gambia is a wonderful place to visit if you enjoy sunbathing, total relaxation, and beaches to die for! There is also another side to this country which should not go unreported. The girls are BEAUTIFUL! The Gambian girls themselves are always looking out for a white man for a meal ticket as there is so much poverty in the country, and to find a Gambian girlfriend is the easiest thing in the world even if you are bald, ugly and fat! They are also not concerned about age. At this point I must make it clear that I am now 55 yrs. old, not bald, not fat and hopefully not ugly. For the male who doesn't want a girlfriend relationship there are many, many, girls ready for a one night stand for a small fee, including many prostitutes from neighbouring countries such as Senegal, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Mali, Liberia etc. Most of these girls are stunning in looks, and are readily available.
I usually stay in the Senegambia area where apart from the large 3 star Senegambia hotel there are a number of other hotels, and villas are available to rent, away from the beach area. I normally stay at the 2 star Holiday Beach Club, which is a very friendly hotel with beautiful peaceful gardens, and is right on the beach. It is also "girl friendly" for a small 300 dalasis fee per guest per night. (Currently 36 dalasis to the UK £).
Now to my holiday. I arrived on 12th. Dec for just a week. Installed myself into the Holiday Beach Club, at around 6pm after a 6 hour flight from England, and after the necessary unpacking, showering and sprucing up, I was ready for some fun.
It is a 5 to 10 minute stroll to the main bar and restaurant area, and I had to take it very slowly as the evening was so hot. On the way past the hotel entrance toward the bars one has to be ready for a barrage of Gambians ready to take you anywhere, offer you anything from a banana to their "sister". These people lay in wait for the tourist and to be honest they are a nuisance. However, a firm "NO" usually sees them off and you can carry on. The development of the area over the last 3 to 4 years has been rapid, and although there are only 2 main roads, they are now lined with bars, restaurants, a casino, internet cafes, and clothes shops and supermarkets. I headed for Ali Baba's corner, which is at the intersection of the 2 main streets, and sat down in Ali Baba's cafe at the roadside where I could watch the action and have a few beers. Now Ali Baba's is basically at the centre of the area, and everybody (tourists and locals) pass here at some stage of the evening. It is good to sit and watch. Eventually the girls start to arrive. A lot will come and sit at the tables with a drink and a snack before getting up to the nights activities. Anyway, as I have been going to The Gambia for many years, I have a special Gambian friend, who calls me his "brother", and we are kindred spirits. We both like the ladies and we both like a drink.

The following TripReport snippet is taken from 2004/01 Fornic8 - The Gambia

Bumsters. There are a lot of local lads who frequent the beach and the main tourist evening entertainment areas who know every scam in the book. It is a way of life for them and they think nothing of relieving the tourist of as much money as they can. If you can't avoid these very plausible young, and sometimes not so young men, then just be aware that they are liars through and through, and no matter how plausible they are, all they want is your money so that they can survive another week. It is hard to tell which are the bumsters and which are the genuine Gambians. Generally, a good rule of thumb is that The Gambia is a muslim country, and the good Gambians don't drink. If you are approached for money by a "drinking" Gambian, then he is almost certainly a "bumster".
Other than the bumsters, the majority of the Gambians are a lovely race of people, and if you can relax into their way and pace of life, then you will find it a most rewarding experience.
Nightlife. Most of the nightlife for the tourist is catered for by the hotels who put on nightly African shows, however, more and more tourists are now venturing out of the hotels to find that African experience. For the mongers reading this epistle, there are many night clubs. I shall list a few here, and give you an idea of what to expect.