We stayed at footsteps for 2 weeks over christmas in one of their log cabins which gave excellent space for our two children aged 7 & 5. The best thing about footsteps and what seperates it from all the rest is the staff, a big thank you to Buba, Lamin, Dodo, Buba (night watch) and Jamma who were absolutley fantatsic with us and especially with the children. Nothing was too much trouble and they made sure that we all had a great time. We loved the laid back atmosphere of the lodge and the wildlife, David the owner was excellent and always made sure we had all we needed. The location was right in the bush and I can highley recommend Sirani the lcoal guide who took us round the village, school, fishing village and monkey park all with ample patience with our two monkeys! so here are my ratings:-

Room - Clean, comfortable, spacious, water pressure a bit low, lizards noisy on the tin roof at night

Enviroment - Clean well maintained and fantastic bird and wild life

Staff - fab all of them

Food - the only minor negative, a bit pricey as others have commented and I think the menu does need to be a bit of expansion if you are staying more than a few nights. Also if you have fussey kids it may be a struggle.

All in all a fantastic holiday and a wonderful lodge thanks to David and all the fab staff.

Footsteps is a gorgeous eco lodge set in a beautiful garden. It’s run by David and Linda who have an obvious enthusiasm for sustainable tourism, and have achieved a Travelife Gold award for the lodge. The activities on offer provide an opportunity for a real connection with local craftspeople and guides, and the life of the local village.
We stayed in our own immaculately clean roundhouse with domed roof, designed to keep as cool as possible without the need for a fan or air con. We had a clean efficient compost toilet and a solar heated shower.
The centrepiece in the garden is a naturally filtered shallow plunge pool which is filtered through a lush reedbed, acting as a magnet for a huge range of birds including pygmy kingfisher and red bellied flycatcher. David is planning to build a new bird hide, which will look over the gardens and nearby fields in this rich area for birdlife. The area is great for birding (and the chef came in specially to provide us with early breakfasts for our regular excursions)
We felt we had been welcomed into a lovely community of people; staff and guests, and the food was absolutely first class. We would really recommend this special lodge.

We stayed for 2 weeks in Nov 2011 and found the lodge extremely peaceful and relaxing. The rooms are basic but very clean, the bed was comfortable and overall they are quite unique. We found it very warm at night as there is no electricity in the rooms except for lights which were more than adequate to read at night.
The 1st week was heaven as there was only us and 1 other couple and of course the birds are in abundance! The pool area is small but interesting as the birds gather around the pool and the water is cold but very refreshing in the heat.
All of the staff were extremely friendly and helpful and we were sad to leave them behind. The lodge is very remote which suited us but be prepared for a hot hike to the beach, bush taxi garage or village. The beach was deserted the whole time we were there, there are no refreshments there but there are a couple of sun shades to sit under.
The only down side was the very limited food options which are extremely expensive by Gambian standards. Each course has a fixed price regardless of the dish and the prices are far higher than advertised on the lodge's website. Despite being told we could have anything from the breakfast menu (except the English breakfast which came at a premium) we then realised that we could only have 1 item from the menu with anything over that being charged for. Also be aware that taxis, trips etc are far higher if you book through the lodge.
It is very easy to change sterling in Brikama and the rate is better than the lodge's. We recommend Sarani's local tour and Amadou's canoe trip to Senegal. Also if you are after beach fishing try Bernhard at Gambiafishing.com who offers fantastic rates including sandwiches and soft drinks. For good local entertainment try Rainbow Beach Bar at Sanyang Beach every Sunday from 2pm to 4.30pm ish - it's free and includes local music, dancing, wrestling and general entertainment.
Thanks to all of the staff who helped to make our holiday, we miss them all!

I have been to Gambia six times now, and have been put off the Senegambia/Kololi area by bumsters. However, Gunjur is well away from all this hassle, and I always meet interesting like minded people there - ecologists, bird watchers, and people doing useful community things in Gambia, as well as the locals from the village, who named a new baby after me last time I stayed, and invited me to the naming ceremony, which was an honour - as well as necessitating the purchase of a baby bath, plus useful items inside! I was happy to do this, as the nearby village is poor, and it is good to help.

The local staff are all great, and are there 24 hours a day, with two watchmen on duty at night. This is reassuring for a woman on her own. Bird watching is perfectly possible from the breakfast table, and grapefruit from the overhanging tree is sometimes served - no food miles here! I never had tinned tuna, but do remember fish caught that day on a local fishing trip. I enjoyed all my meals, and was a guest at a private party one night.

I enjoyed the bird watching trip in to Senegal with Sarani, and two British ecologists on holiday, and Ousman was great at arranging for a van load of books to go to the school library I established and maintain over an hour's drive away inland off the tourist trail at Ndemban, as well as picking me up from the airport.

The rooms are simply furnished with locally made furnishings, but perfectly comfortable, and the odourless composting toilets with seats and close fitting lids are fine. The compost is returned to the land, and the local tomatoes seem to grow well! I took a solar shower from a camping shop, and heated my own hot water on the path outside my room, as I went in early January, and the nights are not as warm. You may need a fleece if you want to sit outside later in the evening at that time of year.

The lodge supports the local school with help to fund projects. I have met many people throughout Gambia who have had to finish their education because their parents, who are subsistence farmers, cannot afford about £3 a term school fees, plus locally made uniform.