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​Mboka Festival of Arts and Culture

Presents
Gam-Afro-Latin-Fest
An African/Latin Dance Experience in The Gambia
26th November - 3rd December 2024 (7 Nights)
Kai Fecha! (Come Dancing!)

THE 1ST GAM-AFRO-LATIN FEST

Gam-Afro-Latin-Fest is an annual festival organised by Mboka Festival of Arts, Culture and Sport. The firstn festival will be held in Banjul in November 2024.
PRICE INCLUDES
  • Direct return flight between London and Banjul (with inflight meal)
  • Return transfers between the airports and hotel
  • Hotel accommodation either at Ocean Bay Hotel and Resort (half board – breakfast and dinner) or Sunbeach Hotel (full board)
  • Salsa classes – each morning and afternoon from Wednesday (27 Nov) to Monday (2 Dec) with teachers David Lynch, Yvonne Lynch, Charles Parris and Monica Parris.
  • An excursion - City Tour of Banjul
  • Festival cotton bag
  • Festival tee-shirt
PRE-TRAVEL
HEALTH AND INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
  • Check with your medical provider for current information at least eight weeks before departure regarding essential and recommended inoculations
  • (Some medication can be purchased from your pharmacy or your GP may be able to provide medication free if ordered in advance)
  • For up-to-date advice visit the World Health Organisation at www.who.int and the Department of Health leaflet (Ref T7.1) “Health Advice to Travellers” is available free from your GP, travel agent or online
  • Organise your own travel insurance and inform us of the details and a contact for next of kin before we travel
EXCURSIONS
An optional list of excursions will be available to select from June 2024. These will include:
Day
  • Kunta Kinte Island and Juffereh (the home of Alex Hayley’s ‘Roots’)
  • Birdwatching ‘safaris’
  • Makasutu Forest
  • Luxury spa at Cocoa Ocean hotel
Night
  • Bakadaji Hotels Salsa Night 
  • Baobab Hotel – Salsa Night
  • Kings & Queen’s Show
  • New Dawn ‘Cultural event' at Ebunjan Theatre
Other optional excursions available
ON ARRIVAL 
Travellers are required to pay a £/€/$/20 security fee upon entry and a £/€/$/20 or D1000 airport departure tax. (This is the current rate. It could increase before November)
  • Special arrangements to change foreign currency and obtain sim cards have been made for you at your hotel.
​
Please ensure you read the hyperlinks below and the FAQ’s as they contain important information for your travel.
Information on this page will be updated regularly before departure
FAQ 
https://www.gambia.co.uk/faq?tab=travel-requirements
https://www.gambia.co.uk/faq

​Gambia Trip Information

HOTELS
Ocean Bay Hotel & Resort
https://www.oceanbayhotel.com
  • 5* Hotel (Official local hotel rating)
  • Prices are based on two people sharing
  • Subject to request, a sofabed for a third person can be added
  • A single person’s supplement is £26 per person per night
  • Deluxe twin bedded rooms
  • Holistic Therapy & Beauty Centre
  • Gym
  • Free WiFi (pronounced ‘wee fee’) throughout the hotels and rooms
  • Electricity outlets -2 pin (tbc)
​
Sunbeach Hotel
(2-3 minutes walk from Ocean Bay Hotel)
https://www.sunbeachhotel.gm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRbuHh-ncIY
  • 4* Hotel (Official local hotel rating)
  • Fully inclusive
  • Prices are based on two people sharing
  • Subject to availability and hotel agreement, you may add a third person to a room(tbc)
  • A single person’s supplement is £45 per person per night
  • Twin bed or double bed ‘Garden view’ rooms
  • Deluxe Sea View Rooms have a £10 supp. per night
  • Wellness & Spa
  • Free WiFi (pronounced ‘wee fee’) throughout the hotels and rooms
  • Electricity outlets -2 pin (tbc)​
ESSENTIALS
  • The Gambia operates on GMT and will therefore be the same time as in the UK in November.
  • Plastic bags are banned in The Gambia. They cannot be used for shopping
  • A Festival cotton bag will be given to you as one of our FREE gifts to you. You may need to bring additional bags for your convenience. Purchase of recyclable bags are available
  • No visa is required for UK, EU, or US nationals
  • Nationals of other countries need to contact their nearest Gambian High Commission.
  • Passports must have at least 6 months before expiry at time of travel.
FLIGHT AND LUGGAGE
  • The airline is Titan Airways operated by Gambia Experience (Serenity Holidays)
  • The flight is direct and approx. 6 hours
  • Luggage allowance is 1 piece x 20 kg plus 1 piece of hand luggage x 10kg
  • Ensure you weigh your luggage as you will be charged for excess kilos by the airline.
  • Excess baggage will be charged at £15 per kilo in each direction at the airport​
  • Pre-booked seats are not guaranteed and could be changed on the day of travel.
However as a group, we already have seats allocated.

FROM £1,600!

Meet THE GAlF TEAM

DJ Hughie

monica & Charles Parris

Yvonne Lynch

Carol Lammy-Steele

Joanne Hosseff

David Lynch

Meet the Founders of Mboka Festival of Arts ,Culture and Sport (Co creators of GALF)

Mboka festival OF arts, culture and Sport
One Family, one africa

Mboka means ‘One Family’ in Wolof and will offer festival go-ers a festival throughout January that celebrates Gambian cultural heritage alongside African diasporic cultural heritage.
Three organisations, Camp Africa, Global Hands and SABLE Publications who work towards cultural and economic development and empowerment through arts, culture and sport, joined their skills, experience and resources together to create the Mboka Festival. The aim was to create a rich festival of possibilities for visitors and Gambian citizens alike, to experience  Gambian culture and customs, new ones and those steeped in tradition.
These ideas and efforts have resulted in a festival that  runs throughout January that celebrates Gambian cultural heritage alongside African diasporic cultural heritage. The longer-term objectives are to build towards a positive and peaceful and fruitful future that local Gambian can benefit from and visitors can experience. The Mboka Festival was launched in the midst of The Gambia’s 'new dawn' in January 2017,  and inspired by that, the New Dawn literary event brings Gambian and international artists to the Mboka One Family stage.
In 2018 and 2019 we have continued to celebrate and build towards a positive and peaceful future.