The exotic holiday destination just 6 hours from the UK rocketing in popularity with Brits – with £17 hotels & £1 beer
AN EXOTIC holiday destination is becoming increasingly popular with Brits, with its beautiful beaches and cheap cost of living making it an attractive option.
Mid-haul destinations are becoming more of a draw for holidaymakers, with people willing to fly a little bit further to get a more unique holiday.
Just six hours from the UK is the Gambia, which has plenty of British tourists flying in each year, looking to take advantage of the sandy beaches, clear blue seas and cheap drinks.
Known as The Smiling Coast, the West African nation is the smallest in the continent and is almost completely surrounded by its neighbour Senegal.
Although it’s very small, The Gambia has plenty of beach resorts on offer for visitors, some of which come very affordably.
Holiday company TUI describe the country’s shoreline as having “palm-lined stretches” that “look like they belong in the Caribbean”.
While relaxing on the beaches, holidaymakers can make the most of the cheap prices for food and drink, with the average cost of a beer in a restaurant £1.34. In supermarkets they cost even less.
The most popular of the beaches in the country is Kotu beach, which has a rating of 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor from more than 750 reviews.
One visitor from the UK wrote: “The various sounds, the sweet atmosphere and great company, Gambia is a place you will want to visit again & again.”
Another said: “Lovely clean beach with amazing golden sands.Great to people watch, lots of horse riding and fisherman hauling in the nets. Lots of great restaurants on the beach as well.”
The Gambia is a great place to visit if you’re a nature lover too, with places like the Bijilo Forest Park a place to see species of monkeys, birds and other animals.
Wild chimpanzees can also be spotted along the banks of the River Gambia national park, as well as wallowing crocodiles, hippos and manatees.
If surrounding yourself with nature isn’t your idea of fun, there’s still plenty to enjoy in the capital Banjul, including Albert Market, where you can find anything you need, including food, drink or souvenirs from your trip.
One of the best things about visiting Gambia is that it runs on GMT, meaning at most you’ll only have to change your clock an hour and making jet lag much less of an issue than it might be elsewhere.
Flights run direct from London Gatwick and Manchester with TUI and start from £536pp return.
However, accommodation is cheap and Sun Online Travel found a four-night stay for two people with TUI from £136, or £17pp per night.
Meanwhile, this mid-haul destination has 35C temperatures and has one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World.
And this exotic island is just five hours away from the UK.