The famous Lamin Lodge in Lamin village that was temporally closed down early this year by the Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) for 'failing to regularise its status and not meeting up with the set standards in structure and service delivery', might be back in business this upcoming tourist season.

This was revealed to this reporter Thursday by Peter Abdullahi Loosen, the proprietor of Lamin Lodge, during an interview at the Lodge.

Peter said he is trying to put everything together to ensure that the lodge is able to operate this season. He further revealed that they are on a regular pre-season maintenance, and that it will cost thousands of dalasi to renovate the lodge's three-storey wooden construction on stilts. He explained that the building is about 25 years old and that some of the timbers used for the construction are to be changed. He also said that they are building a new team that will deliver good services to meet the required standards from the GTBoard.

Peter, an experienced sailor who had traveled widely across the globe before settling down in The Gambia to establish Lamin Lodge, admitted that a few of the requirements of the Quality Control Unit of GTBoard are yet to be met by the Lodge. "We are on it to fulfill the requirements and I am confident as we just need some hard work," he added.

Peter pointed out that Lamin Lodge serves as a departure point to different places, as visitors can do river cruising from there to Janjanbureh, Kafuta, Tendaba, Kemoto, and back. He remarked that this is one of their major services, pointing out that tourists that come to The Gambia are not just here to sit and sleep. He added that the GTBoard will be invited to see the progress the Lodge has made maintenance wise.