Nicolette Kluijver is the great benefactor in Africa. She has opened a hotel and restaurant in Gambia and is happy to be praised by the public locals. But is it popular with tourists?
Nicolette Kluijver is daring: she has opened a hotel and restaurant in the interior of Gambia – where there are not exactly any major tourist attractions – in her own words to welcome the locals. That is of course very noble, although critics are concerned that she eagerly allows herself to be surrounded by jubilant locals.
White savior
In fact, Nicolette has even been accused of white savior-behavior. Telegraaf journalist Mark Koster also lashed out at the presenter. He spoke of ‘shameless self-congratulation’. “She had herself filmed crying, surrounded by children running along, which she picked up and showed off as if she had dug up a treasure.”
Does that criticism hit Nicolette hard? We no longer saw her dancing among the African children, but she still shows lyrical videos of her somewhat simple-looking accommodation in the African country.
‘Overpriced!’
The first review has now been received Google Maps and it is not exactly positive. “We didn’t spend the night here, but came to eat there,” says a guy named Jesse. “Although the food was not bad, it was still disappointing, especially considering the price: 775 dalasi for a simple domoda is downright ridiculous and more than twice as expensive as elsewhere.”
Domoda is the local version of meat with peanut sauce and rice. And that costs the equivalent of 8.91 euros at Nicolette. Expensive, Jesse thinks. “This may be because the restaurant is co-owned by a Dutch celebrity, who may be out to attract wealthy tourists, but we will definitely skip this place next time.”
‘The best!’
One Faris, who is the second to post a review, is actually quite enthusiastic. “An excellent hotel, probably the best in the interior of Gambia. It has a kitchen that meets European standards and a Senegalese chef who has mastered the art of cooking to perfection.”
He concludes: “The rooms have air conditioning and a refrigerator. It’s not super cheap, but it’s an oasis of civilization in a poor region. The staff is friendly.”