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Base Camp was the first area that was developed, followed by the Baobab Cultural Centre. The area was developed in a sensitive way, making sure that no trees were cut down in the development, and actually designing the buildings to fit into the spaces that the trees dictated. The site took seven years to develop, and finally the day park was officially opened on the 20th July 1999 by the then Minister of Lands and Local Government, Mr Bajo, on behalf of his Excellency President Jammeh.
Word of makasutu spread quickly, and the site soon became the ‘must do’ excursion in the Gambia. Many of the visitors expressed a desire to stay in Makasutu, due to the tranquillity of the area. The decision was taken to develop the site that became known as ‘Mandina’ as a five star eco lodge like no other in West Africa. Construction began in 2000, with as many as 150 people working on the swimming pool alone. Due to the standard of the carpentry the lodges are very time consuming to produce, with the construction an ongoing concern through the rainy season each year, until the desired number are complete.
James an engineer and Lawrence an architect spent the first seven years living in tents on the land, with no running water or electricity, really getting to understand the land and environment, which is why many visitors comment on the attention to detail that has gone into the design and construction. Makasutu has won many environmental tourism awards since opening.
The staff at Makasutu all come from the surrounding villages, a deliberate measure to try to help stop the urban drift to the city, and allowing the surrounding area to directly benefit from this tourism enterprise.
