The Hotel Sindola Safari Lodge is located in Kanilai, a town in the south of Gambia, near the border with Senegal. The former president of the Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, was born in this town and expanded it after coming to power. Previously, the city had been a quiet, secluded place, home to small farmers of corn and peanuts and little else. It now houses a presidential palace, a wrestling arena, a hotel, a game park and a zoo.