Cerebral malaria is a potentially life-threatening complication of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. We describe a case of severe cerebral malaria in a previously healthy 63-year-old Danish female who had returned from a two-week tourist tour to Gambia. The severe course of the infection described in this case draws attention to two major aspects regarding imported cases of malaria in non-endemic countries: the need for thorough counselling, including chemoprophylaxis, and continuous focus on potential malaria infection after travelling to malaria-endemic areas.