Unless you arrived in the Gambia by land from Senegal, your acquaintance with the country will inevitably begin for you from the capital, the city of Banjul. Here it is worth visiting the 35-meter-high arch with the unobvious name “22”, inside which the textile museum is located, and the observation deck offers an excellent view of the capital, see the colonial mansions in the old city (among the most spectacular are the government and court buildings), visit the colorful Albert Market and learn more about the history of the country and the continent at the National Museum of the Gambia and the Museum of African Heritage. It is also worth paying attention to the cathedrals, of which there are as many as two, and the picturesque mosques with African architectural features.
Not far from Bakau is the Kachikali crocodile pool – here you can not only watch the Nile crocodiles, but even touch them. Even at the resort, it makes sense to visit the botanical garden, laid out by the British in 1924.
Fans of history and ethnography may be interested in seeing the Vassu megalithic stone circles, which are about 1200 years old. Each stone weighs several tons and is 1-2.5 meters high.
National parks
According to baglib, the Gambia is rightly proud of its national parks. Six out of seven are open to the public, and some are open all year round, even during the wet season. A small and the oldest national park in the country, Abuko is located 25 km from Banjul. This is one of the most convenient reserves to visit, in addition, it boasts an enchanting variety of flora and fauna: more than 250 species of birds and 52 species of mammals live here, including Nile crocodiles, rare red colobus monkeys and bright birds – turaco.
Bijilo and Tanji National Parks are located on the Atlantic coast, in close proximity to resort hotels. There are not so many mammals here, but birds are a real expanse – about 300 species live in mangrove and deciduous forests, on the seashore and in lagoons.
Baobolong and Kiang West reserves are located in the center of the country, on opposite banks of the Gambia River. People come here to see antelopes, monkeys, crocodiles and numerous birds – you can watch them right from the side of the pirogue, drawn by the leisurely river current. It is also worth going on an excursion to James Island in this region, where you will visit the traditional village of Dzhufure, the old slave station and the French colonial port of Albreda. In May, the festival of national culture Roots is held here.
Niumi National Park is famous for its vast mangrove area – one of the few remaining in West Africa. Here you can spend several days staying in an eco-lodge or guest rooms. The subject of observation is birds, hyenas, leopards, miniature duiker antelopes and dolphins.
The Gambia River National Park is home to a resurgence of the chimpanzee population. It is forbidden to land on land here so as not to disturb the primates, but watching the monkeys from pirogues is no less exciting.
The fee for visiting any game reserve in the Gambia is 35 GMD.
Excursions
The Gambia stretches along the river of the same name, so most excursions are somehow connected with water. The most popular are day trips, river cruises and fishing trips. This is a great way to observe the numerous bird species from the side of the pirogue, silently following the river.
During a one-day safari tour in South Gambia, tourists get acquainted with the daily life of the rural hinterland, visit fishermen’s villages, watch animals and birds and relax with a picnic on the beach.
An excursion to the ancient city of Yanyanbureh, the former English Georgetown, is a great opportunity to imagine what life was like in the Gambia under the shadow of the British crown: there are a lot of traces of the country’s colonial past. During this trip, they also visit the Vassu megalithic stone circles and watch the hippos.
A trip to Ndemban includes a visit to two forest parks with marked trails for walking and bird watching. In addition, tourists visit fishing villages, see salt fields and fish farms.
The “Roots” tour will immerse you in the history of the Gambia during the slave trade and tell you about the path that ordinary Gambians traveled in their pursuit of freedom: through the French trading port of Albreda and the “island of slaves” James, to the USA and back to Africa.
From the Gambia you can go on an excursion to Senegal. Citizens of the Russian Federation do not need a visa to visit Senegal.
