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Bakau is located on the northern part of the Kombo district.
It encompasses the quieter beach area of
Cape Point and
the livelier Bakau New
Town, Old Town & Sait Matty Road. It is a mixed area of affluent seaside beach
homes, working class compounds, bars, restaurants & supermarkets. At
its busiest heart is the area around the Gamtel, Post Office, market &
the road leading from there to the Garba Jahumpa Road almost
1
kilometre away.
(Geographical coordinates: Latitude 13 48° N, Longitude 16 60° W
- Population 48,500 - 2007 est.).
The Resort & Beach Area:
 The coastal area plays host to a number of
hotels and small family run
guest houses such as the African
Village Hotel (on Atlantic Boulevard), Cape Point Hotel, Sunbeach Beach, Garden Guesthouse, Romana Afram and others.
Its coastline is fringed with palm trees however, the beach area is
composed of rocky cliff edges and at
 high tide the sand can disappear altogether.
This is not the case with Cape Point which in the early 2000s had new
sand deposited on it to reverse previous coastal erosion and now has a
wide golden beach.
Bakau Craft Market:
 There are 2 separate
markets both located within a stones
throw from each other on the coastal Atlantic Road. The
craft market is relatively quiet where you will find stalls selling a
wide range of wood crafts, beads, batiks and other tourist souvenirs.
Nearby is the village market which is a little rough on the edges and
is tightly packed with stalls selling a wide range of local
foodstuffs, buckets, second-hand clothes among other things. The front
of the market which is on the main road is lined with
fruit and
vegetable stalls selling bananas, oranges, tomatoes, guavas, apples
and other tropical fruits as well as other locally produced & imported
fruits and vegetables.
 In
front of the village market is the beach jetty /
fishing port of the local Fish Market
where stalls can be found either at the quay
side or at the road side near the taxi park. A special
treat are the shrimps caught fresh and straight from the sea.
Bakau Botanical Gardens:
 The garden
is often overlooked by most tourists. It is set in an enclosed area within a link chain fence which is
situated at the northern end of the Atlantic Road where the craft
market ends. A
little known fact is that many of the labelled trees and shrubs are
actually indigenous to the country. There is a nature trail running
within the grounds as well as shaded seating. If you take along some
binoculars you might be able to spot red-cheeked cordon bleu, bronze mannikins or the odd cattle egret.
Its an ideal place to come and relax in the afternoons particularly if
you want to get away from all the other tourists in your hotel!
The botanical gardens are
open from Monday to Saturday 9 am till 5 pm and there is an entrance
fee of D50 per person. You can contact them on 4497354 or 4497343.
Other Places in the area
The local area
is also home to the main Military Camp's Barracks which is right next
to the Fire Service which in turn is just a stones throw to the local
police station. Radio Gambia is also located here on the road leading towards Banjul in an area called Mile Seven. The
 largest stadium,
built as a gift from the Chinese, is on the edge of Bakau New Town and
is a venue for some major music concerts, July 22nd celebrations as
well as football matches.
History and Background:
 The Bakau
Village was founded by the Bojang family over 520 years ago and is one
of the oldest village settlements in the Gambia. It was originally
settled by fishermen and their families.
Since its establishment waves of migrants have moved in such as the
Mandinkas after their westward movements in the 14 & 15th centuries.
Other people later came some of whom were refugees from the Soninke
Marabout wars of the second half of the 19th century such as the Serer
who today still bring in their catch from the fish jetty. During the
colonial period the area was a favourite with the British which formed
part
 of British Kombo which was
essentially Banjul, its island, and the outlying coastal areas to the
west and south of it. These were areas given up to the British between
1820 to the middle of the 19th century.
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Attractions / Excursions
Nature Reserves
Resorts
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