INTRODUCTION:
 Kartong
Village and Kartong beach ecotourism resort are located in Kombo
South District, in the West Coast Region on the southern tip of
the southwest coast of The Gambia, in West Africa. The rural settlement
lies on the Kombo Coastal Road,
near its termination, and near the international border with the
Senegal, which is demarcated by the Allahein River (San Pedro
River). Kartong (also spelt Kartung) is a multi-ethnic village
community, largely made up of Mandinka,
followed by Jola, and other minority
tribes such as Karoninka and Balanta. The village has a population
of about 5,500 people; is about 60km from Banjul
capital, and is one of the smallest and oldest settlements in
Kombo South.
ACCOMMODATION:
 There
are a handful of basic to luxury
lodges and camps along the coast, as well as inland. There
is a decent guesthouse in the town itself and is part of the
Lemonfish Art Gallery. It has 5 guestrooms with modern facilities
and breakfast. If you want a room on the waterfront then see the
Boboi Beach Lodge
with its shared bathing facilities, 12 round huts, a bar and restaurant
and you can pitch your tent there too. Another place to stay is
the Halahin Lodge,
which is on the seafront and has 5 African style round huts and
a restaurant. There is also the luxury
Sandele Bay Eco Retreat.
BEACH AREA:
 This
far south on the Atlantic Ocean coast you can find some of The
Gambia's most deserted, wild and picturesque bays, where
the dry sand feels softer with a cleaner, more consistent colour
than in any of the other resorts beaches
along the 10.5km strip of coastline. As you move further south
along the Kartong promontory, the palm tree fringed beaches seems
to get a little wider and there is an access route leading directly
from the northern end of the village to the beachfront.
Occasionally you will see fishermen from nearby Gunjur, as well
as Senegal and Ghana pull in shad, sharks and squid for the fishmongers
to trade from the shed that makes up the fish market in this secluded
corner. Various animals such as herds of cows will occasionally
make an appearance - they are usually fairly docile though, so
they shouldn't disturb your sunbathing.
 The
beachfront is also a superb location for camping, but do ask for
advice from the Kartung Association for Responsible Tourism (KART),
who have a Visitor Centre information office in the centre of
town. (Tel no: 4495887)
GENERAL AREA:
The main built-up settlement is encircled by ocean, scrub, dune
swales, and to the east, streams, desolate salt pans and mangrove
swamps which are adjacent to the River Allahein (also known as
the Halahin or Hallahin Bolong). The main Kombo Coastal Road cuts
through the settlement and ends a few kilometres further south
at the banks of the river.
FOUNDING FAMILY HISTORY:
 According
to oral history, Kartong village was founded by the (Buwaro) Buwarow
family, who migrated from Guinea Bissau to Gambia over 450
years ago. They were later joined by the Sonko, Touray, Manneh,
Jabang and Jammeh families respectively. The most obvious reason
for the settlement's location was to gain easy access the sea
and river for fishing.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO:
• Folonko Crocodile Pool
 Also
known as the Mama Folonko Sacred Shrine and Museum, the
crocodile pool is located about 200 meters away from the highway
on the South West of the Kartong village and is claimed to have
been founded by the leader of the Tijaniyya sect in West Africa,
Sheikh Umar Futiu Taal, in the first half of 19th century.
Folonko, one of The Gambia's three
sacred sites with crocodiles pools, is about 1.12 hectares
in size, and the pond in the centre has a 10 meter radius and
is enclosed by gallery forest. The site is under the auspices
of the National Centre for Arts & Culture
in Banjul.
 Replenished
by a source of freshwater and covered in a layer of pakanju-water
lettuce, the pool is located in a shaded grove of kobo figs and
rhun palms. The place is more remote and visited by far fewer
tourists than its counterpart at
Kachikally in Bakau.
It is used as a place of pilgrimage where people bring gifts in
return for good fortune, at a time of crisis or to help women
overcome infertility. Older women from two of Kartong's groups,
Christian Karoninka Mandinkas and Muslim Mandinka visit to pray
and request for help a few times a week. They also oversee visitors,
who come here with offers of cash, Kola nuts, grain salt or other
gifts.
• Gambia Reptiles Farm
 Going
southbound the reptile centre is located just before you get to
the village. The place is really a conservation area where you
can see various reptiles up close such as snakes, (both venomous
and non-venomous), including Nile monitor lizards, Agama lizards,
turtles, crocodiles, Senegalese chameleons, geckos, spitting cobras,
as well as non-reptiles such as centipedes. The Gambia Reptiles
Farm also tries to educate local people about the benefits of
having snakes in their local environment, for example in keeping
the mice and rat population under control. The entry fee is about
£2.50 (Tel no: +220 779 5008 email:
paziaud@yahoo.fr).
• Bird Watching
 More
than 260 bird species have been recorded at Kartong in varying
habitats which are tidal mud flats, mangrove swamps, sand dunes,
Guinea savannah scrubland, foreshore, remnant of high forest and
rice paddies. Parts of the area used to be excavated for sand
for the building industry. This activity has long been halted
and the old sand pits now fill up with water from the rainy season
and as a result is now a magnet for numerous indigenous and Palaearctic
migratory birds.
Among species you can expect to see here are the Malachite Kingfisher,
African jacana and crake, European Roller, Pygmy Goose, Green
Sandpiper, Peregrine Falcon, Wryneck, African Collared
Dove, Woodchat Shrike, Marsh Sandpiper, Painted Snipe, Purple
Swamphen, Blue-naped Mouse Bird, and many others.
You can also visit the Kartong
Bird Observatory which is on the edge of a disused sand mine.
The research station rings and studies birds in its central wetlands
recording area. KBO also has trained
bird guides, refreshments and accommodation can be arranged.
They even have courses on Senegambian
cooking, as well as organising bush walks.
• Sports Fishing
Stala Adventures
is a fishing and birding resort who are based in the area,
and even provide basic but clean accommodation located on the
river bank. The kinds of fish species you can expect to catch
are red snapper, barracuda, catfish and puffer fish.
• Kartong Festival
 The
village hosts the yearly festival which offers visitors an opportunity
to experience local
culture and traditions in the form of music, art and
dance from The Gambia, Senegal and other West African countries.
The inaugural event was hosted in November 2005 and is now held
once a year in February. The festival usually starts with
a traditional procession through the streets, and performances
in nearby lodges and other venues, ending at the arena, for an
evening of traditional and modern dance, music and mask parades.
(Tel no: 9933193)
• Lemonfish Art Gallery
 This
is a privately operated fine African art gallery, film-house and
guest house rolled into one. The
Lemonfish Art Gallery hosts exhibitions on contemporary African
painting, sculptures and other pieces produced by Gambians and
other artists in West Africa. They also show African films and
offer courses in pottery and batik making.
• Kartong Association For Responsible
Tourism
 The
KART Visitor Centre is your first port of call if you intend to
get the most out of the village and surrounding locality. They
can provide you with travel information, local guides for birdwatching,
fishing, dug-out canoe cruises around the mangroves or bush trekking,
and you can even hire bicycles to more easily explore the rural
location.
The main goal of KART
is to promote the resort as an ecotourist holiday destination,
and try to avoid some of the negative impacts of tourism on the
local environment. Money that is generated by their activities
goes towards improving local amenities in the settlement and helping
local villagers.
• River Allahein
 This
is the southern end of the Gambian coastline which terminates
at the mouth of the Allahein River. A series of dynamic sand spits
and beach ridges runs parallel to the shore from 'Kartong Point'
to the mouth of the river. You might want to take a pirogue cruise
to explore the saltwater creeks and mangroves on your side of
the river border. There are plenty of fishermen willing to take
you for a fee of course.
 If
you go by bike from the village, you can ride further south along
the main road to the most southern end of the west coast. After
the military checkpoint you go south a short way where you will
come face to face with the Allahein River, where the road turns
right towards the beach's small fishing centre. If you turn left
you will get to the fish houses. Straight ahead of you is the
estuary and beyond is the Casamance region in Senegal. It is possible
to cross the water from Kartong and visit Kabadio, Diannah,
Abene and Kafountine, but you must get an exit stamp on your passport
first. Please note that this area of Senegal has seen separatist
unrest in the past; therefore you should seek advice on traveling
there from your own country first.
• Restaurants and Bars
 There
is an Italian restaurant called Vincenza's pizzeria (formerly
Franco's) at the end of the road on the left fork, just
after the fish smoking houses. It is situated on the river bank
and gives you beautiful, unspoilt views of the saltwater mangroves
on the other side in Casamance.
HEALTH & SAFETY:
 Being
close to the border crossing the town is fairly safe having a
good military presence there as well as a police station. Be careful
about venturing out alone on foot at night outside the settlement
or you lodgings, and do carry a pocket torchlight after sunset,
even in your accommodation as lights can suddenly go out.
Also avoid swimming in the Allahein River or near its estuary
as the tidal currents can be strong.
TRAVEL INFORMATION:
 To
get to Kartong from Gambia's
Banjul Airport just take a green taxi which will take you
south via the district capital of Brikama
town, and down towards the south west coast. When travelling to
the village please note that this is as far south as you can go
by car as the Kombo Coastal Road
terminates at the estuary of the Allahein River. You will find
a military checkpoint just after the centre of the village on
the main road.
If you are thinking of going into Casamance in Senegal then do
seek official advice from your country.
If you are intending on staying here for more than a few days
then do take along enough personal supplies such as toiletries.
If you do run out then you can re-fill by going to the nearest
area with a sufficient number of shops is Gunjur,
and there is a small mini-market inside the petrol station in
Tanji.
Hotels
& Lodges Map
Resorts
[Geographical coordinates 13.1000° N,
16.7667° W / Kombo South, Western Region (WCR)]
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Attractions
Nature
Reserves
Resorts
Bakau
Banjul
Bijilo
Brufut
Cape
Point
Fajara
Gunjur
Jinack
Island
Kartong
Kololi
Kotu
Makasutu
Sanyang
Serrekunda
Tanji Village
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