Introduction:
 The
Bakau resort is in the Kombo Saint Mary District, in
the West Coast Region of The Gambia, and is the nearest
holiday resort to the capital of Banjul
which is 12km to the east. Bakau town includes the Cape
Point promontory, and its northernmost coastline marks
the point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Gambia
River. It is part desirable suburb, part shanty
town and part coastal resort. The coastline is fringed
with palm trees however, the beach area is composed
of rocky, laterite cliff edges and at high tide the
sand can disappear altogether. This is not the case
with nearby Cape Point
which descends onto a wide beach area.
Accommodation:
For travellers there are a number of basic hotels
and guesthouses, and the town is a suitable if you are
eager to lodge in the general area but not be to far
away from the resort's beaches. Coming from the south
the first hotel you will come across is the African
Village Hotel which lies on the edge of a laterite
cliff with a slither of beach at low tide. The Romana
Afram Hotel is a small lodge at the edge of the town
but on the main road called. The Garden
Guest House is located in the heart of the gritty
urban area. If you are looking for something more deluxe
then you need to go further north to Cape Point which
has a much better beach in a more genteel location.
General Area:
• Bakau Old Town
 Local
oral history says that the old village was established
by the Bojang family over 500 years ago when crocodiles
came and settled in what is now known as Katchikally.
Today, along with the Sanchaba section, the Old Town
is one of the oldest settlements in The Gambia. Among
the first settlers to arrive were fishermen and their
families. During the colonial era the locality was a
desirable area for the British, and formed part of British
Kombo which was basically the capital Banjul, Saint
Mary's Island, and the outlying coastal areas to the
west.
 For
holidaymakers, the Old Town's central points are the
sections around the Atlantic
Road junction, where it meets the Sait Matty Road.
There is a post office, a few banks, a row of small
bars and restaurants in front of the African Village
Hotel, shops, a minimarket, Bakau Market and
the tourist Craft
Market (bengdula), where the Atlantic Boulevard
meets the Cape Point Road. If you move a few metres
inland you are in urban Gambia. A little to the south
of the djembe drum producers and batik stands is the
village marketplace.
 The
overcrowded residential area just inland is a tightly
packed mish-mash of family compounds, sandy lanes, small
shops, mechanic's workshops and so on. Over the years
fishing families are being replaced by tourist sector
workers. The residential neighbourhood, with its
breeze block bungalows, rusting corrugated iron fences
and smelly drainage ditches might not be everyone's
cup of tea; however, there is virtually no traffic here
so it's easier to travel around on foot than comparable
areas in Serrekunda.
Some of the densely populated backstreets have local
diners, serving local food, which tend to be harder
to find compared to the other resort areas.
• Bakau New Town
 The
residential area of New Town is rich in mature trees
that bloom into a riot of colour in the rainy season.
Its main high street is the Garba Jahumpa Road
(aka New Town Rd.) which connects the Sait Matty Road
to the east, with the Kairaba Avenue's Fajara
section to the west, locally known as the Sabena Junction
(the place where Sabena Airline used to be based). The
road is lined with small offices, clothing shops, minimarkets,
tailors' workshops and private homes. It is very poorly
lit at night and does not have much of a pavement to
talk about. Not far from the centre point of this road
is the Independence Stadium, the Gambia's national
stadium. Built by the Chinese as a gift, it is a grand
open-air venue surrounded by brush and a purpose built
ring-road. The stadium is used for some major music
concerts, July 22nd celebrations as well as football
matches.
Tourist Attractions & Things
To Do:
• Kachikally Crocodile Pool
Located on the southern section of the Old Town is the
Kachikally Crocodile
Pool. Local legend says it is a sacred pool which
was later inhabited by crocodiles  over
520 years ago. Its fresh waters are also said to be
a treatment for infertility, bestow good fortune and
occasionally certain rituals are held here, sometimes
accompanies by drumming music. You can also visit a
small ethnographic museum, a souvenir shop, a refreshment
bar, all set in over 2.4 hectares of mini-forest which
has a nature trail and is home to many tropical bird
species, mammals, reptiles and insects.
• Bird Watching
 While
you can find many bird species in Bakau's green areas,
beaches and cliffs such as hooded vultures, Senegal
coucal, Verreaux's eagle owl and the yellow-crowned
gonolek. The best place for birdwatching
is in the vicinity of Cape Creek in Cape Point. This
area is largely made up of mangroves, mudflats, and
sections of lightly wooded areas which are rich in various
birds species.
• Craft Market
 For
tourist shopping the Atlantic Boulevard's Craft
Market is an ideal starting point. Here you can
observe local craftsmen at work by the side of the road,
under the shade of the trees. The bengdula has numbered
stalls where you can find souvenirs such as African
jewellery, batiks, wooden masks, tie-dye women's dresses,
sand paintings, beads and more.
• Bakau Botanical Garden
 Located
in Cape St. Mary, on the Old Cape Road, is the Botanical
Garden, which was established in 1894. It is often
missed by most tourists as it looks just like someone's
large private front garden. It is set in an enclosed
area within a link chain fence and there is a nature
trail meandering around the trees as well as a grass
shaded seating area called a Bantaba. Its plushest greenery
can be seen towards the end of the rains in October.
Specially worth noting among the labelled trees are
the cycads, spiny, young silk cotton trees and the teak
tropical hardwood.
Only some of the shrubs and trees are indigenous, such
as the rhun palms, and some need urgent pruning and
care. If you come with a pair of binoculars you might
be able to spot a number of bird species such as the
red-cheeked cordon bleu, bronze mannikins or the odd
bulbuls. It's a nice place to visit and relax in the
afternoons and there is very little in the way of noise.
The garden is open Monday to Saturday, 9 am till 5 pm,
and there is a small entrance fee per person. Note:
Apply mosquito repellent onto exposed areas of your
body.
(Tel no: 4497354)
• Bakau Village Market
 Flies
constantly make their way between make-shift stalls
piled with habanero chili peppers, tomatoes and carrots,
there are small hung yellow bags of cooking oil, chili
powder, white rice, mounds of local fruit, used clothing,
shoe stalls and lots shoddy, imported household products.
You will also find bowls of fresh fish, beef and lamb
on butcher's chopping boards and teeming with all manner
of flies. The front of the market which is on the main
road is lined with fruit and vegetable stalls selling
tomatoes, guavas, bananas, oranges, apples and other
fruits.
• Bakau Fish Market &
Jetty
 On
the other side of the road from the village marketplace
is the beach fishing port of the local Fish Market where
stalls can be found either near quayside or at the road
side 100m from the taxi rank. At the bottom of a steeply
sloped road you can see smokehouses as well as fish,
such as bonga or butterfish, being brought onto the
shore area from the brightly coloured African pirogues,
the filleting process and ultimately the smoking or
chilling and packing of the fish. You can buy fresh
shrimps from next door to the taxi rank.
• Other Points of Interest
There is the Gena Bes Batik & Tie Dye Batik Factory
which has introduced modern designs that attracts higher-paying
customers. 'Gena Bes' means 'newly out' in Wolof. Another
place well worth looking at is the African Heritage
Centre which is a combined art gallery and museum displaying
and selling art objects from all over the country.
The local area is also home to the main military camp
known as the Fajara Barracks, which is next door to
the fire
service, which in turn is about 50m to the local
police station. Radio Gambia is also located here on
the road heading towards (Stink) Sting Corner and the
capital of Banjul
in an area called Mile Seven.
Health & Safety:
 The
general area along the coastal strip is the safest place
in The Gambia, given the presence of a large number
of professional security guards, local watchmen, the
military barracks, the police station and numerous residences
occupied by international organisation workers. Safety
and security is very good between the army camp and
Kofi Annan Street in Cape Point, where the road is also
lit.
Travel Information:
 To
get to the heart of Bakau ask one of the drivers of
the yellow or green tourist taxis to take you to the
local taxi rank next to the fish landing harbour, and
you can start your sightseeing trip from there. To get
back to your hotel (if you are staying in Kololi or
Kotu) just pick up a cab from
in front of the nearby Trust Bank building which is
near the African Village Hotel.
[Geographical coordinates Latitude 13 48° N, Longitude
16 60° W / Kombo North Saint Mary District (Ksmd)] |
