Introduction:
Though the Gambia
(in West Africa) is small it offers a wide variety of
sites offering tourist excursions and attractions. There
are numerous land-based tours, mixed excursions and
river trips organised by overseas tour
operators as well as locally based ground tour operators
and freelance Official
Tourist Guides.
Starting from the coastal holiday resorts of Kombo North
you can begin with the various tourist attractions of
Banjul
Capital where there is Gambia National Museum on
Independence Drive, the bustling & lively Albert
Market, the huge arch at the entrance to the capital
or marvel at some of the colonial architecture.
A few kilometres away from the capital and towards the
coastal areas you get to the major vacation locations
of Bakau, Cape Point, Fajara, Kololi,
(Senegambia Strip) and Kotu where you can enjoy local
attractions of endless golden beaches and almost guaranteed
sunshine
& other leisure activities such as watersports,
quad biking, golf and tennis. These areas are where
most tourist choose to spend there time with its numerous
restaurants, bars, shops & local night clubs particularly
in the Kololi & Senegambia areas.
At Bakau
there is the Craft Market, Katchikally Crocodile Pool
(whose crocs are allegedly said to be so tame they allow
tourist to touch them) further inland you find Serrekunda
town with its dazzling & hectic market, Sunday Wresting
and tie-and-dye factory. There is also the Bijilo Forest
Park which is within easy walking distance from the
Kairaba or Senegambia hotels. The destinations of Brufut
Heights and Brufut Gardens are becoming an increasingly
important resort destinations after the opening of the
Sheraton, now Coral Beach Hotel and the development
of the local area's facilities.
For the more adventurous you can take a one-day or half-day
excursion further down the coast of the Tanji
Village Museum & Bird Reserve where you can hire
a boat and take an excursion among the mangroves with
amazing unspoilt scenery. You can also go for camel
safaris at Tanji which is located just after the bridge
on the left. At Kartong you can visit the Lemonfish
Art Gallery which display works from local Gambian artists.
Micro-light flights are also available that offer visitors
stunning views of the creeks and bolong and other natural
tourist attractions.
Bird watching is possible even within the tropical gardens
of the major hotels and many actively encourage birds
to breed on their hotel complexes. However the Gambia
has many wildlife & bird reserves such Tanji and
Abuko Nature Reserve
which is a 20 minutes drive from most hotels. Abuko
forest is also home to lions, hyenas & various species
of monkeys.
There are numerous safari camps located up-country and
most are to be found on the river banks offering reasonably
descent accommodation.
 For
the even more adventurous you can visit the Tanbi
Wetland Reserve which is located directly south of the
capital. It is a large expanse of creeks & mangrove
swamps with plenty of opportunities for cruising, bird
watching and fishing.
Fishing excursion opportunities are endless. You can
choose both sea or creek fishing as well as the river
itself where you can hire a boat from numerous tour
operators located at Denton Bridge.
Further inland still you get to Brikama with its craft
market & factory and to the north east you get to
the Makasutu Culture Forest
which lies next to the River Gambia. On its shores there
is the luxury eco-lodge of Mandina River Lodge. To the
east of Brikama you can visit Lamin Lodge in Pirang
Forest Park which has a small river running through
it and is an unspoilt Eden and ideal for naturists.
Some of the Gambia's most ancient monuments are located
inland near Wassu, where circles of stones mark 1,200-year-old
burial grounds. Way up river you will get to the Baboon
Island which form part of the River
Gambia National Park.
On the north bank which you can reach by ferry
from Banjul there you can visit Fort Bullen at Barra
Point and Jinack
Island which is part of the Niumi National Park
where you can do a spot of dolphin spotting. On the
river bank itself further inland try out the 'Find Your
Roots Excursion' which is a one day pilgrimage to the
village of Juffure
made famous by Alex Haley's book 'Roots'. Nearby
there is the slavery museum at Albreda, not far from
the shore the ruins of Fort James Island.
Other
Places off the beaten track. |
