The country
Gambia
Gambia
(official:
Republic of The Gambia) lies in the extreme West
part of Africa to the Atlantic ocean. Gambia is with
a surface of 11,295 Km2 the smallest country in
Africa. Gambia measure from the East to the West
approximately 320 km. From the North to the South
the wide varies from 20 km up to 50 km. Gambia is
surrounded on three sides by
Senegal. The
landscape is slightly sloping with some hills. The
highest point amounts to approximately 40 meters, as
a result of which Gambia is with that still flatter
than Belgium. The good navigable Gambia River flows
the complete year straight through the country.
Along the coast are a lot of sand beaches. The delta
of
Gambia River
is
rather swampy with a lots of mangrove plants. The
North of Gambia has a savanna landscape with long
grasses, large shrubs and a few trees. At the South
of the Gambia river lies bunch savanna, with lot of
grass and trees.
Climate
Gambia has
a subtropical climate with dry and a whet season. The
dry season lasts to approximately the middle of October
up to approximately the middle of June. It frequently
occurs that during this dry period no single drop of
rain falls. During the month March up to May the sun
shines the most heavy, with an average of 10 hours
sunshine per day. The Northeast wind
(Harmattan) blows
during those months from the Sahara and can bring
instead of rain also a lot of dessert sand. At the
end of dry season the temperature can rise up to
40°C. By this temperature there are regularly
tornados or land spouts, which are called
Tonkolong. The
air humidity can decrease in this period up to 25%.
The wet period lasts to approximately the middle
June up to the middle of October. The wettest months
are July, August and September. The half of all rain
falls in August. Mostly the rain showers falls at
night and in the morning. However, it never rains
more then twelve days per month during this period.
In the capital
Banjul,
located to the coast, the annual rainfall is
approximately 1400 mm. In
Georgetown,
located in the inland, it rains approximately 1050
mm rain per year. The highest air humidity, up to
95%, is measured in August. The water temperature of
the Atlantic Ocean varies between 20°C and 27°C.
Useful
tips...
The capital
of Gambia is
Banjul
and the
location of the
airport. The
official language is English. A traditional drink is
called Tenkuolo, a palm wine.
Jollof-rice
or
Benachin are mostly eaten and is made of rice with
fresh vegetables and several type flesh and
tomatoes. Wooden made souvenirs are the most
popular. The national currency in Gambia is
the
Dalasi. Pay
attention on the fact that many shops don’t accept
credit cards. We advise the use of cash money to
avoid problems with payments. Except in restaurants
and hypermarkets, bargain is advised. Also consult
the nearest tropical institute for up-to-date
information on vaccinations and other precaution
measures for a healthy visit to this marvelous
country.
Timezone
In Gambia
the time zone is exactly GMT (Greenwich Mean
Time). They
don’t use summertime.
Visa
You must be
in the possession of a travel passport that is minimum
still valid 6 months after re-entry. When you possess a
European passport you need no visa if you stay no
longer than 28 days. For further information you can
take contact on the
Gambian
embassy.
Vaccinations
For a
holiday visit to Gambia a vaccination is not required.
However, vaccinations against
yellow fever
and
DTP
are
strongly advised. For a visit to Senegal it is
obliges to have different vaccinations. Also
medication against malaria is strongly recommended.
Ask you’re nearest tropical institute for there
recommendation.
Nice
restaurants
• In
Kololi
Ali Baba:
very
sociable, much local fun
Tao:
the
buffet on Wednesday is recommended! Reservation is
required!!
Scala:
for
those who loves a tasty rib
eye.
La Valbone:
lovely
Italian pleasure
La Parisienne:
delicious
pizza's
All Italiana:
see
the advertisement above
Jojo's Steak
House: Belgian Gambian food
Time Out Bar:
Belgian managment.
• In
Kotu
Luigi’s:
children
have their own play corner, so time flies by while
you’re waiting.
The Dutch Whale: folk
and typical Netherlands included the free “Dutch
croquet”.
Churchill’s:
for
those who like a typical English pint and
karaoke
Captain’s
Table: near
the Hotel
Bakotul
Amsterdam
Dolphins: just
simple and perfect.
• In
Fajara
The Butchers
Shop: a
butcher and restaurant in one: recommended! Try the
daily dish.
Weezos:
nice
restaurant. Mexican kitchen at night and
international lunch during
daytime.
Mama’s:
every
day a different buffet (rîsti, pasta or menu).
Closed on
Monday.
Ngala Lodge:
the
nicest place for a delicious meal at
sunset.
• In Cape
Point
Ocean Clipper:
at
the Ocean Bay Hotel, not only nice to sit down, but
especially very
delicious.
1. King Kombo,
alcohol brewery and liquor
factory
An
excursion which is very nice and that you can make
individually, and not need to be depend on others. You
can make a visit to the alcohol brewery and liquor
factory, and will find out the fame of the
‘jungle
juice, the
typical well-known palm wine. This excursion puts
you in contact with a real Dutch-speaking brewer.
The fruit plantation, source of all pleasure, lies
in the heart of the province Kombo. A quiet area,
where approximately six years ago, in the middle of
the bush, the Belgian pioneer Emile Arron
established him selves. On the tour you can ask any
question and taste the final results of all efforts
on one of the bantaba's within the complex. If the
drinks please you, you can buy them and have
immediately a nice present for the friends or family
at home. Of course you can buy this liquor for
yourself and enjoy later of the supreme quality
drink brewed on this location. The plantation is
open from Monday up to Saturday between 3 pm and 5
pm. If you like, just give them a phone call to
9922428 and you will be picked up at your hotel and
brought back after the visit. Please visit their
website for more information:
King Kombo
2. De capital
Banjul
Banjul
is the
official capital of Gambia.
Serrekunda
is the
largest city of Gambia, and a lot more active as
Banjul. However you should consider a visit to the
charming capital city, to see the curiosities like
Albert market and the crowdie harbor, departures
place of the ferry. The airport is also one of the
emergency landing strips of the NASA, in case a
shuttle flight needs to bee diverted. If you drive
into Banjul, you see immediately the
impressive
Arch
22. The
gate is 35 meters tall and the centre of an open
square. It houses a textile museum. Inside you have
a beautiful view unto the city, the Gambia-River and
the Atlantic Ocean. On the square in front of the
arc stands a statue of the Unknown Soldier, who
carries a baby.
3. Serekunda
Market
Serekunda
Market is
really an adventure. Here you can buy almost
everything. Rolex Watches (real or fake), used jerry
cans, slippers, goats, you name it. On this market
the local people buy their merchandises. The nicest
part of the visit is to observe the local people and
see them negotiating with use of their hands making
all kinds of movements. Don’t be surprised when you
see the Gambians talking to each other in a busy way
about something they want to sell or buy or if
someone put his goat in a cab a take of.
4. Lamin
Lodge
Hide
between the mangrove bunches lies the
adventurous
Lamin
Lodge. It is
made completely of Mangrove wood. This gives Lamin
Lodge the typical look of an enormous tree house. In
fact these lodge is an oyster farm, but because the
beauty of the building, they have established here a
lodge where you can with eat and drink deliciously.
The hardened path to Lamin Lodge has been made of
pulverized oyster shells, which lie also in large
mounts beside the path. Because the oysters fix
themselves to the roots of the Mangroves, the women
will pull almost daily the oysters of the roots. The
oysters are eaten cooked and of the shells are used
to made ways. From the Lamin Lodge you can make
fishing trips, bird observation trips or simply
nicely sail around in a small boat.
5. Paradise
Beach
On
this beach relaxation rules and you will forget all
your troubles. Lain in this wonderful bay you can enjoy
your sunbathe in the white sand, have lunch or diner in
the beach bar or simply walk along the sea and look a
the waves or the palm trees. The exotic shells (*) you
find on the beach are used by the Gambian women to made
beautiful bracelets and neck collars. You wont find no
‘hustlers’ over here and have plenty of time to make a
chat with the local people. If the sea breeze isn’t
enough to cool you down, you can seat yourself under
sheers parasols or take a shower under the many
self-made recycled oil barrels. Of course you can take
also a dive in the ocean, but keep in mind that this
waters have a strong flow under need the surface you
better don’t go to far into the sea. If you love to eat
fish, you can order your preferred kind in one of the
many establishments, where they sell daily fresh
catches species.
(*) Be sure you don’t take these shells at home as
a souvenir, because some species are protected and
forbidden to carried out thru customs.
6.Tanji Fishing
Village
The
fisherman village
Tanji
is very
nice to visit, especially in the afternoon. On that
part of the day all fishermen return with their
captured fish (sharks, turtles, barracudas, etc.)
and the their women come to help them. The fish is
immediately smoked on site, and as a result of this
a heavy fragrance of smoked fish hangs in the
complete village. With the undergoing sun, the smoke
of the fish, the pirogues (canoes) on the beach and
the splendid traditional clothing of the women, you
have been insured of making beautiful photographs.
The collection of thousands refrigerators on the
beach, which are not electrically connected and
where the fish is stored temporarily, makes you
really laughing.
7. Camel Safari in
Tanji
8. Kachikally Holy
Crocodile
Pool
The Holy
Crocodiles Pool in
Bakau
is
really a must. According to old-animistic use this
pool should have supernatural healing strength,
particularly in case of fertility. Still a lot of
women come to this place to bade in the water and
hope to be good fertile. Many other old rituals are
also carried out at this pool. The
Kachikally
Pool is a
wonderful place and many people say they are able to
feel the spirituality on this location. In the pool
live around 80 crocodiles, which you can touch and
caress. Nobody knows the reason for this strange
behavior of the reptiles. Some say it’s because they
are holy animals, others think it’s due their way of
feeding. There are several of these pools in Gambia
(with or without crocodiles), but the pool in Bakau
is the most known tourist area.
9. Makasutu
Culture
Forest
In
this splendid ecological forest you can walk for hours
and enjoy of the nature.
Makasutu Culture
Forest is a
good example that tourism and environmental
protection can go hand in hand. During the walking
you will be surprised of the beautiful colors, the
large butterflies which land before your feet and
the rich variation of species of tropical birds you
can see in this forest. You can learn to climb a
palm tree in the way the local people does this for
centuries. Or you can taste the Zum-Zum (alcohol
concerning palm wine), also known as a jungle juice.
Be careful no to drink too much of it, or it can bee
you’re gone see pink elephants! You also will find a
lot of baboons in Makasutu forest. A canoe trip
trough the mangrove bush is recommended, and
conducts you along long mangrove roots and
riverbanks with lots of crabs and other river
occupants. At the end of your visit you can drink
something or eat a little snack in the splendid
Lounge of Makasutu just outside the forest, and in
the mean time visit a traditional dancing and djembe
drum show.
10. Bijilo Monkey
Forrest
At
five minutes walking distance from the Senegambia
tourist area lays
Bijilo Monkey
Forest. Here
you can see several monkeys and wonderful birds,
such as the rhinoceros bird. You can make this trip
very easy on your own and don’t need a guide. On
you’re way towards the forest, you probably will
become addressed by `bumpsters’, which will you try
to sell peanuts. But at the entrance of the park are
plates hanging that warns you it’s absolutely
forbidden to feed the monkeys. In the park you must
engage a park ranger, who will ask you if you have
bought peanuts, because it is really not permitted.
Once in the park the same Ranger will explain you
that the monkeys do not approach because you have
bought no peanuts and he will advise you to do this
next time you come again?!? Strange, isn’t? Beside
monkeys you find also enormously large termite hills
in the park and in these hills also frequently live
snakes, because it is nice cold within. So don’t
climb on such hill to make a nice photograph,
because you can disturb a sleeping snake and been
bitten before you know it. If you pay a visit to
Bijilo in the rainy season, you can also see
enormous spiders hanging in their web. There is in
the park a splendid viewpoint on the ocean and a
little further a meadow where you see many monkeys
with their baby's from nearby. This place is near by
the apartments, so therefore no taxi
necessary.
11.
Bakau
Bakau
is a
relative small place with less than 30,000
inhabitants. The most important place is the
Independence
Stadium, which
officially offers place to more than 28,000 persons.
Although sometimes at important games are more than
40,000 persons inside. Bakau lies superb offers from
his highest point a fantastic view on the Atlantic
Ocean. The ministry of agriculture has arranged a
botanic garden for scientific research on the
Atlantic Road between Bakau and cape Point. This
place is called
Kachikally Crocodile
Pool. The
tourist market in Bakau is extremely suitable for
souvenirs. In the Batik Factory in Bakau made the
most beautiful and colorful depressed clothing and
curtains. This factory lies at the end of the New
Town Road. It is open from Mon./Fri. 9 am- 6 pm.
(Sat. 9 am - 5 pm).
12.
Brikama
Brikama
have
been extremely confessed because of the divergent
types of wooden cutting art. On the Market of
Brikama this cutting art is exclusively sold. The
Gambians are really professionals in this art, as
you can see for yourself when they are at work on
this market, frequently using no more than a little
knife and some barn paper. In Brikama many children
offers you a ticket with their name and address, in
the hope you ever will send them a postcard or a
letter of you. A visit to the market will take some
time, so you better as the taxi-driver to accompany
you. Normally it costs 20 Dalasi per stationary hour
for cab, but you have to bargain up to 1/3 or 1/2 of
the price. The tourist market in Brikama is
extremely suitable for souvenirs. Here you can buy
cute djembe's, but ask the driver to take you to
Manjai to visit the djembé factory. A must!
13. Abuko
Park
The
Abuko Nature
Reserve is a
nice nature park, where you believe to be in the
reel jungle. Here you will find only a few animals
like some (old) lions, a couple of monkeys, some
turtles and few birds. It’s especially the walking
pad what makes the park attractive. We notice that
the monkeys are feed a lot of beans, while the local
Gambian people almost never eat these vegetables for
themselves.
The cattle
market lies on the road between Abuko and Serrekunda. A
visit to the cattle market is quit an adventure. There
is a trade of sheep, ewes, chickens but also cows.
Beside the market is a slaughterhouse, with directly
behind it a place where the corpses were laid down.
Around the market you will see a lot of vultures,
waiting for the right moment to grab a delicious bit of
flesh.
14.
The Reptile
Farm
On
the road towards Paradise Beach lies
The Reptile
Farm. Even
if you are a real hero or afraid of snakes and other
reptiles, you must have visit this place. This farm
is made by a Frenchman, together with his Senegal
wife and they live here with their two daughters.
This farm houses several poison and stranglesnakes,
but also chameleons, lizards, turtles, monkeys and
vultures. They can be observed from close range and
even be hold in your hands. If you are afraid, one
of the little daughters will show you how to hold
such animal. She grabs a python like others girls
play with their doll.
15. Fort James on
James
Island
James Island
is a
very impressive island to visit.
this place is very famous because og the serail
"ROOTS", about
the slavery in the year 1860.
The island
lies in the Gambia River, about 40 km of Banjul. At the
time of slavery the island was used as a collection
place for the slaves who been caught on the African
mainland. The slaves were hold on the island for a
number of weeks to prepare them to the large travel
overseas to several plantations in the United States,
the Antilles, Suriname, etc. This preparation happened
by in a very inhuman manner to make the slaves mentally
and physical weak, to avoid insurrection on board of
the ships while sailing towards their destination. The
ruin of the
Fort
James, built
by the English, stands still on the island and forms
a silent witness of the terrible things that has
found place there. In the village
Juffureh, on the
mainland at the jetties for the pirogues (canoes)
towards James Island, a museum is build with
objects, tales and paintings from the slavery time.
Certainly a visit worth it!
16. Tendaba
Camp
Tendaba Camp
lies
approximately at 6 hours drive from the Senegambia
area. The jeep conducts you along small villages
with small huts and rise fields where the woman work
very hard. You will get a painful arm of swaying to
the population, but this inconvenience fades if you
see the smiling faces of the people. This safari is
well to do, even if you’re not an experience
traveler. The motto of the camp Tendaba is:
"One million
mosquito's can not be wrong.....Tendaba Camp is
fabulous!"
And indeed,
the camp is marvelous but also terribly forgiven from
mosquito’s (therefore don’t forget a product to protect
you against these insects). The quarters in the camp
are simple round huts (provided of klamboes and shower)
in the typical African style and completely made of
material from the bush. There are also a swimming pool
and a ritchful bar where you can deliciously cool down
after the dusty ride. The camp has aggregate
electricity, but at night this is turned of, so takes
along a pocket lamp on this safari. From
Tendaba
you can
undertake several excursions: paddle towards the
river delta by a canoe, make more intensive
excursions by jeep in the bush.
Bushpigs
(a very
hairy member of the pig family that lives in forest
thickets) are served at night in the covered
restaurant that looks out on the river. If you
prefer something else to eat, there’s always the
menu that offers a wide range of delicious food.
Inside Tendaba Camp is also a garden with a few lazy
crocodiles and large wooden sculptures. Spending the
night in the camp gives you really the feeling
staying in the African bush. Going more further
towards
Georgetown
is also
a complete adventure. If you travel for a day
longer, you arrive in
Bird Safari
Park. Any
question and more information concerning this trip
of a few days, you can at our watchman Mussa.
17.
Barra
With use of
the ferry from Banjul to
Barra, you
can visit Fort Bullen. From
Barra
you can
take a ride towards
Senegal. A tip:
make a trip towards
Sakone
(40 km)
of
Mbour
(just a
little further behind
Kaolack).
