The Gambia is a small, narrow country along the length of the Gambia River in West Africa, almost completely surrounded by Senegal. Besides beaches and wildlife, the Gambia is known for the town of Juffureh, made famous by Alex Haley’s Roots.
The Gambia essentially consists of the flood plain of the Gambia river flanked by some low hills — the highest point is just 53 m above sea level, and it is less than 50 km across at its widest point.
Gambia is becoming a popular vacation destination for Northern Europeans.
Visa. Tourists from ECOWAS, Commonwealth countries and most western countries entry visa free for up to 90 days. Others require an entry clearance from the Gambian Immigration prior to travel.
Non ECOWAS African countries and most south Asians require a visa. Visas can be obtained in Dakar, Senegal. Pay in XOF as cheaper.
Capital: Banjul
Currency: Gambian dalasi (GMD). It is better to take CFA francs, euro or dollars with you. 100 GMD = 1.62US$ (Nov 22)
Population: 1.8 million
Country Code +220
Climate. Tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)
People. A variety of ethnic groups live in the Gambia, each preserving its own language and traditions. The Mandinka ethnicity is the largest, followed by the Fula, Wolof, Jola, Serahule, Serers and the Bianunkas.
Language. Languages spoken in Gambia are English (the official language), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, Sarrancule and other indigenous languages
Accommodation. There are many luxury 4- and 5-star resorts along the Atlantic coastline. Further in land there are eco camps and lodges which offer basic accommodation usually in natural surroundings.
Observations about Gambia
1. This another impoverished African country where the majority of the economy is informal. I had my main cultural experience riding the share vans, a real experience especially in Banjul where the traffic is horrendous.
2. Hotels don’t have bed lights, bed covers, garbage cans, mirrors, towels.
3. Transport. There are no bus stations or depots but share vans that leave when full from “garages”. Hold out your hand if you want a ride. They squeeze you in, four across the bench seats.
Day 1 Sun Nov 27. With so little to see or do, I decided I would take public transport from Bissau, through Senegal to get to Gambia, my second last country in the north and west of Africa.
I was up early prepared for a long day of driving. It was still dark at 05:45 when I left, stopped at Bissau Royal Hotel for a great coffee and internet and caught a taxi to Paragem Central (3000 CFA, stopping at the mosque on the way), the main stop for share vans, at 7am when it was finally light. There are only share vans where you wait for the van to fill.
I bought two seats, one for my luggage (5000 CFA) all the way through the GB/Senegal border to Ziguinchor, Senegal (don’t say Sao Domingo, but Senegal when buying the first ticket). In Ziguinchor, I bought 2 seats again to Soma, Gambia (6000 CFA). I had great help at the borders and in Ziguinchor and gave them both a few dollars.
The road was not as bad as I was told but paved most of the way. The terrain was bush and swamp with almost no towns. Both borders were painless with no requests for bribes. There were no motorcycle rides through no man’s land, just short walks through each border post. There were baggage checks before and after each border. It was 4 1/4 hours total to Ziguinchor and a 1 hour and 45-minute wait there for the share van to leave for Soma. Distance 150 kms Bissau to Ziguinchor, Senegal.
In seats made for three, they squeezed four in making this van with four bench seats and two up front eighteen passengers! Crazy – this is Senegal! I bought three seats for 9000 CFA for a little bit of comfort. Distance Ziguinchor to Soma, Gambia – 156 km and over 4 hours on a terrible road full of potholes.
Soma is not big and a crossroads.
ON Moses Lodge 8000CFA fan only but cool at night. Right at the crossroads. The guy working there had lived in Vancouver, Washington and communicated well to look after all my basic needs. Fair wifi. His brother changed my remaining CFA in Gambian money. I had chicken and chips at a restaurant down the road and got to watch another World Cup football game.
CENTRAL and UPPER RIVER
Day 2 Monday 28/11.
I wanted to hire a vehicle or a driver and Moses Lodge arranged one for $100 – an actual small motor home, which turned out much better than I would have imagined. With virtually no traffic except for share vans and donkeys pulling carts, it was a great road, especially after the disasters in Senegal. We passed a few villages all seemingly based on the informal economy. I stopped to get something to eat – a half baguette smeared with mayonnaise from a gallon bucket and a boiled egg,
HISTORIC GEORGETOWN Tentative WHS (29/04/2015). Renamed Janjanbureh in 1995, is a planned port town on Janjanbureh Island (formerly MacCarthy Island) in the Gambia River in eastern Gambia. The town was founded by the British in 1832 to establish the settlement of Fort George for freed slaves. It is the furthest inland settlement of the British colonialists in Gambia. A few buildings from this period have been preserved: the Regional Governor’s House, the Methodist Church from 1835 and the last intact Creole-style wooden house in the town.
The second largest town in the country, it is best known as home to Gambia’s main prison. The Wassu stone circles lie 22 km northwest of Lamin Koto, on the north bank across from Janjanbureh. The island is accessed by a bridge from the south bank, and small boat ferries or government ferries on the north bank.
The town is pretty decrepit except for the Governor’s Residence, white well-maintained buildings behind a white wall and the Methodist Church.
Slave House. A building built in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was where slaves were held until sold. If over 50kg, they were sold immediately and if less held there until bigger. Enter a basement area with the ceiling gone and only rafters present. A 2-foot diameter shallow hole held water available when the tide was high and none when low. There were leg, wrist and arm mangles and chains. 100 slaves were held in each of the two rooms. A small hole on the side received the food. Two rooms for misbehaviour were on the end, each holding 4 people, one for men and one for women. They were chained into iron holders with large chains holding them in. If there was no room, an anchor-like device over their shoulders forced them to remain standing. 800 GD (about $13 – more than a little bit overpriced)
Ferry (right next to the Slave House) After waiting for the ferry to have breakfast (even though it was 12:30)d. We crossed with a big gravel truck and several foot passengers. 300 GD
MacCarthy Island M@P
From the ferry, it was 22 km west along another great road to Wassu.
STONE CIRCLES of SENEGAMBIA. Four large groups of stone circles, part of 1,000 monuments in a band 100 km wide along some 350 km of the River Gambia. The four groups, Sine Ngayène and Wanar in Senegal, Wassu and Kerbatch in Gambia, cover 93 stone circles and numerous tumuli, burial mounds, some of which have been excavated to reveal material that suggest dates between the 3rd century BC and 16th century AD, a vast sacred landscape created over more than 1,500 years. It reflects a prosperous, highly organized and lasting society.
The stones forming the circles were extracted from nearby laterite quarries using iron tools and skilfully shaped into almost identical pillars, either cylindrical or polygonal, on average around 2 m in height and weighing up to 7 tons. Each circle contains between eight to fourteen standing stones having a diameter of four to six metres. The four megalithic sites inscribed bear witness to a prosperous and highly organized society with traditions of stone circle constructions, associated with burials, and persisting in certain areas over more than a millennium.
Wassu complex Wassu is located in the Niani district of Gambia and is made up of 11 stone circles and their associated frontal stones. The tallest stone is found in this area, with a height of 2.59 meters. The builders of the monuments here possessed great knowledge of their local geology to find the sources of laterite stones. Laterite, a type of sandstone, was soft when quarried and easier to cut with the metal tools they had at the time. It looks like coarse basalt. There were burials found under the circles. Dated between 927 and 1305 AD.
There are 11 circles here but only about eight are intact circles of 10-14 stones. The stones have fallen in the other circles. Placing stones on top are thought to bring good luck. 100GD
Wassu Stone Circles Quarry Site Tentative WHS (29/04/2015). Vestiges of the Past. An ancient quarry site located 200 m east of the Wassu area. It was used in constructing the Wassu stone circles are an important part of the Stone Circles of Senegambia. (called Abbaustatte der Steinkreise von Wassu on maps). The area was accidentally burned and so everything is exposed. There are several fallen stones but not much to see.
Kerbatch complex has nine stone circles and one double circle. The site possesses a ‘bifid’ stone, the only known one in the area and is located in Gambia’s Nianija district. Kerbatch also features a V-shaped stone that had broken in three places and fallen and had been part of a frontal line.
This is 8.5 km off the highway and not worth visiting as it is not open and appears rarely visited as weeds are growing up throughout the site. The stones (seen easily through the fence) are not as tall, bigger around and better dressed with smooth surfaces. Drive back the same way on the road. under construction – what appears to be a grand waste of money. About 10 elaborate concrete culverts had been built in this pancake-flat area without evidence of a drop of water ever having flown anywhere near!!. The culverts were all elevated and required enormous amounts of dirt being trucked in to elevate the road surface. There was active work going on with a lot of earth-moving equipment. The few villages we drove through were very impoverished with wells. They all appeared that they could use the infrastructure, not a needless road.
———————————————————————————————————-
SENEGAL
Sine Ngayene complex (Senegal) is the largest site with 52 circles of standing stones, including one double circle and 1102 carved stones. Around 1km to the east is the quarry where the sources of around 150 stones can be traced. Single burials appeared to preceded the multiple burials associated with the stone circles.
Wanar complex (Senegal) consists of 21 circles including one double circle. The site contains 9 ‘lyre’ stones or bifed stones, sometimes with a cross piece strung between the two halves.
Located in the Kaffrine district of Senegal, and is made up of 21 stone circles and one double circle. There are also numerous lyre-stones and one-third of all Senegambian lyre-stones are located at Wanar. All of the monuments found at Wanar seem to mark burials and the site was a burial ground first, and the stones were added later for ritual uses. Construction occurred between the seventh and fifteenth centuries A.D.
Two types of stones were found at Wanar: tall and slender stones that tended to be cylindric; and shorter, squatter, trapezoidal-shaped stones.
We then drove 97 km back to Soma where I had decided to stay one more night and arrange the rest of my trip through East Africa. I was up early to catch a share van to Banjul 200GD.
Day 3, Mon Nov 29
GAMBIA – BANJUL LOWER RIVER
Up early, I caught a share van from Soma to Banjul, 4 hours for about $5. I had one chance and walked about 1.6 km to the market.
Abuko Nature Reserve. Nature park situated outside the village of Lamin in the Kombo North District, 25 km from Banjul. At 105 hectares it is one of the smallest (if not the smallest) protected areas in Africa, but it still offers a good introduction to the Gambian wildlife. There are monkeys, bushbucks, chameleons, crocodiles and some 300 species of birds
Furuyar Forest Park.
SEREKUNDA
Serekunda Market. I saw this on my way to my guest house. It is a warren of small shops in a 2-story building. Mostly clothes in the part I saw. Nothing of much interest for me.
I didn’t see:
Serrekunda Monkey Park
Makasutu Culture Forest, Serekunda (north of Brikama). a large eco-tourism project near the beaches popular as a package day trip with a game drive, boat ride, & performances by locals. A 1000-ha reserve of mangroves, palm groves and savannahs with baboons, monkeys, birds and monitor lizards. About 45 min from Banjul – a D1300 taxi ride, and the driver will wait for you.
ON Sukata Nema Guest House. Sukata Nema is a huge residential area of sandy lanes, many unfinished houses and a few lovely mansions. The location from Booking.com was at least 2 km out. I finally took a taxi that went the wrong way so many times we must have driven 4 times the necessary distance. He then had to ask directions at least 4 times to find it. It is truly in the middle of nowhere and is several blocks walk along the sandy lanes from the nearest road. I dealt with two brothers an unpleasant “caretaker”. They had no record of the booking and said 50€ for 2 nights was not enough. There was no wifi and they offered to put 1 mB of data on a portable modem for 1800 GD (about $27) which was ridiculous. There was also no breakfast (both wifi and BF were advertised) and one gave me back 200 GD.
It is a lovely house with 4 bedrooms, a king-size bed, a hot water heater, good AC, a well-equipped kitchen, marble and nice furniture. The power went out in the middle of my first night. I thought it was a black-out but it was still out when I returned from Banjul. I had used up all my power that was metered and needed to pay 300 GD for more. As I was only going to sleep, I declined but it suddenly appeared at about 10 pm. If it hadn’t I would have left with all the keys after locking the place up.
As I had no data, I used the nearest marked house, Aunt Rohney’s House as the closest place to navigate to.
Day 4 Fri Nov 30
I was off before 7 to drive into Banjul to catch the ferry to Barra and access Kunta Kinteh. I was helped by a lovely guy with whom I walked some distance to a garage to get a faster share van. They all show you endless photos of their family.
the ferry is in downtown Banjul. I waited about an hour for the ferry. At Barra, I had the option to go to the garage and wait for a share van which would have taken forever and instead hired a taxi (1000 GD) to drive me the 27 km to Albreda, wait and drive me back.
KUNTA KINTEH ISLAND. WHS. “Roots” tour to Kunta Kinteh Island. I don’t think there is a river tour here from Banjul and everyone takes the ferry to the North Bank at Barra. Albreda is the original French trading post where the office is and where the pirogues leave from. It was 1400 GD (1000 for the ferry and entrance, 200 for the community and 200 for the museum. A guide is mandatory and paid by tip.
James Island is in the middle of the river, apparently an 8km boat ride but I think half of that. It took about 12 minutes to reach. The island is very small, about .5 acres and was about 3-4 times its present size but is being slowly eroded by the river current. James Island changed hands about seven times between the French, pirates and the British.
Kunta Kinteh was born in 1750 and spent about 2 weeks on the island before being moved to Goree in Senegal. His bravery was repetitively stressed as he was the only one of a hundred boys who didn’t cry during the ritual circumcision that happened at age 14-16. From Goree, he arrived in Virginia, made three escape attempts and with the last, had a foot amputated. He married and had one daughter. Alex Haley who wrote Roots was seventh generation. The TV series aired in 1977 and was immensely popular. Again it was stressed that the actor who played him was not Kinta Kinteh as he was nearly as brave as the real guy.
The old slave trade station was one of about 26 on the Gambia River and the last one from which slaves left the Gambia. There are the ruins of Fort James with only 2-story walls except in the tiny cell where the slaves were held manacled to the walls. The main buildings held an office, stores and quarters for the men. The highlight of the island are the large baobab trees on the island. After returning on the pirogue, drive to Juffureh to see the Slave Trade Museum. It has few artifacts but many explanatory notes about the slave trade and a room only on famous black Americans.
Besides the 1400 GD fee, one is told to tip the guide (I only gave him 200 GD as I feel I had already paid too much to get here). The boat guys asked for a tip. There are many handicraft sellers in Albreda. Since Covid, business has been slow and everyone wants a piece of the action.
I only waited for the ferry for about half an hour and saw the NM sites in Banjul on returning.
BANJUL (pop 31,301, metropolitan 414,000) The Gambia’s largest and most densely populated metropolitan area. Banjul is on St Mary’s Island (Banjul Island), where the Gambia River enters the Atlantic Ocean. The island is connected to the mainland to the west and the rest of the Greater Banjul Area via bridges. There are also ferries linking Banjul to the mainland on the other side of the river.
From the 19th century to 1973, the city was known as Bathurst.
History. In 1651 Banjul was leased by the Duke of Courland and Semigallia from the King of Kombo, as part of the Couronian colonization.
In 1816, Tumani Bojang, the King of Kombo, ceded Banjul Island to Alexander Grant, the British commandant, in exchange for an annual fee of 103 iron bars. Grant founded Banjul as a trading post and base, constructing houses and barracks for controlling entrance to the Gambia estuary and suppressing the slave trade. The British renamed Banjul Island as St. Mary’s Island and named the new town Bathurst. Streets were laid out in a modified grid pattern, and named after Allied generals at the Battle of Waterloo. The town became the centre of British activity in the Gambia Colony and Protectorate.
Within a few years of its establishment, the town started attracting migrants. Its population consisted of Africans of various origins, Levantines (Syrians, Lebanese) as well as Europeans (English, French, Portuguese). A majority of the population was Muslim but there was a significant Christian minority. The majority of the Africans consisted of Wolof people, whose population rose from 829 in 1881 to 3,666 in 1901 and then 10,130 in 1944. They had mainly hailed from Gorée and Saint-Louis.
Bathurst was officially declared the capital of the Protectorate of the Gambia in 1889, leading to an increase in population. Through the 20th century, it became an even greater attraction for Gambians due to the availability of jobs fuelled by British colonial activities as well as social activities such as cinemas. Young men from rural farming villages would move to Bathurst to work at the Public Works Department or docks. The town was an important Allied naval and air hub during World War II, resulting in an increase in population from 14,370 in 1931 to 21,154 in 1944.
After independence, the town’s name was changed to Banjul in 1973. In 1994, Banjul was the scene of a bloodless military coup d’état in which President Dawda Jawara was overthrown and replaced by Yahya Jammeh. To commemorate this event, Arch 22 was built as an entrance portal to the capital. The gate is 35 metres tall and stands at the centre of an open square. It houses a textile museum.
Climate. Banjul features hot weather year-round, a tropical wet and dry climate. The city’s dry season is from November to May and a relatively short wet season when it sees heavy rainfall. According to a Gambian government minister, Banjul is at risk of submerging under water by a meter rise in sea levels as a result of climate change and global warming.
Economy. Banjul is the country’s economic and administrative centre and includes the Central Bank of the Gambia. Peanut processing is the country’s principal industry, but beeswax, palm wood, palm oil, skins and hides are also shipped from the port of Banjul.
Transport. The primary method of reaching the city by land is by roadway. A highway connects Banjul to Serrekunda which crosses the Denton Bridge, however ferries provide another mode of transportation. As of May 2014, ferries sail regularly from Banjul across the Gambia River to Barra. The city is served by the Banjul International Airport. Banjul is on the Trans-West African Coastal Highway connecting it to Dakar and Bissau.
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. A Catholic cathedral in a country with 95% Mulims, was not open. Stained glass windows.
Albert Market. This huge market is a warren of shops where locals can buy anything they need but had little interest for me.
Walk by the football stadium and the Anglican church.
Gambia National Museum. A small museum with not much of interest – history, African tribes, slave trade, archaeology and some ethnographic exhibits. 100 GD
King Fahad Mosque. This is a lovely modern mosque with a large central area with no columns and a nice blue/grey tile mihrab. Not busy and doesn’t look like it is used much. There were only 3 women here. A mosque down the block had prayers advertised. It would appear that Gambians pray at home mostly.
Arch 22. This monstrosity of an arch has four huge garish columns on each side and a building on top. Traffic went under the arch.
The part of metro Banjul one drives through here is a huge estuary/marsh with a large area of mangroves. It has little traffic along the almost 10 km of road that parallels the beach.
Denton Bridge. A modern four-lane bridge built on piers.
The Cape area has
Cape Point Beach. This large sweep of white sand is backed by several resorts with what appeared to be mostly British tourists. It is hard-packed and there were two football games of blacks going on. There were some white folks in the water. I ate at one of the resorts.
Bakau Botanical Gardens. A lovely garden with many mature trees and few flowers at this time of the year. 100 GD.
It was a long taxi drive and two share vans back to Sukata Nemo for a walk back to my guest house in the dark.
ON Sukata Nema Guest House.
Day 5, Sat Dec 1
I left at 06:30 to get to the airport. It was dark and I was lucky to get a guy to drive me to the airport for 400 GD.
Airport “security” fee 20€. The airport had great wifi which was lovely to use.
I didn’t go to:
Kachikally Sacred Crocodile Pool, Bakao, Opportunity to touch/pet West African Nile Crocodiles.+220 7782479, ✉ kachikally@qanet.gm.
Kiang West National Park
Niumi National Park
Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve – mixed patched of thick forest and swamp most noteworthy for its migratory birds but also home to dugongs, otters, hogs, antelope, & hippos.
Bijilo NP
Tanbi Wetland Complex
Tanji Bird Reserve
Brufut Beach
Kotu Beach
Gambia southwestern tip (Kartong) XL
GENERAL
Get In
By plane. Banjul (BJL) is the only international airport in Gambia. Vueling (Barcelona), Royal Air Maroc (Casablanca), Brussels Airlines from Brussels, Arik Air from Accra and Lagos, Turkish Airlines from Istanbul and Senegal Airlines from Dakar. During the tourist season (October to April), there are regular scheduled flights direct from cities several European countries.
By car. It is possible use your private car to drive from Senegal to The Gambia via the border town of Amdalli (just north of Barra). The border crossing is pretty straightforward. You will need your V5 logbook. The road approaching the border from Senegal is terrible and it’s easier to drive next to the road as opposed to on it. Check before you travel if it is ok to bring in a right-hand drive vehicle, as there are conflicting reports on the possibility of this (though it has been done).
By bus. There are direct GPTC buses running from Barra (a ferry ride away from Banjul) to Dakar, but these are not recommended as they are slower than the bush taxis.
Get Around
By car. The main roads are excellent with no potholes. The only problems are a few speed bumps and an endless number of police/military checks. A 4WD was recommended but is now unnecessary.
By taxi. There are two types of cabs: green ones (expensive tourist cabs) and yellow ones (much cheaper and the price depends on the number of people in the cab. They are used mainly by locals, and in many tourist areas they are prohibited from picking up tourists).
Hitchhiking. No, don’t use your thumb. It is an obscene gesture in Gambia, instead, wave if you want a car to stop. As anywhere, hitching is quite a risky business. Gambian motorists will expect you to pay for the ride, so have some cash ready.
By boat. The Gambia River is navigable for the entire length of the country.
Guided Tours. Many companies offer guided tours in Gambia.
There are also official tourist guides that will arrange transportation and guide you. They offer a good service and you will get to travel in a small group (usually 1 to 6 persons). Beware that there are false official guides, so always meet them at their offices, around tourist resorts. Four Wheel Drive Adventure is a very popular tours visiting schools, country homes, and distilleries.
STAY SAFE
The Bumsters. Many of Gambia’s unemployed young men have discovered that engaging, and sometimes hassling, tourists can be as rewarding as a real job. Be prepared for personal questions, sob stories, not-asked-for “favours” and self-proclaimed friendship, all to win your favour or open your wallet.
Scams. There are several very commonly used scams in the Gambia. If they offer you assistance or directions, it may be understood that they expect some monetary compensation.
The Gambian military has an unfavourable view of Brits (sometimes white people in general) and can be extremely racist. Expect it especially at border crossings as you will almost always be asked to pay to have your passport stamped and receive more than a few insults aimed at not only your country but also yourself when you refuse to pay. As always, do NOT pay any bribes as you’re only making the problem worse, not just for tourists but the locals who are already struggling to fight the rampant corruption. Absolutely do not mention calling an embassy as this will only enrage them and start another string of abuse, as your embassy has no control over them and they hate the thought of it. If you’ve made friends with a Gambian they might be able to help but as The Gambia is seen as one of the most repressive countries in Africa, they may be putting themselves at risk of punishment – so don’t get annoyed if you’re not assisted.
Scams also exist in which marijuana is offered to tourists or they are invited to come smoke in a home, only to find police waiting for a hefty bribe. The Gambia is a great holiday destination but just keep your guard up at all times.
When swimming, be aware that the currents in the Atlantic waters can be strong. Always look out for flags on the tourist beaches indicating the level of danger on a red—yellow—green scale.
Be careful about your political opinions, as such critical opinions against the government are considered a crime.
Active homosexuals could be in extreme danger in Gambia, subject to possible arrest or even killing.
HISTORY
Historically, culturally, and linguistically tied to Senegal, the Gambia was split from its neighbour in the 18th century by European powers. Most of the region was taken over by France, but a narrow piece of land around the Gambia River was ceded to Great Britain. This small area eventually became the Gambia.
The Gambia gained its independence from the UK on 18 February 1965. Elections have continued ever since, but with government intimidation and detention of opposition leaders, they aren’t completely democratic.
After ruling with an iron fist for over 20 years, during which he withdrew the Gambia from international organizations such as the Commonwealth and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Yahya Jammeh eventually lost the election to Adama Barrow in 2016. Although Jammeh initially refused to concede defeat, Barrow escaped to Senegal, and Jammeh was eventually forced to step down and go into exile under the threat of military intervention from Gambia’s neighbours. Since coming to power, Barrow has attempted to roll back some of Jammeh’s excesses, with Gambia having since re-joined the ICJ and the Commonwealth.
