Gambia
Travel Guide > Africa > Gambia
In this Article
- Introduction
- Brief History
- Geography
- Regions/Divisions
- Cities
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Weather
- Getting there
- Getting Around
- Red Tape
- Money
- Work
- Study
- Language
- Eat
- Sleep
- Drink
- Health
- Safety
- Keep Connected
Quick Facts
[edit]
- Capital
- Banjul
- Population
- 1,229,000
- Government
- Republic under multiparty democratic rule
- Religions
- Islam, Christianity
- Languages
- English
- Calling Code
- +220
- Nationality
- Local name
Help contribute to this article to share the ad revenue.
Introduction
The Gambia looks like an inverted tongue in the mouth of Senegal, as it slivers alongside its prime geographic landmark and namesake river. It's a compact destination with more attractions than its size warrants.
With a whoppin' 80 km of coastline to speak of, Gambia's tourist industry has largely been geared towards these 80 km and the resorts which mark them. And sure, the combined joys of beaches and sunshine are a worthwhile holiday, but Gambia isn't a one-trick pony. A hearty African culture is evident in most places away from the Atlantic resorts and it is here that you can start to see the real Gambia. Soccer and wrestling are the prime sports here, and you'll be welcome to join in (though you might want to just watch the latter). Bird lovers are in for a treat, with Gambia hosting over 600 species. Not bad for one of Africa's smallest countries.
Brief History
Geography
Regions/Divisions
The Gambia is made up of 5 divisions
- Lower River
- Central River
- North Bank
- Upper River
- Western
Sights and Activities
For such a small country, Gambia still has some fine attractions to keep you busy for a week or so. The colourful friendly people are one of the reasons alone to visit this small West African country.
Wasu Stone Circles
Wasu Stone Circles are part of the Stone Circles of Senegambia. In total there are four areas with these Stone Circles, of which Wasu is one of the best known and most visited. It is located in the northern central parts of the country, close to the main east west road across the country, north of the Gambia River. The stone circles represent an extraordinary concentration of monuments in a band 100 km wide along some 350 km of the River Gambia. In total the four groups have 93 stone circles and numerous burial mounds. It is believe they date back to the 3rd century BC up to the 16th century AD, forming a vast sacred landscape of ancient graves representing an organised society. Therefore they are on the Unesco World Heritage List.
Beaches
Gambia is a very popular gettaway for package tourists from Europe, escaping the European winters. Although it only has a short coastline and only a handful of really good hotels, these fill up quickly. The Atlantic beaches are long white and sandy areas fringed with palms and some fine swimming. There are several villages where hotels are concentrated, all offering restaurants, bars and some nightlife. The seafood is particurly good here.
Gambia River
The Gambia River, especially in the eastern half of the country is an interesting waterway with some great cultural and natural highlights to explore. From Georgetown in the east there are half a day trips along the river where you will definately see some crocs and hippos and many bird species. There are even chimpanzees on the chimpanzee island in a bend in the river. The chimps have been placed here a few years back and are doing well. You have to be lucky to see a few, but you definately here them when passing by the island (it is forbidden to set foot on the island itself). Georgetown itself (also known as Jang Jang Burreh) had a slave building but was converted into other purposes since the slavery was abolished in 1807. Today some ruins still remain on the southern shore of the Gambia River where Georgetown is located.
Other sights and activities
- James Island - a former slave post
- Banjul - the only large city in the country
- Mangroves
- Abuko Park - wildlife including monkeys
Events and Festivals
Weather
Gambia has a hot and humid tropical climate with temperatures well over 30 degrees Celcius during the day most of the year. Night temperatures are above 20 degrees but can drop below more inland, although it rarely gets colder than 15 degrees. The rainy season lasts from June to October with most rain falling from mid-July to September. The hottest months are February to April when temperatures can rise above 40 degrees Celcius in the east and well above 35 still in the western part and the coastline. The best months are probably November to February with sunny and dry days and still not overly hot.
Getting there
Plane
Banjul International Airport (BJL) near the capital Banjul is where all international flights to Gambia arrive and depart. International destinations with the national airline Slok Air Gambia are Conakry, Dakar, Accra, Freetown, Monrovia, Abidjan and Bamako. Other flights are mainly within the region as well, but both scheduled and chartered services include those to Amsterdam (Transavia), London, Manchester, Stockholm, Helsinki, Oslo, Brussels, Frankfurt and Madrid.
Afrinat International Airlines flies between Banjul, Accra, Freetown, Bamako, Conakry and Dakar.
By Train
By Car
By Bus
By Boat
Red Tape
Money
Work
Study
Language
Eat
Sleep
Drink
Health
Safety
This is version 7. Last edited at 18:31 on May 19, 08 by Utrecht (+3679). 9 articles link to this page.
More about Gambia on Travellerspoint
Community Activity
- Forum Discussions
- Blog Entries (9)
- Trips to Gambia (92)
- Gambia members (16)
- Gambia featured photos (11)
- Gambia travel helpers (7)
Gambia Accommodation
- Hostels (2)
- Apartments (1)
- Guesthouses / B&Bs (3)
- Budget Hotels (5)
Except where otherwise noted, content of this article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License