Gambia travel guide

If you have always wanted to study crocodiles up close, the Kachikally Crocodile Pool is the go to place. Both the crocodiles and the pond are considered holy by local, traditional folklore. Women come here to improve their fertility by praying to the crocodile spirits and washing in the pool. Any Gambian child named Kachikally is a result of a successful prayer. Given the crocodiles nature of eating people, locals have fed them in order to visit the pool. Today, they are given 250 kg fish a day to keep them fed and happy. This has tamed most of the crocodiles to a state where visitors can get quite close to the crocs and even touch them. The crocodiles roam the area quite freely, so be careful not to step accidentally on them. There is also a small museum that tells the pond's story and those of many other historical events and cultural traditions in the Gambia.

Let's be honest. The Gambia's capital is pretty much a dump. Most streets are full of litter and undrained rainwater; it's completely dead after 8 pm, and it's probably the only African capital where people are moving out of the city. Not surprisingly, locals and tourists alike prefer the busy market town of Serekunda or the beach towns along the coast. Despite this, the town does have a few sights that justify spending half a day here. Notable the informative, if slightly confusing, national museum and Arch 22. The latter celebrates the 1994 military coup and offers fine views over the city. A stroll between these two museums passes both the Parliament, the Supreme Court and the State House (presidential palace) – just don't pull out your camera as this will land you in trouble with the security forces. Finally, the Albert Market has hassle written all over it and should be avoided unless in cases of extreme desperation for bringing home that last souvenir. The only other reason for going to Banjul is the ferry crossing across the Gambia River to Barra.

If travelling between the Gambian coast and southeastern Senegal, Basse (as it is commonly known) is a necessary stop on the way – either as the first stop in Gambia or the last before crossing into Senegal. Otherwise, Gambia's easternmost town is somewhat of a dead-end. Travellers who do make it out here will find a busy market town that sits nicely on a pleasant bend in the Gambia River. The market here is surprisingly well-supplied, probably the most well-assorted market between Serakunda on the coast and Tambacounda in Senegal. It is also one of the better places to arrange expeditions out onto the interesting upper part of the Gambian River.

The Gambia is synonymous with the Gambia River (the country have even adopted the "the" in its official name. Home to crocodiles, hippos, numerous species of monkeys and apes, and an endless array of birds, the River is the most obvious reason for leaving the coastal resorts. River tours are arranged from the coast, but the real treat is to venture into the interior and onto the Upper River far from the organised tours. Least visited, but with an abundance of life, is the part of the river between Janjanbureh and Basse Santa Su. Both are excellent places to arrange a explorations of the river, regardless whether this is done with a guide or braved alone in a traditional canoe. But beware, if attempting the latter, locals in these parts claim that, "the river does not like foreigners" and it can be difficult to navigate in the smallest canoes for someone without the right experience.

A guide book once wrote of Janjanbureh town (also known by its colonial name, Georgetown) that, "backwaters don’t come much further back than this." From being the Gambia's second city during the era of colonial steamers throttling up and down the river, to a mostly forgotten place, there is some truth to the quote. Nonetheless, Janjanbureh has developed into Gambia's ecotourism centre due to the beautiful nature surrounding the town. Eco-lounges, river tours and fishing arrangements are found in abundance here due to the town's location on Janjanbureh Island. Situated in the middle of the Gambia River, the water is never far away, and nature enthusiasts will be thrilled by both the river tours on offer and walks on the shore. For the latter, nearby Tankandama Community Forest is an obvious choice.

Like other West African countries, the Gambia wasn't exempt from the centuries of slave trading by Europeans. The country's primary site of memorial is Kunta Kinteh Island (formerly St. James Island) located mid-river at the mouth of the Gambia River. Here, Fort James defended the interests of the British, French, Dutch and Latvian ships participating in the trade of gold, ivory and, of course, slaves. The island is just a small pirogue hop from the north bank of the Gambia River, and it's easy to arrange in the twin village of Albadarr/Jufureh. Here is also a small museum, mapping out the crimes of the slave trade and providing an informative introduction to this dark corner of human history. Fort James got to redeem itself in the 19th century when it became part of the British efforts to quell the slave trade.

The region north of the Gambia River is dotted with thousands of stone circles. Dating from between 400 AD to 700 AD these circles are one of West Africa's most intriguing archaeological and historical mysteries and of course an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sites are numerous and cover an area of 35000 km² in both the Gambia and Senegal. However, no-one knows exactly why the stone circles have been raised or who did it. They are raised on even older grave sites, which suggest that they are connected to the worship of ancestors. Further, as the area's current population moved into the region after the circles had been created, their oral tradition does not provide any clues as to why the stones were raised. The biggest sites are in Senegal, but they are mostly ignored by the authorities. Contrary, does the circles at Wassu have a small, informative museum, while the most interesting formations are at Ker Batch twenty kilometres further afield.