Places to visit in The Gambia

When we travel to The Gambia in November, we will be spending a lot of the time at the Jemus Jungkung Jammeh Memorial School, but there will be some free time at the weekend and we will organise some outings for everyone to enjoy.

We can't fit in all of the places below, but this will give you an idea of what we might do:

Bijilo Forest Park - this is a small rainforest nature reserve which is located just south of our hotel. It covers an area of 126 acres and is host to over 133 species of birds such as the Red-necked Falcon, Grey Hornbill, Prinia and various types of Bee-eaters. There are also four primate species that inhabit the park, which are the patas monkey, green vervet monkeys, red colobus and the galagos or bushbabies. The plants present include lilies, wild orchids, salt-tolerant vines, magnificent silk cotton trees, palms and the odd-looking baobab trees (sometimes called the upside down tree).

Vervet monkey

Kachikally Crocodile Pond - Again not far from the hotel, Kachikally is one of the most famous tourist spots in the whole of The Gambia, mostly because it's possible to stroke a two-metre crocodile named Charlie! The pool has about 100 crocodiles of varying sizes and all are well looked after (and more importantly, well fed!), so that they pose no danger to visitors.

 

Albert Market, Banjul - This market is on Liberation Avenue and is the capital's main urban market. It is a bustling market selling vividly designed fabrics, carved wooden masks and fresh produce. All this is laid out within a labyrinth of alleys and hundreds of rickety stalls and purpose built shops. It caters for locals and for the tourists, with crafts and souvenirs available. It is open daily from 8am to 7pm.

Arch 22, Banjul - Arch 22 is a commemorative arch on the road into Banjul. It was built in 1996 to mark the military coup d'etat which brought President Yahya Jammeh to power. A statue of the "unknown soldier" can be seen near the base of the arch; the soldier is carrying a baby in one hand, making the peace sign (V-sign) with the other hand, and has a rifle strapped across his back. The Arch is depicted on the reverse of the 100 dalasi banknote.

River Gambia - Running through the centre of the country is the River Gambia. It is a wide river course at the mouth (near Banjul) and narrows the further inland it goes. It was used by slave traders hundreds of years ago, but is now used by fishermen and as a means of transport. Much further up-river is the River Gambia National Park, which includes a chimpanzee-reintroduction project on an island in the middle of the river. The chimp centre is likely to be too far away for us to visit during this trip.

Abuko Nature Reserve - this is a small topical forest near Banjul. It is home over 290 bird species, including Pied Kingfishers, African paradise flycatcher, many Warbler species, herons, egrets and many more. Monkey species include Vervet monkey, Red Colobus monkey, red Patas and Bush Babies. The other mammals include Ground Squirrel, Savannah Antelopes and Brush Tailed Porcupine.