Travel and Tourism Information

Travel - International

AIR

The main airlines to serve The Gambia are Air Senegal (www.air-senegal-international.com), Gambia International Airlines (www.gia.gm) and Ghana Airways. There are also many charter services.

International Airports

Banjul (BJL) (Yundum International)(website: www.gambia.gm/gcaa) is 20km (11 miles) southwest of the city. To/from the airport: Taxis are available to the city (travel time – approximately 30 minutes). During 1989, NASA built new airport facilities to enable it to serve as an emergency space-shuttle landing site. Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, internet cafe, bars, restaurants, tourist information, duty-free shops, post office and car hire.

RIVER

The Main ports: Banjul Port is the official port for all ferries. There is a ferry service between Banjul and Dakar in Senegal.

ROAD

Taxis can be hired between Dakar (Senegal) and Barra. Buses also travel between Senegal and The Gambia.

Travel - Internal

RIVER

and fishing trips using converted yachts or pirogues, as well as day cruises along the river with lunch or dinner and a live band.

ROAD

Traffic drives on the right. There are more than 3000km (1875 miles) of roads in the country, about 450km (280 miles) of which are paved. Roads in and around Banjul are mostly bituminised, but unsealed roads often become impassable in the rainy season. Extensive road improvements are underway; the latest additions are the Kombo coastal roads which have improved access to the airport and other popular sights and attractions.

Bus: Local buses operate between Banjul and a number of towns and villages throughout the country. The services are fairly reliable, but tend to be overcrowded.

Taxis: There are three types of taxis: Tourist Taxis are usually painted green and are licensed by the Gambian Tourist Authority. They operate a queue system outside hotels and resort areas and have a published tariff for set distances inside the taxi; General Purpose Taxis are usually painted yellow with green stripes - these are usually four person shared taxis which are usually used for short distances; Collective 'Bush' Taxis are usually seven-seater vans and go anywhere in the country, stopping wherever passengers want to get off, and picking up new passengers when there is room. It is advisable to settle taxi fares in advance.

Car hire: AB and Hertz operate in the Gambia; check with the car hire company for details before travelling. Driving in The Gambia can be difficult at times due to poor road conditions, particularly during the rainy season (June to October).

Documentation: An International Driving Permit will be accepted for a period of three months. A temporary licence is available from the local authorities on presentation of a valid UK licence.

Bicycle hire: Bikes are available to rent at many hotels and resorts.

Resorts & Excursions

Banjul & The Coast

Although The Gambia is Africa's smallest nation, it offers landscapes and attractions of great diversity, ranging from broad, sandy beaches on the Atlantic to lush tropical forests, swamps, marshes and large areas of wooded savannah.

The River Gambia is several miles wide at its mouth near Cape St Mary . It narrows to 5km (3 miles) at Banjul (known as Bathurst in pre-independence days), which is situated on St Mary's Island and has a deep sheltered harbour.

BANJUL: The only sizeable town in the country, Banjul is also the seat of government. There is an interesting National Museum. The area around MacCarthy Square has a colonial atmosphere, with pleasant 19th-century architecture. Nearby is the craft market. Souvenirs and local handicrafts can also be bought at various bengdulala (meaning a 'meeting place' in the Mandinka language); shopping areas consisting of African-style stalls, usually built near hotels.

Resorts: The Atlantic coast to the south of Banjul boasts some of the finest beaches in all Africa with no less than 15 hotels in the Banjul, Kombo and St Mary area. They are served by the international airport at Yundum, a few miles from the capital.

The River Gambia

This is the dominant feature of the country and is the major method of irrigation, as well as providing opportunities for fishing, boating and sailing. It is possible to take boat trips up the river. Most remarkable is the abundance and variety of birdlife along the shores.

WILDLIFE PARKS: The Abuko Nature Reserve, which has crocodiles, monkeys, birds and antelopes, is worth a visit. Details of cruises can be found on hotel noticeboards. The Kiang West National Park also has a rich birdlife as well as other animal species; tourist facilities in the park are well developed. Banjul is the starting point for coach and river trips to all parts of the country and coastline. The whole river and the numerous creeks (known locally as bolongs) which join it, are fascinating to the bird lover and the student of nature

THE RIVERMOUTH: Fort Bullen at Barra Point was built by the British 200 years ago to cover the approaches to Banjul and the river, succeeding James Island Fortress (destroyed by the French) as the main point of defence in the colony. It can be reached by direct ferry from the capital. Oyster Creek is the centre of an area of creeks and waterways which can be visited from Banjul.

UPRIVER FROM BANJUL: Albreda was the main French trading post before they withdrew from The Gambia. Nearby is the village of Juffure, the alleged home of the ancestors of black American writer Alex Haley, author of 'Roots'. However, the authenticity of his account has been questioned over the years. Visitors who want to see more of the countryside may cross by ferry from Banjul to Barra and travel by road to Juffure and Albreda (the journey lasts about 50 minutes), and then by canoe to James Island in the calm waters of the River Gambia. The popular tourist destination of Tendaba is 160km (100 miles) from Banjul by river or road. Further upriver, the fascinating circles of standing stones around Wassau have now been identified as burial grounds more than 1200 years old. Georgetown was the 'second city' of colonial days, and is still the administrative and trading centre of the region. Basse Santa Su is the major trading centre for the upper reaches of the Gambia River. Handsome trading houses built at the turn of the century can be seen there. By the riverside at Perai Tenda can be found a multitude of abandoned shops formerly operated by European, Gambian and Lebanese merchants in the days when up-river commerce offered substantial profits for private traders