The Gambia

Stretching languidly from the south of the River Gambia, with its soft white sand and coconut palm trees, Kotu Beach is one of the most popular beach destinations. The warm sea is ideal for water sport attractions including wind surfing, jet skiing, diving, paragliding and body boarding. The Kotu stream creates lagoons perfect for exotic bird watching and nature trail walks, the bustling local markets offer wood carving, pottery wares and the nearby iconic Bijilo National Park is great for wildlife viewing.

Located at the southern end of Senegambia Beach, this 126-acre protected reserve is also known as Monkey Park as it’s home to two species of monkey – the friendly Green Vervet Monkey and the endangered Western Red Colobus Monkey. Visitors can watch these engaging monkeys swinging from canopied trees and enjoy nature trails from the lush forest interior to the sandy dunes. Spot grey hornbills, monitor lizards and 100 species of animals.

Nestled on the left bank, the reserve is made up of 5 river islands collectively known as Baboon Island where ecosystems range from rainforests to savanna and mangrove swamps. The reserve is also the centre of a chimpanzee reintroduction project. In addition to chimps, the park houses the green monkey, red colobus and Guinea baboon, hippos, crocodiles, lizards, warthogs and manatees, and several small antelope and an abundance of birds. These can all be viewed via guided boat tours.

Sprawled across 115sq km on the south riverbank, this is one of the largest and most important wildlife reserves in The Gambia. The landscape is mostly woodland and savannah with stretches of mangrove creeks, tributaries and tidal flats which serve a diverse plant and animal life. By boat or foot, visitors can see up to 250 bird species, sitatunga, warthog, bushbuck, baboons, spotted hyena, leopards, colobus monkeys and the West African manatee and Nile crocodile who live in the mangrove creeks.

A popular attraction in Bakau is an ancient freshwater pool situated in the heart of the suburb of Kachikally, 700m south of Atlantic Boulevard. Home to hundreds of crocodiles, it’s a sacred site for locals as crocodiles represent the power of fertility in Gambia and women come here to pray and wash. The pool and its adjacent nature trail are home to dozens of Desert or West African crocodiles that can be spotted basking on the bank. There is also a small museum with interesting cultural artefacts to view.

Sometimes referred to as James Island, Kunta Kinteh is an island located in the river Gambia accessible via the North Bank and then on a ferry ride from Albreda. A World Heritage Site, the island has profound significant historical relevance because it was the collection place for the Mandinka men before they were shipped to the Americas in the 18th century during the slave trade. Visitors can take a tour, visit the forts and the museum to learn more about the history of this period and place.

South of the town of Abuko and the country’s first designated wildlife reserve, Abuko National Park is a popular attraction because of its compact size, ease of accessibility and the abundance of its wildlife, birds and lush vegetation. With 5km of trails that lead past pools through evergreen forests, spot crocodiles, monkeys, snakes in the only place in Gambia with sightings of green and violet turacos, white-spotted flufftails, ahanta francolins and western bluebills.