GAMBIA

River safaris in West Africa
The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa located in West Africa. In Middle-Africa we propose Gambia as an African destination for beginners. Its small size, easily reachable from any European main airport, safety, and the possibility to combine a bit of adventure tourism along the Gambia River with some beach relaxation on the Gambia Coast, makes The Gambia an interesting choice for people who want easy vacations with a touch of African reality.
In the last 15 years many holiday resorts have been built along the Gambia seashore as a cheaper alternative to Caribbean destinations. The Gambia enjoys constant sunshine and barely fluctuating high daytime temperatures all year round. The rainy season is between July and October, when humidity is high and short rainstorms are more prominent in the evenings. Despite being related to a sun and beach destination, the Gambian interior offers an interesting combination of natural parks, where fauna can be observed, with interesting rural life.
Along the Gambia River Middle-Africa organizes cultural and natural safaris for those ones willing to introduce themselves to Black Africa.

10 REASONS TO VISIT THE GAMBIA

1. Banjul is the capital of Gambia, and an interesting place to start exploring the country. In Middle-Africa we always take our clients to the market areas, where the popular beat of the city can be felt. The bustling heart of Banjul is Albert Market and its surrounding roads, a great place to start leisurely walking and shopping for local crafts, batiks, silver jewellery clothes, shoes, fruits and vegetables, and household goods. To understand the British colonial past of The Gambia we propose visiting the War Memorial & Fountain, near MacCarthy Square, erected to commemorate the coronation of Britain's King George VI in 1937.

2. Jinack Island is known as Paradise Island and is located off the north bank of the estuary of The Gambia River, separated from the mainland by the Niji Bolon and is part of the National Park of Niumi which is a marine protected delta area and is aiming to be an eco-tourist holiday destination. The island itself has over 11 kilometres of unspoilt, fairly shallow beaches which are often visited by dolphins.

3. Brikama, 45min from Banjul, is one of Gambia´s largest cities and the ideal base to explore the coast and the Gambiás rural interior. The main tourist attraction of the town is the Brikama Craft Market and 'factory' which produces and sells hundreds of teak wood carvings, batiks, djembe drums, masks and other souvenirs. 5km from Brikama you find Makasutu Cultural Forest, a lush green wilderness fed by a tributary of the Gambia River called the Mandina Bolon. It is a private eco-tourist reserve which is open to the public for full or half-day cultural guided eco-tours of the forest.

4. Gambia River is a major tourist attraction and the dominant feature running through the heart of the country. The river ecology is divided into two different zones, estuarine and freshwater, which in turn largely determine the peripheral vegetation pattern. Salt water sneaks in some 150km upstream, as far as Kantaur in the dry season (November to June). In the lower estuary, mangroves dominate the riverside, with extensive reed belts in the in-between zone, while where the water is fresh, the banks are lined with gallery forest. Up river, the water wildlife is more interesting where you can see crocodiles, dolphins and hippos. The main feature along the river is the incredible variety of birds and most of the bird trips are boat trips along the creeks of The Gambia at dawn or dusk.

5. Gambia River National Park is one of Gambia´s most interesting protected areas since it hosts an important population of wild chimpanzees (introduced on the Baboon Islands in 1979 as part of a chimpanzee reintroduction program). Gambia River National Park is near Georgetown, 306km/6h from Banjul and 2h from Kolda in Senegal.

6. The island of Janjangbureh lies about 300 km up river. The port town on  Janjangbureh is called Georgetown and is located in the northern part. It was founded in 1823 when Kolli, the King of Kataba, signed a treaty with Alexander Grant ceding the island to the British Government. The area is now one of the top ecotourism destinations in Gambia as many areas are covered in tropical forest and the island's water front is ideal for fishing and wildlife spotting where you can see crocodiles and hippos. You can still view many buildings from the colonial period dating back to the 19th century.

7. Wassu Circles of standing stones have now been identified as burial grounds more than 1200 years old.

8. James Island. An excursion inspired by Alex Haley's bestseller and movie Roots. You can go there on cruise up the centre of the wide Gambia River, towards the former French trading post of Albreda and the village of Juffureh. Visit the setting of Roots, an old slave trade station.

9. Tribal villages. Though The Gambia does not offer the ethnic diversity of other West African nations, we recommend exploring the small villages of the interior to get to know real Gambia. There are 8 main ethnic groups in Gambia living side by side; Mandingas, Wolofs, Creoles or Akus, Diolas, Fulanis or Peuls, Serahules, Serers, and Tukulors.

10. Kachikally Crocodile Pool is a popular site where one can observe hundreds of West African Nile Crocodiles.