Gambia

The Atlantic Coast

The Gambia's Atlantic coast has long been a popular holiday destination for tourists due to its excellent climate and stretches of sandy beach. This said, many of the resorts are tiny and the beaches uncrowded. Kokoli is the most established of the coastal resorts with plenty of bars and restaurants as well as a couple of casinos and nightclubs and a lovely sandy beach. Kotu, slightly less popular still has a number of restaurants and bars as well as a fantastic crafts market. Bakau is an exceedingly attractive option by virtue of its bustling fishing port and the popular Kachikally crocodile pool. On the smaller side, Bijilo and Cape point both have beautiful beaches with a few small restaurants and bars dotted along the beach.

Western Gambia

The west of Gambia is dominated by the wide mouth of the River Gambia. It contains the major cities of the country as well as a number of attractive nature reserves. Banjul is located on St Mary's Island and is the nation's tiny capital city. With a population of just 40,000, and constrained from further growth by the island location, Banjul is laid back and has a few colonial buildings worth visiting as well as the national museum. Serekunda, the largest city in the country is located to the southwest of Banjul and is an easy excursion from the Atlantic resorts. It's a popular destination due to its large and chaotic market place and wrestling arena. It is also near to the fantastic Abuko Nature Reserve where it's possible to see a wide range of wildlife species; monkeys, antelopes, snakes, butterflies and a huge number of different species of butterflies. Further south, Brikana is a small city worth visiting for its rich culture of wood carving and traditional musicians. It is also a good base from which to explore the Makasutu Cultural Forest where visitors can explore lush forests, savannah, mangrove swamps and grasslands and enjoy tribal singing and dancing.

Central Gambia

The middle of this thin strip of a country is sparsely populated but rich in wildlife and nature parks. The main town is Farafenni, an important market town and worth a look in for its clamour and bustle. Nearby, the Bao Bolon nature reserve is a haven for a huge number of species of birdlife and a great destination for all twitchers. Due south from here, on the far side of the river is the Kiang West Nature Park, one of Gambia's biggest natural parks boasting 11,000 hectares of woodland, savannah and mangrove populated by crocodiles, lizards, monkeys, hyenas, manatees and dolphins. Further up river, the River Gambia Natural Park is spread over the five 'Baboon Islands' and hosts a similarly large and diverse number of species including the endangered hippopotamus. A definite highlight of the River Gambia Natural Park is the chimp rehab camp, home to hundreds of orphaned baboons.

Eastern Gambia

The eastern tip of Gambia is little explored, a shame considering its rich history and beautiful towns. Georgetown, on McCarthy Island, is an attractive former colonial administrative centre and hugely historically significant in both the slave trade and the opposition to it. It boasts some attractive colonial architecture in the old slave buildings, commissioner's residence and post office as well as some top eco tourism destinations and a population of crocodiles and hippopotamuses. Basse Santa Su - or Basse as it is popularly known - is the final stopping off point for a number of up river cruises and a good spot to visit for its frenetic market places, colonial buildings and museum.