Bubacarr Baldeh

A day inside a working Gambian village with Bubacarr as host and translator. Guests meet a family in their compound, share a meal and see daily life as it is lived, away from the resort area.

Best for First-time visitors, familiesStart and finish Your hotel on the coast

Itinerary

1. 08:30Pick-up from your hotel and drive inland through rural villages.
2. 10:00Arrival and greeting of the village head (the alkalo), a customary courtesy for visitors.
3. 10:30Walk through the village: family compounds, the well, the women's vegetable garden and the local school when it is in session.
4. 12:00Help prepare a traditional lunch such as domoda (groundnut stew) or benachin (one-pot rice), then eat together from a shared bowl.
5. 13:30Attaya, the three rounds of green tea, with time to talk with the family.
6. 14:30Optional activities: pounding grain, a short farm walk, or drumming and dancing if the village has arranged it.
7. 16:30Return to your hotel.

Good to know

• Modest clothing is appreciated (shoulders and knees covered).
• Ask before taking photos of people. Bubacarr will help with introductions.
• Gifts for the village, such as school materials or rice, are welcome but never required. It is best to give them through the alkalo or the host family.

The north bank of the River Gambia holds the country's best-known sites from the era of the Atlantic slave trade: the villages of Juffureh and Albreda and Kunta Kinteh Island (formerly James Island), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Best for History and heritage travellersStart and finish Your hotel on the coast

Itinerary

1. 07:00Pick-up and drive to Banjul for the ferry across the river mouth to Barra.
2. 09:30Drive along the north bank through small villages to Albreda.
3. 10:30Albreda: the former French trading post, the freedom flagpole and the slavery museum.
4. 11:30Short walk to Juffureh, the village made famous by Alex Haley's book Roots, and a visit to the Kinteh family.
5. 13:00Lunch by the river in Albreda.
6. 14:00Pirogue (wooden boat) to Kunta Kinteh Island to walk among the fort ruins.
7. 15:30Return to Barra for the ferry back to Banjul.
8. 18:00Arrival at your hotel, depending on the ferry.

Good to know

• Bring a copy of your passport or ID, a hat and sun protection. There is little shade on the island.
• Ferry times vary, so this day needs a flexible return time.

A relaxed introduction to the capital for guests with limited time. Bubacarr explains the city's colonial past and its life today, with plenty of stops for photos.

Best for Short stays, cruise visitorsStart and finish Your hotel on the coast

Itinerary

1. 09:00Pick-up and drive to Banjul.
2. 09:45Arch 22, the gateway to the city, with views over Banjul and the river.
3. 10:30The National Museum: Gambian history, culture and musical instruments.
4. 11:30Walk through the old streets with their colonial-era buildings to Albert Market for fabrics, spices and crafts.
5. 12:45Stop at the ferry terminal waterfront to watch the fishing boats and river traffic.
6. 13:30Return to your hotel, with an optional lunch stop on the way.

Good to know

• Opening days for the arch and museum can change. Bubacarr confirms them before the tour and swaps in another stop if needed.
• This package combines well with Package 1 as a two-day introduction to the country.

A journey upriver to River Gambia National Park, where hippos live in the river and rescued chimpanzees live freely on forested islands. The chimpanzees are watched from the boat only. Nobody lands on the islands, which keeps both the animals and visitors safe.

Best for Wildlife lovers, photographersStart and finish Your hotel on the coast

Day 1: Coast to Kuntaur and the national park

1. 07:00Early pick-up and drive inland (about 4 hours) with a comfort stop on the way.
2. 12:00Lunch near Kuntaur on the river bank.
3. 14:00Boat safari (about 2 hours) into the national park. A park ranger joins the boat to tell the story of the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project. The afternoon is the best time to see the chimpanzees at the water's edge.
4. 16:00Hippo watching on the way back, with baboons, monkeys, crocodiles and many river birds.
5. 17:30Transfer to a riverside camp or lodge in the Janjanbureh area for dinner and the night.

Day 2: River morning and return

1. 07:00Optional early bird walk or short boat ride while the river is quiet.
2. 08:30Breakfast.
3. 10:00Drive back to the coast with a stop at a roadside market.
4. 15:00Arrival at your hotel.

Good to know

• Hippos and chimpanzees are wild animals, so sightings are very likely but cannot be guaranteed.
• Bring binoculars, long sleeves and insect repellent for the evening.
• Upriver accommodation is simple and clean rather than luxurious.

A slower trip that adds ancient and colonial history to the river safari: the Wassu Stone Circles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the old island town of Janjanbureh (formerly Georgetown).

Best for Travellers who want culture and nature togetherStart and finish Your hotel on the coast

Day 1: Coast to Janjanbureh

1. 07:30Pick-up and drive inland, with stops in villages and at a weekly market if one falls on the day.
2. 13:00Lunch on arrival and check-in at a riverside lodge.
3. 16:00Guided walk through Janjanbureh: the old trading houses, the town's history and the Kankurang museum on masquerade traditions.
4. 19:00Dinner by the river.

Day 2: Hippos and chimpanzees

1. 08:00Breakfast and a visit to the local market.
2. 10:00Boat trip downriver, looking for hippos, baboons, red colobus monkeys and crocodiles along the banks.
3. 13:00Picnic lunch on the boat.
4. 15:00River Gambia National Park: a ranger comes aboard and the boat passes the chimpanzee islands at the time the animals are usually visible.
5. 18:00Return to the lodge for dinner.

Day 3: Wassu Stone Circles and return

1. 08:00Breakfast and check-out.
2. 09:30Wassu Stone Circles: a walk among the standing stones and a visit to the small site museum.
3. 11:30Stop in a nearby village to meet a family and see farming life upriver.
4. 13:00Lunch, then the drive back to the coast.
5. 18:30Arrival at your hotel.

The complete experience in one trip: village life, the heritage sites of the north bank, the stone circles, and the hippos and chimpanzees of the upper river. The route goes inland along one bank and returns along the other, so guests see both sides of the country.

Best for Visitors who want to see the whole countryStart and finish Your hotel on the coast

Day 1: Banjul and the north bank

1. Morning visit to Banjul: Arch 22 and Albert Market.
2. Ferry to Barra and drive to Albreda and Juffureh.
3. Pirogue to Kunta Kinteh Island in the afternoon.
4. Overnight in a simple lodge on the north bank.

Day 2: North bank road to Wassu and Janjanbureh

1. Drive east through north bank villages with a market stop.
2. Afternoon visit to the Wassu Stone Circles.
3. Continue to Janjanbureh. Dinner and overnight at a riverside lodge.

Day 3: River Gambia National Park

1. Morning walk through Janjanbureh town.
2. Full afternoon on the river: hippo watching, then the chimpanzee islands with a park ranger on board.
3. Second night in Janjanbureh.

Day 4: Village stay

1. Drive west along the south bank to a rural village.
2. Welcome by the alkalo, cooking with the host family and an afternoon of village activities.
3. Evening of drumming and storytelling. Overnight in the village or in a nearby lodge, as guests prefer.

Day 5: Return to the coast

1. Breakfast with the family and farewells.
2. Drive back to the coast with a stop at a craft market.
3. Arrival at your hotel in the early afternoon.