Soft journey, sun and sand

As I lazily paddle up the River Gambia the inconceivable tangle of mangrove roots sequestered beneath the explosion of greenery reward welcome safety from the strengthening late morning sun.

And not only for me it transpires, my keen-eyed information declaring a few of the extra everlasting native residents, my favourites being the lounging Monitor lizards, their bellies flopped on the shadier branches, legs dangling limply to the perimeters as stately, statuesque herons scan the banks and all the things from osprey and hornbill to kites lark overhead. “There are no crocs though,” the operator Mark Goddard is fast to level out. Always good to know.

Kayaking up the River Gambia

My kayaking tour from Tanji Fishing Village delivers a delicate introduction to the River Gambia, which lends its title to the compact West African nation that extends briefly past its banks because it snakes inland in direction of Senegal, the Francophone nation that surrounds it on all sides bar the ocean.

Here, The Gambia’s flurry of lengthy, sandy seashores, energetic bar eating places and mid-market resorts, backed by low-cost constitution flights and typical temperatures within the 29-34 levels C vary, have anchored its repute for inexpensive winter sun tourism.

Banjul

Dutifully, upon touchdown in Banjul in late October, I keep south of the river and make a beeline for a beachfront bolthole. Mine lies within the vacationer enclave of Kotu, simply past Fajara Golf Course, which segues into Kololi, dwelling to stalwart accommodations equivalent to Senegambia Beach and Kairaba, the restaurant-cum-nightspot Poco Loco — to not neglect the bawdy bedlam of bars and eating places that make up the Senegambia Strip.

Further down the coast previous Bijilo National Park yields quieter, much less hectic spots equivalent to Tanji, Sanyang and Gunjur.

Given The Gambia’s lengthy dependence on beach-based package deal holidays, it’s, unsurprisingly, unabashedly ‘touristy’, probably the most unseemly outcome being the overt prostitution and persistent pestering of tourists by younger native guys, or ‘bumsters’. Even in tourism centres although it’s not arduous to get a style of native flavour, hewn from the nation’s lengthy, wealthy tradition and its wealthy mixture of tribal cultures, from Mandinka to Jola and Fula.

This fusion fields a tasty delicacies, centred on a ubiquitous trio of stew-like dishes — yassas, benachin and the peanut-based domoda — backed by seafood staples equivalent to ladyfish and butterfish.

My greatest meal comes courtesy of the native restaurant, Kadiekadie, a dish of rice and plassas, a cassava leaves stew, coupled with a grilled snapper and scrumptious natural ginger drink. All for 110 Dalasi (just below two kilos). This as proficient native musicians pump put all the things from modern tunes in lodge bars and nightspots equivalent to Kololi’s Poco Loco to extra conventional staples based mostly on devices equivalent to sabar drums and the stringed kora.

Another in style Gambian pastime worthy of exploration is wrestling, my first, touristy, style coming courtesy of one of many bouts placed on by Rainbow Beach Resort in Sanyang (rainbow.gm). Summoned from my beachfront seafood lunch by the beckoning drumming I come across a wrestler crawling on his knees into the ‘arena’, cueing the beginning of an elaborate array of pre-bout rituals, bullish parading across the ring and outlandish dances.

It’s all good enjoyable, the wisecracking grasp of ceremonies, Jawla, including mild aid between bouts because the hypnotic drumming builds and falls between anticipation and celebration. Star of the present is inveterate showman Crazy Rock who eager grapple followers can see carry out at Bakau’s Independence Stadium.

My urge for food whet for a style of the nation I fortunately vacate my sunbed and enterprise upriver, the nation’s compactness putting all kinds of experiences inside a number of hours’ drive alongside the north or south financial institution.

Moreover, the early 2019 opening of the Senegambia bridge gives a helpful upriver various to crossing the River Gambia through the Banjul to Barra ferry. (That mentioned, I do have a comfortable spot for the ferry).

MacCarthy Island

I’m quickly marvelling on the Megalithic Wassu stone circles and exploring a few of the islands in its stream. Reaching MacCarthy Island through the quick automobile ferry Georgetown delivers poignant reminders of the area’s historic position within the slave commerce, a narrative nicely instructed by the creator Alex Haley in his well-known novel Roots.

Earlier, my rusty, noon boat journey to the Baboon Islands is seasoned with sightings of frolicking hippos and baboons earlier than the sound of the outboard lures three of the islands’ 130 resident chimp riverside to carry out for the guests, a feat rewarded with a number of bananas tossed by my information.

As the above expertise suggests, Gambian wildlife encounters are usually low on ‘wild’. My excursions soak up all the things from the lacklustre vulture feedings at Senegambia Hotel to Kartong’s woebegone reptile farm and Bakau’s Kachikally Museum & Crocodile Pool. “That’s why I fed you last night — for the crocs,” jokes my information Mamou as we strategy Kachikally, each of us protecting an eye fixed out for well-known, elder statesman resident Charlie.

Other readily accessible animal interactions embody Bijilo National Park’s monkey encounters. For greater recreation contemplate hopping over the border to Fatala, in Senegal with an area operator equivalent to African Adventure Tours (adventuregambia.com).

Far extra spectacular is the birdlife, The Gambia being dwelling to greater than 550 species of birds, with some birding areas equivalent to Kotu Creek a stone’s throw from the coastal resort strip. Plus, there’s a wonderful roster of native guides.

My greatest birding comes upriver courtesy of Morgan Kunda Lodge (morgankunda.com). This laudable, non-profit accountable tourism enterprise, with fundamental lodging, pumps any funds earned from serving to nature lovers decode the world’s choices to help the native village, Jarjari, a few of whose residents enliven my first night time with an impromptu night time of singing, dancing and drumming on the lodge —  a visit spotlight. Sunrise, nevertheless, finds me on a guided stride to look at the birdlife stir on Bao Bolong wetlands.

Returning through the village I wiled away a very nice post-breakfast morning watching the birds flit past the lodge’s hide-like platformed space, from hearth finches and yellow weavers to a Senegal coucal and flighty, red-beaked hornbill.

With The Gambia nonetheless choosing up the items following the protracted demise of dictator Yahya Jammeh, the collapse of Thomas Cook’s UK operations earlier than the beginning of the 2019/20 winter season delivered an premature blow, but seen long run it might show a blessing.

Meanwhile, Gambia Tourism Board is actively seeking to scale back the nation’s reliance on penny-pinching package deal excursions by attracting a wider combine of tourists and fostering extra sustainable, domestically helpful tourism endeavours, from plans for small ship river cruises to its nascent village homestay programme, began in Ndemban. Handled nicely, it might give trigger for Africa’s self-proclaimed Smiling Coast to beam brighter than ever.

Fact file

GET THERE: The Gambia Experience (gambia.co.uk) has added a further weekly departure apiece from Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham to Banjul, for the 2019/2020 Winter season, operated by its associate Titan Airways, and Portuguese provider TAP started flying thrice per week from Lisbon to Banjul in October 2019. Travel big TUI can also be wanting so as to add capability from Europe in 2020.

STAY: Notable current openings embody the African Princess and Sunprime Tamala Beach. While my room within the former proves positive I discover the resort itself a moribund affair, with an ill-conceived structure. Much higher is the Tamala, with its extra pleasing design and livelier location.

Another current opening — and a private favorite — is the ten-guestroom Swiss Boutique, fronted by a beneficiant pool space and a beautiful, quiet beachfront.

Higher-end choices embody Coco Ocean, the place Prince Charles and Camilla stayed on a current go to, whereas really helpful accountable tourism choices embody Footsteps Eco-lodge.