When to Go

The best time to travel in Gambia is from November to February, when conditions are dry and relatively cool. Around this time of year, however, the dry, dusty harmattan winds blow off the Sahara. During the wet season (June to October), popular tourist areas are less crowded and cheaper, though the rains can make some of the smaller dirt roads inaccessible, and diseases, including malaria, are more widespread. The peak tourist season lasts from October to April, which coincides with visiting migratory birds.

Catch the International Roots Festival in late June and/or early July.

Banjul

Banjul (formerly Bathurst), officially The City of Banjul is the capital of The Gambia, and located within the division of the same name. The population of the city proper is only 34,828, with the Greater Banjul Area, which includes the City of Banjul and the Kanifing Municipal Council, at a population of 357,238 (2003 census). It is located on St Mary’s Island (Banjul Island) where the Gambia River enters the Atlantic Ocean. The island is connected to the mainland by passenger and vehicle ferries to the north and bridges to the south. Banjul is located at 13°28′ North, 16°36′ West (13.4667, -16.60).

The Gambia

The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, commonly known as Gambia, is a country in Western Africa. It is the smallest country on the African continental mainland and is bordered to the north, east, and south by Senegal, and has a small coast on the Atlantic Ocean in the west. Flowing through the centre of the country and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean is the Gambia River. On 18 February 1965, The Gambia became independent from the former British Empire and joined The Commonwealth. Banjul is its capital but the largest conurbation is Serekunda.