© Lonely Planet Publications 314 lonelyplanet.com THE GAMBIA •• Highlights 315 THE GAMBIA HIGHLIGHTS HOW MUCH? The Gambia Serekunda market ( p324 ) Weave your way through The Gambia’s most crammed Soft drink US$0.55 market to the sound of booming reggae THE GAMBIA and beeping car horns. Newspaper US$0.35 Abuko ( p325 ) Look out for rare birds and Sandwich US$2 giant crocodiles in Africa’s smallest na- French bread US$0.30 ture reserve. One hour internet US$0.60 It’s easy to miss The Gambia on a map of mighty Africa. This tiny sliver of land is a mere Kololi ( p320 ) Lounge at the beach, then 500km long and 50km wide, and, with the exception of an 80km shoreline, it’s entirely dance till you drop in The Gambia’s enveloped by Senegal. But beach-bound tourists have long known how to trace this oddly glitzy tourist resorts. LONELY PLANET INDEX shaped country on the map. Its magnificent coast invites visitors to laze and linger, tempting Gunjur ( p325 ) Beaches aren’t for sunbath- ing only; soak up the busy atmosphere of 1L petrol US$1.10 (and rising) with luxurious beach resorts and bustling fishing villages. But there’s more to Africa’s smallest this traditional fishing village. 1L bottled water US$1 country than sun and surf. Stunning nature reserves, such as Abuko and Kiang West, and River Gambia National Park ( p326 ) Cruise Bottle of Flag/Julbrew US$0.60 the historical slaving stations of St James Island and Jufureh offer peaceful pauses from the down the Gambia River with an amazing Souvenir T-shirt US$9 clamour of the nearby coast. And The Gambia’s vibrant culture is always there to be taken array of birdlife for company. Shwarma US$1.50 in by open-eyed visitors. Traditional wrestling matches regularly take place in Serekunda’s CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO arenas, the heaving markets of Banjul and Serekunda have you soaking up the atmosphere Most tourists travel to The Gambia during the and sharpening your negotiation skills, and the striking performances of kora-strumming dry and relatively cool months from Novem- coast throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, griots can be experienced during weddings, baptisms or public concerts. ber to February (daytime maximums around exchanging salt, iron, pots and pans, firearms 24°C). This is also the best time to watch wild- and gunpowder for ivory, ebony, beeswax, Bird-lovers will easily be seduced by this compact country. On a tour upriver, the cries life and birds. gold and slaves. of over 300 species will follow you as your pirogue (traditional canoe) charts a leisurely The wet season starts around late June and Baltic Germans first built a fort on James course through mangrove-lined wetlands and the island of Georgetown. Even if your or- lasts until late September, when temperatures Island in 1651, and were displaced in 1661 rise to around 30°C, the rains make some by the British, who found themselves under nithological skills don’t go beyond identifying an inner-city pigeon, you’ll be tempted to upcountry roads inaccessible, vegetation is constant threat from French ships, pirates and wield binoculars here, and can rely on an excellent network of trained guides to help you lush and the rivers swelling. African kings. New forts were built at Barra tell a pelican from a flamingo. and Bathurst (now Banjul), at the mouth of ITINERARIES the Gambia River, to control the movement One Week Spend a good amount of time at of ships. Fort James continued to be an im- FAST FACTS the beaches of the Atlantic Coast ( p320 ), portant collection point for slaves until the and tie in the occasional day trip to the abolition of slavery in 1807. Area 11,295 sq km busy market of Serekunda ( p324 ), sleepy The British continued to extend their influ- ATMs At banks in Banjul, on the Atlantic Banjul ( p318 ), the pretty museum and ence further upstream until the 1820s, when Coast, in Serekunda and at the airport bird reserve of Tanji ( p325 ), the fishing the territory was declared a British protector- village of Gunjur ( p325 ) and the cute ate ruled from Sierra Leone. In 1888 Gambia Borders Senegal Abuko Nature Reserve ( p325 ). became a crown colony, by which time the Budget US$20 to US$40 per day Two Weeks Follow the one-week itinerary, surrounding territory of Senegal had fallen Capital Banjul then go on a Roots tour to Jufureh ( p325 ) into French custody. and take a ride to mangrove-hidden Bin- Gambia became self-governing in 1963 Languages English, Mandinka, Wolof, Fula tang Bolong ( p326 ). Treat yourself to though it took two more years until real inde- Money Dalasi; US$1 = D27 a river trip up to Georgetown ( p326 ), pendence was achieved. Gambia became The Population 1.6 million where you can take pirogue excursions Gambia, Bathurst became Banjul, and David to Wassu ( p326 ), River Gambia National Jawara, leader of the People’s Progressive Party, Seasons Dry (November to April), hot (May to June), wet (July Park ( p326 ) and Basse Santa Su ( p327 ). became Prime Minister Dawda Jawara. to October) High groundnut prices and the advent of Telephone Country code %220; international access code %00 HISTORY package tourism led to something of a boom in Time GMT/UTC The Empires of Ghana (5th to 11th centuries) the 1960s. Jawara consolidated his power, and and Mali (13th to 15th centuries) extended became president when The Gambia became Visa Cost US$25 to US$45, but are not required by citizens of the their influence over the region that is now a fully fledged republic in 1970. As ground- British Commonwealth, Scandinavian countries, Belgium, Germany, The Gambia. By 1456 the first Portuguese nut prices fell in the 1980s, and tourism rev- Netherlands and Spain navigators landed on James Island and quickly enues did not trickle down the economic scale, monopolised trade along the West African two coups were hatched – but thwarted with 316 THE GAMBIA •• Culture lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com THE GAMBIA •• Arts & Crafts 317 THE GAMBIA 0 30 km THE GAMBIA 0 20 miles To Kaolack (55km); To Kaolack (45km); ὅὅὅὅὅ S E N E G A L Dakar (237km) Dakar (247km) Tr S E N E G A L ans-Gambia Kau-ur Njau Charmen Wassu Stone Circles To Tambacounda THE GAMBIA ὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ A T L A N T I C Wassu (10km) Hwy River Gambia Kuntaur National Park Maka O C E A N Sotokoi ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅBaboon Island MacCarthy Ginak Island Dankunku Island (Niumi National Park) Karang Farafenni Ὀ KuntairὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ Piniai Kunkilling ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅBaobolong ὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅGeorgetown ὅ Katchang Fula Kunda (Jangjang-bureh) Forest Park Bakau Wetland Gambia Sutukoba Fajara Barra Reserve Mansa Baro Kunda Sankuli Kerewan Pakali Kunda Kotu Salikene Nding Konko ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅBANJUL ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅDobo ὅὅὅὅὅὅ Genieri Soma Kololi Serekunda River Tendaba Pata Bansang Forest Park U p p e r G a m b i a Tanji River Jufureh Kiang West Jappeni Diabugu Fatoto Bird Reserve Abuko National Park Kwinella R i v e r Kantale Lamin Darsilami Kunda Tanji ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅNature ReserveὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅL o w e r G a m b iὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ a ὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ Banjul Gambia Tujering R i v e r River International Albreda James Airport Island Bolong Sare Bojo Basse Santa Su To Sanyang Médina- Tambacounda ὈὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὈὈὈBintang ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈYorofoula ὅὅὅὅὅὈὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὈ(48km) Brikama Tumani Tenda Faraba Banta Bintang Bwiam Sabi Bondali Kalagi Bessi ὅὅὅGunjurὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅὅGiboro Kanilai Joli Somita Sibanor Darsilami Médina Gounas Séléti Vélingara ὅὅὅ S E N E G A L Kartong -Gambia Hwy To Kolda To Kafountine To Ziguinchor To Bignona (25km) (103km) ὅὅὅὈDiouloulou (73km) S E N E G A L Trans (45km) Ὀ Senegalese assistance. This cooperation led to easily accessible. Wiping the gloss off those the tourist industry. Forty-five percent of The Banjul’s national museum has a few good the 1982 confederation of the two countries descriptions, some of the smile still remains, Gambia’s population is under 14 years old. examples of traditional statues and carved under the name of Senegambia, reportedly though real hospitality is easier found up- The main ethnic groups are the Mandinka masks on display. Also fascinating is the art the first step to unification, but the union country, away from the coastal resorts where (comprising around 42%), the Wolof (about of batik making (where fabric is printed using collapsed by 1989. Meanwhile, corruption mass tourism has somewhat distorted social 16%) and the Fula (around 18%). Smaller wax to cover areas not to be dyed), which increased, economic decline continued and relations and the respectful interaction other- groups include the Serer and Jola. contemporary artists such Baboucar Fall popular discontent rose. Finally, in July 1994, wise typical of the country. About 90% of The Gambia’s population is and Toimbo Laurens push into new creative Jawara was overthrown in a reportedly blood- Years of authoritarian rule have also resulted Muslim. Christian faith is most widespread d irections. less coup led by Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh. in a certain climate of distrust. Conversations among the Jola and to a lesser extent the are often conducted with care, and few peo- Serer. ENVIRONMENT The Gambia Today ple will express their views on governmental At only 11,295 sq km, The Gambia is the After a brief flirtation with dictatorship, the politics openly – you never know who might ARTS & CRAFTS smallest country in Africa (half the size of 30-year-old Jammeh bowed to international be listening. Being aware of the troubles that The Gambia is a major centre of the kora (a Wales, or less than twice that of Delaware) pressure, inaugurated a Second Republic and plague the population will help you to under- stringed instrument combining features of and its territory is entirely dominated by the won the 1996 presidential election comfort- stand silences in conversation or the avoidance the hap and lute), an icon of African music Gambia River.