With over 540 species of birds, The Gambia in West Africa, offers superb birdwatching opportunities. With its beautiful beaches, colourful culture, monkeys, markets and more, all just a 6-hour flight away from the UK, it’s a fabulous holiday destination for all.
Coco Ocean Resort & Spa is the most luxurious hotel in The Gambia. Whether visiting for the day to enjoy its excellent (and very reasonably priced) spa and restaurant or enjoying a longer stay, it is the perfect place for relaxing and escaping the hustle and bustle of The Gambia.
This wonderful West African country is a fascinating place to explore with golden sandy beaches, year-round hot weather, colourful culture and friendly English speaking locals. Here’s my guide of the best things to do, plus my tips for how to get around, what to pack and more.
As I lie in bed I can feel a gentle movement in the decking beneath me or is it my imagination? I listen to the creaks and groans of the wood... splashes of water... silence... another splash. Getting out of bed I draw back the muslin curtains and catch my breath. A...
My guide to the Gambia resort areas, accommodation types and best Gambia hotels no matter what your budget.
This traditional spicy chicken soup from The Gambia, is known as a cure-all and, amongst other things, is said to cure the common cold. The Gambians like their food spicy so be warned, pepe soup packs quite a punch!
From yoga on the beach to drifting along the river in a pirogue or canoe, get off the beaten path and unwind in The Gambia.
Speaking to Landing, a former turtle poacher, I began to understand why people hunted the turtles, despite their dwindling numbers and it being illegal.
I step out of the taxi onto the dusty lane, in a village much like any other in The Gambia. Today this particular street is unusually busy with a tangible buzz in the air. Today we are celebrating the wedding of my dear friend Okameo and his lovely bride Asanatou.
While on my travels in The Gambia and Senegal I've often heard from the locals of the many uses and benefits of the fruit of the baobab tree, a vitamin, fibre, and antioxidant-rich superfood. Here's my recipe for a delicious and nutritious baobab smoothie. The Baobab...
"Unnerving but fascinating to watch, they used everything from cutlasses and razor blades to energetically strike their bodies without ever leaving a scratch! The Futmapaf, a traditional initiation festival of the Jola people was an upcountry adventure like nothig I...
Having woken up to the dawn chorus of Makasutu Forest and then spent the morning taking a ridiculous number of photos of a troupe of baboons - just a few of which I shared in a previous post, The Baboons of Makasutu Forest - we stopped by what is known as Base Camp....
One of my favourite animals to watch in The Gambia has to be the baboons and the best place to see them is in Makasutu Forest, about an hour and a half's drive inland from the coastal resorts. Here I'd like to share some of my photographs and a few baboon facts to...
In my last post I shared with you my concerns about irresponsible volunteer organisations and orphanage tourism. Today I’d like to tell you about a great volunteering organisation that take a very responsible approach. Getting to know 'people and places' As my...
There has been a lot of bad press lately about volunteer tourism and I’ve heard a few horror stories myself, such as local teachers being dismissed because the school knew that a volunteer teacher was on there way. Even more disturbing still though are cases involving...
During my last visit to The Gambia I stayed in the area known as the Senegambia strip. It's the largest and liveliest resort in The Gambia, although in late June and early July when I was there, it was pretty quiet. Despite the humidity it is a lovely time of year to...
In May, when I left The Gambia, I had a mission to raise enough money to buy at least ten more of the new design of stoves that run on peanut shell briquettes. The Community Stove Initiative If you have been following my blogs from The Gambia you may want to skip the...
Whatever country you are in, I think most people would agree, that the local markets are great places to explore and photograph. When I arrived at Banjul's Royal Albert Market our taxi driver found a local guide to take us round. There's huge variety of goods for sale...
All the colours of the rainbow flash before my eyes. The sound of the waves, squawking seagulls and housewives' banter assault my ears. The smell of fish fills my nostrils and the taste of salt is on my tongue, as I head for sensory overload at Tanji fish market in...
The Sheraton Gambia Resort and Spa is a lovely hotel built on the hillside beside the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. I have visited it a number of times on photographic assignments for The Gambia Experience, including when it very first opened but when I went there...
