Why The Gambia should be your next travel destination
People seeking a winter sun vacation would be wise to take into account The Gambia in West Africa. The curiously formed sliver of land that juts into Senegal is only a six-hour flight from the UK has hospitable and courteous residents, and is moreover a fantastic bargain for your vacation money.
English is still the official language in this former British colony (it gained independence in 1965), but you won't hear it used much since people prefer to communicate in one of the seven tribal languages they speak, such Mandinka or Wolof.
The River Gambia runs through the country's terrain, while Senegal surrounds it all save a little stretch of its Atlantic Ocean shore. This region of the Gambia, its western end, is home to magnificent beaches, the bustling marketplaces of Serekunda and Royal Albert, and Banjul, the nation's capital, which is situated on its own island near the ocean's mouth.
Get ready for street chaos
There is no disputing that The Gambia delivers a dizzying dose of cultural shock to western visitors. The Gambia is a developing country. Its capital Banjul has tarmac roads, pavements, and some opulent buildings, but outside the city it's all wheat-hued dirt roads where goats and cattle wander amicably amid local street traders; women dressed in vivid clothes carry their goods on their heads, while others transport their wares in wheelbarrows or in carts pulled by a donkey.
There is a lot of traffic with people packed into vans, automobiles, and bush taxis (sometimes worn-out people movers) for a cheap fare. If you wave them down, you might discover that you'll be sharing space with hens and possibly a goat or two on the roof. There are more expensive yellow cabs that stick out like mobile lemons amid the traffic chaos (only used by residents; there are green ones for foreigners). It may be really noisy.
All of it is rather low-rise, and many people live in simple dwellings without electricity. The neoclassical triumphal Arch 22 in Banjul is the tallest building in the nation at 35 meters (112 feet). The National Museum is situated on Independence Drive beneath its towering presence. It's both lovely and unsettling.
Explore the markets
Since many individuals lack access to electricity and hence a refrigerator, buying fresh food every day is the norm. The markets are a definite must-visit if you want a huge dose of everyday life.
People running errands are crammed into stalls along winding passageways. Furthermore, there are strong scents, with overtones of fruit and vegetables, butcher's sections, herbs, live chickens, fish, and meals being cooked over fire in wood shacks. It's a heady and overpowering feeling; Serekunda has to be the stinkiest.
Beware before you get tempted by smooth-talking traders. You might not need that carving, handmade shea butter, or even another outfit, but chances are you wouldn't find an opportunity to resist, so at least barter - that's how it happens here.
Clothing, kitchenware, and other items for the house and family are all available here. The most amazing aspect of the cottage sector is how diverse it is, ranging from peanut peelers selling popularly used peanuts for dishes like Gambian peanut rice pudding and Domoda peanut stew to home-made cooking sauces like Benachin.
There are workshops tucked away in the market where old refrigerators are recycled into trunks and where soda cans are gathered, melted down, and repurposed into pots and pans. The outcomes are astounding.
Fish is a mainstay in Gambia, just to mention Tanji, a coastal community specialized in fishing, selling, smoking, salting, and drying enormous amounts of fish. Tanji is located in the Kombo South District. Seagulls and the sound of the ocean lapping against the coast greet the fishing boats as they approach port each day. They immediately sell their catches to merchants who resell them.
Take a cooking class with locals
In the Gambia, there is a national cuisine legend named Ida, and you can meet her for a cooking class. She first gives you an African makeover to help you relax. One staple dish you might agree to cook is a fish Benachin meal, which is just one pot cooking.
First Ida leaves for Tanji market to get fresh barracuda fish as well as other produce, which she takes home in baskets: tomatoes, carrots, spring onions, sweet potatoes, onions, aubergines, cassava, bitter tomatoes, and butternut squash.
She chops the veggies and sorrel leaves back in the outside kitchen, then crushes the bitter tomatoes, peppercorns, garlic, and onions and fries them all together to make a mush before adding tomato paste and water.
Then, Ida adds the veggies and takes them out when they are done, cooking the fish in the stew as well. Then comes the rice. Finally, the whole meal is served in a single large plate.
Go to Kachikally/Kachikali Crocodile Sanctuary
Kachikally is a sanctuary located in Bakau which is home to approximately 100 crocodiles who are cared about by the Bojang clan. The beasts are fed 250 kilograms of fish every day by Moses, a twentieth-generation descendent of Bojang, and his crew of crocodile keepers. The food keeps crocodiles dozy all day. Visitors can thus approach them and even pet them as long as they don't touch their heads.
According to a legend, the fertility spirit Kachikally visited the Bojang clan 500 years ago in the shape of an elderly woman who said her daughter was drowning in the pool. The family saved her and was gifted with the pool in return. The rest is history once they let out a pair of crocodiles.
A tiny museum detailing Gambia's history is conveniently located at the entrance to the crocodile habitat. It's well worth your time to view magical costumes and get a glimpse of Gambia's occasionally frightening colonial past.
Take Lazy River Cruise
This leisurely river ride along the River Gambia and its tributaries in a 60-foot traditional pirogue departs at Denton Bridge and cannot be described as anything less than magnificent.
Even the clamor of the engine subsides after a few drinks of the complimentary beverage of sparkling wine or coffee mixed with whiskey, as well as the wonderful view of mangroves on both sides of the creeks. The 500 species that live here include spoonbills, purple herons, and Great White herons.
The boat makes two stops: once before lunch for swimming and once afterwards for fishing (they provide the rods). It is an amazing experience.
