Gallery

    • Fly from London to Banjul, where we transfer to our hotel.
    • Accommodation: Senegambia Beach Hotel, 3-nights on full board basis.
    • During the first few days our excursions will take us to the famous Abuko forest reserve, home to spectacular bird species like the startlingly-coloured violet and Guinea turacos, and crocodiles.
    • For lunch on one day we drive to a highly distinctive creek-side restaurant where Caspian terns fly past, then rest here during the heat of the day before visiting the dry fields nearby. These fields can be excellent for raptors including dark chanting goshawk, lanner, Beaudouin’s snake eagle, black-shouldered kite and the spectacular long-crested eagle, while previous trips have given us views of the elusive Temminck's coursers that come here in the dry season.
    • We drive upriver to the unique and characterful Tendaba Camp. Here we can sit under the thatched veranda overlooking the river, watching for pink-backed pelicans, ospreys and fish eagles to fly by. As night falls the local villagers sometimes bring drums to dance by a bonfire at the riverside as night falls. 
    • We take a trip across the Gambia River up one of the fantastic wild creeks with huge mangrove trees, providing some of the best birdwatching in the Gambia. Here Senegal thicknees run alongside the canoe, darters wait in the dead branches, secretive white-backed night herons hide in the tangles and there is always the chance of a colourful speciality such as blue-breasted kingfisher or African blue flycatcher.
    • Accommodation:Tendaba Camp, 2-nights on full board basis.
    • We head inland today via the excellent Kaur wetlands, and start looking for one of the star birds of the area, the gloriously-patterned Egyptian plover, as well as a huge supporting cast of other species.
    • We continue onwards to our camp near Georgetown. Here we will hope to see a good variety of typically African savanna species, with raptors such as bateleur, Rueppell’s vulture, martial eagle and others. 
    • On one of our days here we drive up to Bassé, where stunningly beautiful Egyptian plovers are most likely to be found. Northern carmine and red-throated bee-eaters can be seen along with monkeys including the spectacular western red colobus, patas monkey and Guinea baboon. We will visit a quarry featured in David Attenborough’s Life of Birds where we hope to see nesting red-throated bee-eaters.
    • Accommodation: Baobolong Camp, Georgetown, 3-nights on full board basis.
    • We drive back down river to Tendaba Camp, where we will have the opportunity to go in search of any species we may have missed, along the creeks of the Gambia River. 
    • Accommodation: Tendaba Camp, 1-night on full board basis.
    • We return to the coast, with stops for raptors and black crowned cranes en route.  
    • Accommodation: Hotel Senegambia, 2-nights on full board basis.
    • We have a relaxed final morning’s local birdwatching before going back to Yundum Airport in time for our afternoon flight home.

All prices are per person and include:

  • Services of the naturalist leader
  • Flights
  • Transfers
  • Accommodation
  • All meals
  • Guided activities

Accommodation

On the coast we stay at the Senegambia Beach Hotel. This is one of the best hotels in the Gambia, set in its own large well-tended gardens, hosting an amazing variety of birds. It also has its own beach and, of course, swimming pool. It makes an excellent place for relaxing during the heat of the day and a safe place for independent early morning and evening birding. All rooms have private facilities and air conditioning.

Meals

All main meals are included.

Birds

The Gambia is a wonderful introduction to African birdwatching and on our tour we will see myriad species. Almost upon arrival we see red-billed, and African grey hornbills, Senegal coucal, beautiful sunbird, hooded vulture and many, many more. Upriver we look for the stunning Egyptian plover.

  • Yellow-crowned gonolek
  • Violet turaco
  • Goliath heron
  • Verreaux’s eagle owl

Mammals

Our tour is all about the birds, but we still keep an eye on the animal life of the area.

  • Green monkey
  • Western red colobus
  • Patas monkey
  • Guinea baboon

Scenery

Our tour take us through a variety of habitats and scenery, estuary, mangrove swamp, riverine forest and marshland, to the edge of the West African savannah forest.

Boat trips

On this tour we take a number of boat trips including one from Keur Saloum in the evening to a spectacular heron roost, and one across the Gambia River into wild creeks amongst mangrove trees.

Walking

Short walks of just over three kilometres over relatively flat terrain. Walking shoes or boots are recommended, to protect you from thorns.

Flights

Price includes return charter flights London – Banjul – London.

There is an option to upgrade to premium class, with extra leg-room (please enquire for cost).

Ground transport

Ground transportation is by minibus, with driver.

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In particular, please note: It is a condition of joining our holidays that you must be fully insured against medical and personal accident risks. We strongly recommend having insurance in place from the point of booking confirmation, with adequate cancellation protection to cover your deposit.

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