Gambia Holidays

Squeezed onto Africa’s west coast, The Gambia’s basically taken a chunk out of Senegal’s shoreline. But despite its dinky dimensions, the nation’s managed to bag a little bit of everything African. Savannahs and sandy beaches. Baboons and buffalos. Markets and mangroves. Plus, its size is actually a perk – it means you can cram more sights into one break. And it’s only six hours away, so heading here for some winter sun’s a doddle.

Whether it’s passing wallowing hippos or chimp-filled islands on the Gambia River, or spying on Nile crocodiles at the Kiang West National Park, The Gambia’s chock-full of wildlife. After all, this is Africa we’re on about. A shedload of nature reserves and national parks give you the chance to see the animals in their natural habitat. Oh, and the Abuko Nature Reserve alone is home to 300-plus exotic birds, so it’s a hit with twitchers, too.

Follow up days of wildlife-watching with time on the beach. Bubbly resorts wrestle for attention along the coast. Kotu and Kololi are the top dogs – the latter’s backed by a chipper strip of bars and food joints. Plus, you’re never far from wildlife in this neck of the woods. In Bakau, Cape Point beach rolls down to the bird-squawking wetlands of Cape Creek. And on the other side of the river, you can get your Robinson Crusoe cap on at Jinack Island – a 11-kilometre stretch of au naturel shoreline.