The Gambia is famous for its bird life. Nowhere in the world will you find such variety of bird species in such a small area. Ornithologists from all over the world come to The Gambia for birdwatching. This is why newly discovered species are regularly added to the already impressive list.
TravelPoort has excellent relations among the birdwatchers in The Gambia. They will guide you, hoping to show you an important part of the 450 bird species in The Gambia. To realise this, you have to go deep into The Gambia, although you can find about 325 species in the coastal region.
A day-to-day description
Day 1: Amsterdam-Banjul
Transfer from the airport Yundum to the Senegambia Beach Hotel for the first stay. During a welcoming drink, you will meet the English-speaking guides who will accompany you during the tour. You can find a description of the hotel here.
Day 2+3: Tendaba & Kiang West
Today you travel about 150 km upcountry. Near the airport, we see the ground hornbill, greenfruit pigeon, buffalo weaver and african hawk eagle. A beautiful 3 hour boattrip will show us goliath heron, blue breasted kingfisher, malashit kingfisher, mouse brown sunbird, blue fairly flycatcher and pigmy sunbird. In Kiang West (the second largest national park) we spot the bateleur, fourband sandgrouse, starlings, shrikes, africangolden oriole, spotted thicknee, stone partridge and raptors.
We will have dinners and stays at the Tendaba Camp.
You can find a description of the accommodations here.
Day 4, 5, 6 and 7: JanjangBureh (Georgetown) & Basse
The trip continues to JanjangBureh, the former Georgetown. The town and the homonymous island are famous for the historic slave hunts and the chief´s school, but nowadays especially for the gorgeous nature that accommodates land- and waterbird species.
We divide up the area in 5 areas for the watching:
1. Fulla bantang village, marabout stork.
2. Jahally swamps, pranticole, godwits, jacana, snipes, ducks, gees.
3. Bush track to the river, african paradise flycatcher, stone partridge, red throated bee-eater.
4. Bansang quary, Cinnamon-breasted bunting, bush petronia, red-roated bee-eater.
5. Bansang ferry terminal, lapel-faced vulture.
From JanjangBureh, we make a 3 hour boat trip to Kuntaur, famous for the presence of hippos.
You will find the most exotic birds in Basse Santa Su, or Basse in short, situated at a somewhat narrower river Gambia. The creme-de-la-creme of the birds seem to reside here.
The 4 areas for watching:
1. Basse river, egyptian plover
2. Basse rice fields, Carmine bee-eater, black crake, giant kingfisher, european tuttle dove, black bellied bustard.
3. Basse quary, little green bee-eater, common red stuart, bush petronia.
4. Chanmoi bridge, painted sipe, crakes.
Dinners and stays at the JanjangBureh Camp.
You can find a description of the hotel here.
Day 8: Back to the coast.
You travel from JanjangBureh to the airport, or to your hotel if you chose to extend your stay at the coast.
Other information
Included
- (return) flight Amsterdam-Banjul-Amsterdam
- transfers as described
- luggage care during the entire trip
- all stays as described
- stay and breakfast included
- tour as described
- entrance fees national parks
- ferry crossings
- transport in a comfortable air conditioned four wheel drive
- services of an English speaking guide and driver
Not included
- lunch on days 1, 7 and 8
- drinks
- tips
- personal expenses
- possible extension of your trip
Conditions
- during the trip, we may have to deviate from the given plan, because of unfortunate circumstances. We try to match the alternative to the original plan as accurately as possible.
Note: this is a private tour; if you book for 1 person, then you are the only participant of this tour. If you book for 4 people, you will travel only with this company.