What to pack for The Gambia

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: I would recommend taking everything you need with you. Toiletries are moere expensive than in the UK and choices may be limited. With regards to sanitary products definitely DO NOT leave that to chance as you will not find tampons and any sanitary towels you find will be like nappies.

Luggage and bags: let it be some with a key!

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: shoes to walk in, light long shirts and trousers. Make sure to take clothes along you can leave for friendly people, they will apprteciate it

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: anti-mosquito-lotion for the skin. Leave your lotion and shampoo there! Likewise the rest of your malaria tablets, paracetamol

Miscellaneous: green tea as a small gift is always welcome. Otherwise bags of rice or sugar. Torches are always needed. And candles, current is hardly steady!

Luggage and bags: Most of the population in the Gambia is very poor. All gifts are highly appreciated. Please take as much pens and paper, toys and used clothes as ever you can with you. Your airline company may allow one extra luggage for charity purposes if you ask them beforehand. Dont give the stuff away just there on the streets. That is one way to teach bad manors for children and there will always be someone left without. You will find a suitable situation and place.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: If you ask around people seem to bee more than happy to give some clothes away for a good cost. The picture of the girl is taken on the next day that my mom gave her this pink shirt.

Miscellaneous: You may want to take a flashlight with you. There are hardly any streetlights. Power cuts are also common.

Luggage and bags: something light and easy to carry round for day trips out

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: flip flops are usually fine, i never wear anything else. All standard garments you'd associate with a holiday where temperatures are averaging 30C.
Some thin full length trousers and a light top covering your arms are perfect at dawn and dusk when insect bites are frequent

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: anti malarial tablets are a must and plenty of insect repellent especially if you happen to be travelling between may and october as this is the rainy season and there are mosquitos a plenty!
Lots of sun cream!

Miscellaneous: Not really necessary but for travellers who have real issues with the heat a small hand held fan is always nice for those ocassions when you're just too hot!

Miscellaneous: Strong sun cream, it really is very hot.
Good tummy-bug medicine as almost everyone caught Banjul Belly.
Football shirts - either old ones of yours or cheap ones you can find in sports stores. You can swap these for anything.

Luggage and bags: Bring nothing nice.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: In the long dry season (November to May), temperatures average 70-80F and the humidity is 30-60%. Summer temperatures range between 80-90F and the humidity is high.

The rains begin in June and continue to October.

Throughout the year, temperatures tend to drop substantially in the evenings.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Malaria is present throughout the country, although the risk is essentially limited to travel between June and December -- the wettest months.

It is advisable to take anti-malarial prophylactics and use insect repellent on all exposed skin!!!

Photo Equipment: Telphoto lenses are a must if you hope to capture some footage of the many terrific bird species.

Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: Not any more for me. At this point, just traveling in countries like this is enciting enough. I don't need to do the backpack and camping to make it a thrill. Indeed, many of the better hotels can help you achieve that sensation of camping out.

Miscellaneous: Roots, Alex Haley The story of Kunte Kinte, an African man who is stolen from his African tribe in Ghana and made a slave in the 'new world'. The book was the subject of a poular 1970s television drama, and an annual Roots festival takes place in the village of Jufureh.

P.S. United States citizens need a visa!! Get one at your local consulate or prpare to sit at the very dusty border.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: There is a growing risk that people who travel to tropical and sub-tropical regions may contract malaria. At the same time, malaria prevention and treatment is becoming increasingly complicated by developing resistance. LARIAM is a widely used prescription medication that is highly effective at preventing and treating malaria. Since 1985 more than 25 million travelers worldwide have used LARIAM.
But when you react bad on this medicine, you should contact a doctor and consider to change it.

Luggage and bags: Light weight and old luggage as everything gets very dusty. Small lightweight rucksack for daily use.

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: It's best to take as many items as you can that you don't want to return with. My daughter takes and wears items getting too small and returns with an empty suitcase!! Towels not really essential as a sarong makes a light weight alternative.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: A decent 1st Aid kit advisable, be happy to leave it behind as most Gambians are grateful for all received.
Take malaria preventatives and use them, there is100% increase in malaria cases in the U.K.

Photo Equipment: Take everything you will require, you can get stuff there but everything takes a long time to find.
Many people will ask you to take their photo as to have a photo taken in The Gambia is expensive.Try to get an address to send the photo's to or take them back next time.

Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: When there in October we got off the plane to a temperature of 38C.
At this time of year you need nothing extra for the evening as still very hot. Do where cover up clothes and repellent .

Miscellaneous: Gifts for oraganisations are always gratefully received. If unsure where to give them go to The Gambia Tourist Support Restaurant in Kololi and let them deal with it. Look at ther web site Gambia Tourist Support, they are now a registered charity.