Fun things to do in The Gambia

The sacred pools at Bakau have over the years become a tourist magnet for visitors to The Gambia. Some Gambians believe that the pools have supernatural healing powers and in particular bathing with the waters can aid in fertility. There are dozens of these sacred pools in The Gambia (some without crocs) but this is the nearest to the Atlantic tourist strip. There are over 100 resident crocs of the pool. The Katchikally Crocodile Pool at Bakau, were first discovered by a wine-palm tapper, a member of the Bojang clan, over 100 years ago. The pool's crocodilian residents have since become so tame, that they allow visitors to pet them, and seem to prefer fish over red meat.

Infertile women travel from far and wide from both within and outside the Gambia to visit the site where they are washed with sacred water from the pool by specially trained women of the Bojang clan. After the ritual washing the women are given some of the water in a bottle to be applied to certain body parts before going to bed and first thing in the morning. In return, people washed at the pool are expected to make a small cash donation, a piece of cloth and a colanut - half of which is shared among the elderly and the other half of which is thrown into the pool to appease the crocodiles. Once the ritual is performed, one is not supposed to shake hands with anybody from Bakau. Members of the Bojang clan are forbidden from exploiting the pool for financial gains lest it loses its sacredness. There are two other popular pools at Folonko in Kartong Village and Berending Bolong 4km from Barra.

You can actually touch the crocodiles if you are feeling brave enough!

When in the Gambia, do take a trip to the south part of Senegal, the Casamance. Go on a guided trip for one day and experience the Atlantic Ocean, the different language and the husle to cross the border and to get in again........
Great fun.

Near Wassu are several stone circles, believed to be burial sites and about 1200 years old. Wassu with its stone circles is one of the most famous sites in Gambia.

These stone circles gave me a very mysterious feeling, like also Stonehenge in England and the stones in Carnac in France did.

The archaeologists don't know yet the origin of these Wassu stones, so it is still an archaeologic and anthropologic mystery. It is believed, it must be the remains of a very old and developed African civilisation, before the old Ghana empire.

Besides these stone circles in Wassu there are three more large groups of stone circles. There are all together more than 1000 monuments along about 350 km of the River Gambia.

After my visit at the Wassu circles the four groups of stone circles in The Gambia and Senegal became an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, because ......"the stone circles of pillars and burial mounds present a sacred landscape which is created over more than 1500 years (probably between the 3rd century BC and 16th century AD)"......

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Anyone considering a beach holiday in the Gambia and Senegal, may want to look West and venture deeper into the real Africa. Whether you just have a few spare days away from the beach or would like to spend three or four weeks travelling around the sights of Senegal, Mali, Guinea Bissau and Guinea Conakry, Oumar can take you there. For those lucky enough to spend several months away from the cold winters of Europe and America, Oumar can take you deeper into the forests and deserts of West Africa. Oumar can speak several languages outside of French and English, including Mandinka, Bamanan and Fula , the main tongues of West Africa. This will give you entrance to people and places denied to those on a tourist package.
For those looking for Music and Culture, such as the Festival of the Desert in December and the Festival on the Niger in January, Oumar can organise the trip for you. He can tailor the tour to suit your budget, whether it's luxury hotel or a tent in the desert , Oumar will organise it for you.

Close to the Banjul International Airport you find the Gambia is Good Farm yard. Gambia is Good is bringing together thousands of local farmers. The supply Gambia is Good and they in return sell the crop to the Hotels, Restaurants, Supermarkets etc. Thus providing a livelyhood for the local farmers and making the hotels etc less dependant on foreign supply. At the farm yard you can see some of the crops they are growing, get introduction into all Gambia is Good is doing and taste solar baked cakes etc.
This day out is fun to do. We got to know about it through posters in Kombo Beach Hotel and we didn't want to miss this. Fantastic work Gambia is Good is doing.

We came across this great website for Gambia River Cruise. We contacted them and within a day we had a trip arranged. We chartered a boat just for the 2 of us and it was just fantastic. The boat itself is huge - the crew is fantastic and the day itself is one to remember for the rest of our lives. If we ever get married we want to do it on that boat.
Upperdeck with lovely deck chairs and a lounge area - below comfortable sitting area and a kitchen where the cook is preparing some finger licking food. We caught some fish, we took a dip and we saw the local women collect oysters from the mangroves. All in all just SUPERB!

On Bakau New Town road you will find a bit hidden The Saloon. This is a multi purpose place. Hair and massage Saloon downstairs, Art Gallery upstairs and there is also a lovely food place. The whole building is a gem with loads of different styles and you just keep on looking around. If you are lucky the owner will show you his garden with the most beautiful orchids and other exotic flowers.

just rent some mountain bikes and drive towards Serrekunda - avoid the big road with loads of traffic - and then just drive around this bustling city. You can park your bicycle e.g. at a local bar, have a drink and then ask the waiter to look after your bikes whilst you visit the market. You just wander around and you will be amazed at what you all see. In general the locals don't pay much attention to you unlike the beaches were you will often be approached by locals to try and sell you trips, souvenirs etc. It is so refreshing to see the day to day life in a busy city.