14-Day Trips
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Discover Gambia
14-Days Gambia North- and South Bank Pro Birding
Discover not only the South Bank but also the less populated North Bank. Ideal trip to discover the real, rural Gambia with its many small villages, the always enthusiastic children and the many small natural gems. Create YOUR itinerary with us!
- We will pick you up at the hotel
- Drinks in the car
- Lunch included
- We will take you back to the hotel
- Everything is organized for you
- Experienced guides in photography/birding
As an example
What does a 14-day trip look like?
Day 1: Arrival
You will arrive at Banjul International Airport and be transferred to your hotel. If you land early, there’s time for a first introductory birding outing. You’ll also have the opportunity to change money and get your smartphone set up for local service.
Day 2: Kotu Creek and Fajara
After breakfast we drive the short distance to the legendary Kotu Creek and adjacent Fajara Golf Course. Here you’ll spend the entire day beginning with a one-hour boat trip along the creek, followed by walks through the surrounding rice paddies. Watch for up to five species of kingfisher—most notably the impressive Giant Kingfisher—along with a host of other waterbirds and marsh waders. In the early evening we return to the hotel for dinner.
Day 3: Tujereng, Brufut and Tanji
Today we explore three very different habitats in a single outing. First, we visit the shady Tujereng Woods, then move on to Brufut Forest—where a tucked-away hide allows close photographs of forest species—and finally reach Tanji, Gambia’s largest fishing village. A stroll along the shore brings Caspian Terns and other seabirds into view, and we finish our afternoon with a walk through the Tanji Bird Reserve before returning to the hotel.
Day 4: Kartong Wetlands and the Allahin River
This morning’s birding takes us along a gravel track lined with small ponds en route to the Atlantic shoreline, where a beach walk yields coastal species. At midday we pause for lunch beside the tranquil Allahin River, then climb aboard a boat for an extended river cruise. From the water you’ll marvel at the Goliath Heron—the world’s largest heron—among many other riverine birds.
Day 5: Inland Bound
Leaving the coast behind, we travel into the interior along the South Bank Road, stopping frequently to scan rice fields and forest edges. By evening we reach Tendaba Camp for a two-night stay. En route we call at Farasutu Forest, Pirang Forest and the Kampanti paddylands, each brimming with their own suite of woodland and wetland species.
Day 6: Tendaba and Its Creeks
Today is devoted to the Tendaba area. After breakfast, we climb to the summit of Konkoba Hill for panoramic views and highland species, then spend the afternoon on a boat cruising the Tunku and Kissi creeks—often hailed as the finest birding boat trip in all of Gambia—before returning to camp at sunset.
Day 7: Crossing to the North Bank
We depart by road via Soma, cross the Senegambia Bridge—the only bridge over the Gambia River—and continue north into the sparsely populated North Bank region. After checking in at Morgan Kunda Lodge, you’ll explore the surrounding farmland and the lodge’s lush gardens, where resident birdlife is plentiful.
Day 8: North Bank Highlights
Heading east toward Janjanbureh, we pause at the Ngaiyen farmlands, Njau waterholes and the Kaur wetlands—where the rare Egyptian Plover is sometimes seen. In late afternoon we visit a colony of Red-throated Bee-eaters near Wassu, then settle in for the night at Kairo Garden Lodge.
Day 9: Rice Fields and the Gambia River
Our morning is spent birding reedbeds and woodlands before boarding a boat for the journey to Riverside Lodge at Bansang. Nestled on the riverbank with expansive gardens, the lodge is ideal for spotting a variety of owls at dusk.
Day 10: Bansang River Safari
An early-morning boat trip across the river may reveal African Finfoot, Hadada Ibis and Crimson Seedcracker as the sun rises. After lunch, we explore the rice fields around Bansang, then return to the river at sunset in search of Long-tailed and Standard-winged Nightjars. We spend a second night at Riverside Lodge.
Day 11: Return to the Coast via Kunkilling
Today’s long drive back to the coast includes several valuable stops. In Kunkilling Forest—where palm groves meet Sudan-savanna—we encounter a diverse array of species. At Brikamaba we search for the spectacular Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, recognizable by its rose-tinted eye-lids. Our final stop before reaching Kakuba Hotel is at the Konuko wetlands, famed for its vibrant Carmine Bee-eaters.
Day 12: Birding the South Bank
We continue our westward journey along the South Bank Drive, pausing at key birding sites. The Dalaba wetlands promise a chance to see the rare African Pygmy Goose, while raptor watchers will be on the lookout for Martial Eagle, Montagu’s Harrier and Tawny Eagle. We return to Tendaba Camp for the night.
Day 13: Final Push to the Coast
Our first stop is the Bateling Bush Track, where the imposing Abyssinian Ground Hornbill may appear. Later we visit the Killy Woodlands and the Pirang Shrimp Farm—home to over twenty ponds and a true birdwatcher’s paradise—before returning to the Bamboo Garden Hotel for our last night in Gambia.
Day 14: Abuko Nature Reserve and Departure
On your final morning, we visit Abuko Nature Reserve, Gambia’s oldest protected park. A shaded walk through its forest paths offers glimpses of Green and Violet Turacos among the treetops. After this farewell birding session, you’ll check out and transfer to Banjul International Airport for your flight home.