5 great things to do in The Gambia

The Gambia is a small country in West Africa with the River Gambia running through it.  The English-speaking country is almost completely surrounded by Senegal and bound on the west by the Atlantic Ocean.  Although The Gambia has been a popular holiday spot for Europeans for several years especially as a winter vacation spot, it is now growing in popularity with Nigerians.  The Gambia is generally calm and quiet but there are still a few interesting things to do.

1.    Touch a crocodile

 Relax, the crocodiles I’m talking about here are tame.  There’s a crocodile pool in Bakau, Gambia where you can touch crocodiles (which let you touch them without eating you!).  It is said that if women who can’t have children come to the pool before dawn and take a bath with water from the pool, they will then be able to have children.  Not sure about that but petting a crocodile is definitely an exciting reason to visit the crocodile pool. 

I touched a crocodile and I liked it

2.    Go on a bicycle safari 

Go sight-seeing in an unusual way: by bicycle!  Ask your hotel if they have bicycles to hire and if they can provide a guide.  A bicycle tour through Cape Point, Bakau, Kotu and Senegambia is tiring but fun – especially if you stop often to dip your feet in the ocean at beaches and eat at the different restaurants you come across.

On a bicycle safari in The Gambia

3.    See Kunta Kinte’s roots: 

Kunta Kinte of Roots fame is said to have come from Albreda & Juffureh.  Take a boat ride along the River Gambia to get to this village where you can apparently meet some of Kunta Kinte’s remaining relatives as well as visit a museum detailing Kunta Kinte’s story and the history of slave trade as it relates to The Gambia.  Ask at your hotel reception to find out if they can organise the boat trip.

4.    Hang out in Senegambia

Senegambia is a long road in The Gambia.  It is a bubbly area with hotels, bars, restaurants and nightclubs.  Alibaba, one of the popular restaurants on the road, does great pizzas and has an outside area where you can sit and watch people go by.  There is also a crafts market and a nature/ conservation park in that area.

Advice from Alibaba restaurant

5.    Be a beach bum 

There are many beaches in The Gambia and most of the bigger hotels have their own private beaches.  With so many options, lounging on a beach is somewhat inevitable in The Gambia when you’re on holiday.  So head out to a beach, choose your favourite spot and enjoy the view while sipping on your cool cocktail.

If you like this article, please follow this blog by clicking on the ‘Follow’ button on the right or share this post on Twitter or Facebook.  Get in touch with me on Facebook or Twitter. Thank you.

How to go on holiday on your own

Most people prefer to go on holiday with someone: friends, a romantic partner or family.  Some people are so afraid of travelling alone, they’ll even go with someone they barely know (which can be dangerous) or someone they dislike (which just doesn’t make any sense).  Many people see travelling with people as safer which may be true in some cases but for some, ‘safer’ means not having to answer uncomfortable questions from nosey people about why you’re travelling alone (or the un-asked question ‘don’t you have any friends?’) ‘Safer’ for some people also means having someone you can use as a crutch when you’re being hit on by a dodgy guy with bad breath or a woman who insists on giving you a blow-by-blow account of what she went through when giving birth to her 7^th child.

All these are valid reasons for not travelling alone but they also severely limit the fun and adventure you can have in life.  If you feel you always have to go on holiday with someone, that means looking for someone who can take time off work at the same time as you, can afford the trip you want to take and is interested in the places you want to visit.  Looking for such a person can be tedious not to mention boring.  There’s nothing quite like deciding you want to go somewhere and going there whether you find someone to go with or not.  It gives you a sense of spontaneity, freedom and going on that vacation alone inspite of what people say (and don’t say) makes you feel stronger.

Having said all that, travelling alone, especially for the first time is no small feat.  Here are some tips to help you have fun whenever you travel solo:

·         The major feeling people have about travelling alone is fear so sit down and ask yourself what you’re scared of.  If you’re wondering if you’ll be safe, do lots of research about the place you want to visit.  Knowledge is power.  Go on the internet and find out as much as you can: What language is spoken there? What is the crime rate? How are women travelling alone viewed? Are there any behaviours that are frowned upon (like shaking a woman if you’re a man may not be the done thing)? Are there any clothes that would make people feel antagonistic towards you?  For example, before I went on vacation to Gambia, I learned it was an Islamic country so I packed modest clothing in addition to my regular tank tops, just in case.  In addition, talk to as many people as you can find who have been to the place you intend to visit.  They may be able to give you information which you wouldn’t normally find on the internet. 

·         Plan what you intend to do every single day of your trip.  That way, you are less likely to feel bored, homesick or lonely.

·         Take books, magazines or portable video games along for those surprising times when you find you have to wait for hours at an airport or are stuck in the traffic jam from hell.

·         Before you travel, write down the phone numbers of the 3 most important people to you on a piece of paper even if those numbers are saved on your mobile phone.  So if for some reason you can’t get into your phone (it was stolen, has refused to come on or has just disappeared into the great-lost-and-found dustbin in the sky), you’ll still have the numbers of your loved ones and will be able to call them and let them know that you’re okay.

·         Go with an open mind, decide you will have fun and you will!

Here's a picture of me on a solo  holiday to The Gambia.

If you like this article, please share it on Twitter or Facebook.  You can also follow this blog by clicking on the button at the top right hand side of this page or follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/lapesoetan