13 Reasons The Gambia Should Be Your Next Holiday

With people in The Gambia about to face a difficult tourist season due to the collapse of Thomas Cook, here’s an article in The Telegraph newspaper explaining exactly why you should go there for your next holiday…

Today marks 48 years since The Gambia voted to become a republic, replacing Elizabeth II as head of state with a newly-created president. The tiny African country remains popular with British holidaymakers longing for sandy beaches and year-round sun. But it’s not all about flopping on the lounger and topping up your tan. Here are 13 reasons to leave your hotel behind.

1. Cruise the River Gambia

The Gambia is shaped like an outstretched finger, and the River Gambia runs from roughly its halfway point to the sea. See life unfurl along its banks by hopping on board a traditional-style river pirogue, motoring past oyster creeks and through mangroves. Watch the local fisherman or the oyster ladies in their dugout canoes, while pelicans and ospreys fly overhead.

2. Go birdwatching at dawn

An early morning river trip on a dugout canoe is worth getting up for: as the jungle around the water awakens, the birdlife sings an unforgettable serenade. The Gambia has long been popular with in-the-know birdwatchers, but you don’t have to be a hardened twitcher to appreciate its 550 species. A sunrise dawn chorus, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, will open your eyes – and ears – to the country’s hidden natural beauty.

Read the rest of this article at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/africa/the-gambia/articles/things-to-do-in-the-gambia/