DESTINATIONS
of the day i
THE GAMBIA | WINTER SUN
The Gambia’s welcoming culture and bountiful birdlife make for a different kind of winter break, finds Rhodri Andrews
n one direction, a goliath heron swoops from its low-slung perch. In another, a pied kingfisher scans the water from an oyster-encrusted
mangrove. Hooded vultures circle the evening sky. My eyes dart back and forth, unsure where the next slice of avian action will arise.
“If you think this is good, wait until morning,”
says my guide Lamin. “It’s cooler, so you can spend more time on the river and there are more birds.” This abundance of birdlife comes as no surprise – my base, Gambian eco-resort Mandina Lodges, is famous for it.
CALM AND CHAOS It’s a wild introduction to The Gambia, a finger- shaped west African country better known for its creamy-white beaches, but there’s a kaleidoscope of colour here. I discovered this shortly after landing in capital Banjul, as I glided along the emerald-flanked Mandina Bolong – a tributary of the Gambia River
– on an evening pirogue trip, spotting jewel-bright birds left, right and centre. The following morning, a guided walk took me
through the thick jungle of Makasutu Culture Forest where Mandina Lodges is set, passing 2m-high termite mounds and a 200-strong troop of baboons. “Every tree you see here can be used for its fruit or for medicine. They all serve a purpose,” said Lamin. That was The Gambia’s calm side, but then it was time to experience its energy with the Six Tours in One excursion, a rich and varied immersion into Gambian culture. The sights came thick and fast, first among the hotly traded goats of Brikama livestock market, before I refuelled on traditional bene pancakes (keeping one eye on the opportunist vervet monkeys) at riverside restaurant Lamin Lodge. Even travelling between places was revealing, passing everything from donkey-powered carts piled with timber to women carrying gravity-defying goods²
travelweekly.co.uk 15 JANUARY 2026 35
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