TOUR CODE: WA – GAM05

Fifteen Days Birding Gambia

Gambia sits in a transitional zone between semi-desert and tropical forest. You will find species from both those areas here, and as well as endemic West African species, the country receives large numbers of migratory birds, who either pass through or stay for the winter.

Day One: Arrival

Upon  your arrival at Banjul airport, the guide from Afrikan Wildlife Safaris will welcome you and then transfer you to Djembe Beach Resort for the overnight.

Day Two: Abuko Nature Reserve

After breakfast, you will drive to Abuko Nature Reserve situated outside the village of Lamin in the Kombo North District, 25 km from Banjul. The Reserve provides a good introduction to the flora, fauna, and avifauna of The Gambia. The Reserve is a home for 270 species of birds. The reserve contains an intact pocket of gallery forest in which numerous forest-dependent species occur such as the green-crested touraco, little green bulbul, and the yellow-chested apalis, Verreaux’s eagle-owl, white-spotted pygmy, African fish eagles. Spend the  afternoon at the Education Centre or one of the photo hides will yield many good sightings. After having lunch at Lamin Lodge you will proceed to koi ponds largest water waste facility in the country explore the rice fields area and the golf course before heading back to Djembe Beach Resort

Day Three: Bonto Pirang Forest

This morning, we will head to Bonto Pirang Forest. It’s a site popular for the regular sighting of superb White Spotted Flufftail, rare African Wood Owl, Green Crombec, Grey Headed Bristle bill, Very rare Yellow bill, Green Hylia, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, African Pied Hornbill, African Goshawk, Simple leaf love, among others. Have lunch at sitta joyeh island and in the afternoon proceed to farasuto forest best known for its assembly of birds unique to West African forests like Breeding white back night Heron, Green Crombec, African Goshawk, Ahanta Francolin, White-spotted fluff tail, Violet Barbet, Giant Kingfisher, Pygmy Kingfisher, Violet Turaco. Later drive back to the hotel for dinner and  overnight.

Day Four: Tulereng Woods and Tanji

Today after an early breakfast, we will  head to Tureng woods an open area with bushes and grass with special birds like White-Fronted Black Chat, Vieillots Barber, and Black-headed Plover, African Pied-Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, Sacred Ibis, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Western Reef Heron. Green-backed Striated Heron, Cattle Egret, Squacco Heron, African Darter, and Yellow-billed Kite. Later proceed to Tanji and stop at a local restaurant for lunch before heading to Brufut woods, a good place for birding and check out for the long-tailed nightjar, white-faced scops and Verreaux’s eagle owls, yellow-white eye, yellow-throated leaver love, lavender waxbill, orange cheeked waxbill, both blue-spotted wood and black-billed wood doves green turaco, shikra, and many more. Later drive back to the hotel for dinner and  overnight.

Day Five: Penyem and Marakissia Woods

On this day after breakfast, you will head to Penyem ,a small village with a population of about 3000 that lies within the West Coast Region of The Gambia. The inlands of the villages are the best bird watching sites. You will drive to Marakissia woods to watch more Birds such as White Breasted Cuckooshrike, African Golden Oriole, African Green Pigeon, African Scops Owl, Malachite Kingfisher, Painted Snipe and many more. After lunch at Marrakiss river camp we will proceed to sifoe forest for more birdwatching experience. Then later drive back to the hotel for dinner and  overnight.

Day Six: Karting Ponds

Depart early morning and drive to karting ponds arriving at around 8:00 am to start birding Safari . Drive along the termite road down to the beech where you will come across white fronted plover, auduin’s gull and other birds species. In the afternoon, drive to paradise beech bar and restaurant for local cuisine lunch. Check out for birds like purple swamp hen, African jacana, common snipe , sanderling , grey plover ,Allen’s gallinule , knob bill duck , pigmy goose white fronted black chat Senegal batiste, white shouldered black tit, chestnut crowned sparrow weaver , brown back woodpecker and lot more. Later drive back to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day Seven: Banjul Kaolack

You will start very early and drive to Banjul to catch up with the first ferry crossing from Banjul to barra. After the ferry crossing we join the another vehicle and drive to the border where our passport will be stamped and get into north of Senegal delta saloum ,we will do birding on the way and stop at tubakuta around for a lunch break at a restaurant. Then drive to njafat and kosemarr to look out for the swallow tailed kite and other species. From there, we join the boat back to the land and join our vehicle and drive to kaolack where we will have dinner and overnight in hotel relais de kaolack .

Day Eight: Sementi National Park

For this day after breakfast, take with you the picnic lunch because it’s a whole day driving and birding on the way. Stop for our picnic lunch, then continue to the east around tambakunda and branch to Niokolokoba. We collect our tickets and drive about 38km an hour and half drive from the entrance to simenti hotel inside the park. Dinner and overnight in simenti hotel.

Day Nine: Nlokolo Koba National Park

Today, we will visit Goulombou, close to the Sementi National Park where we will spend all morning looking out for the Bateleur, Martial Eagle, Denham’s Bustard, Violet Turaco and Abyssinian Ground Hornbill. The immediate area around the upper reaches of the Gambia river offer species such as Woolly-necked Stork, Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle, Stone Partridge, African Finfoot, Standard-winged Nightjar, Shining-blue Kingfisher, Red-throated Bee-eater, Oriole Warbler, Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Sulphur-breasted Bush-Shrike and Orange-cheeked Waxbill. Drive back to the hotel for lunch. After lunch,  go for the boat trip in the area, navigating to the west of the Gambia River and look out for the African Wattled Lapwings, Egyptian Plover, Finfoot, Northern Carmine Bee-eater in good numbers Crocodile. Dinner and overnight In Wasssadow – Hotel Wassadou.

Day Ten: Nlokolo Koba National Park to Wassadu

Take your breakfast and then head east to Wassadow where we will spend the next two nights. Depending on water levels we will stop near a drinking pool that attracts vultures, with chances for close views of White-Backed, Hooded and Griffon Vultures, Marabou Stork, Black Kites. Birding on route with comfort stops before arriving at our hotel in Wassadou, where Egyptian Plovers feed in the grounds of the hotel, while Green Monkeys fight in the nearest forest. Other birds we can check out is the Palm Nut Vulture, Long-tailed and Purple Glossy Starling, Grey-headed Bush Shrike, White-crowned Robin Chat and Yellow-crowned Gonolek. Dinner and overnight in Wassadow Hotel .

Day Eleven: The Gambia River to Wassu Stones

For this morning, you will cruise at Gambia River to Lamin Koto where the birdlife is spectacular and check out for the Finfoot, five species of kingfishers, colonies of Red-throated and Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, numerous African Fish Eagles and raptors, such us Bateleur, African Cuckoo Hawk, African Harrier Hawk, African Hawk Eagle, lots of herons and egrets, Black-headed Weaver, Red-billed Firefinch, Orange-cheeked Waxbill and African Silverbill. Proceed to wassu the stone circle area colony of the red throated bee eaters. Head to panchang for the African pigmy goose . Continue to Njau wetland to see the Egyptian plover. Enjoy a local cuisne lunch at a local restaurant before proceeding to kaur wetland for an up close with bustards, tamminicks coursers, singing bush larks etc. Then head back to Baobolong camp for the dinner and overnight.

Day Twelve: Georgetown, Bao Bolon Wetland Reserve

For this day, you will drive to Bao Bolon Wetland Reserve Set on the north banks of the Gambia River, Bao Bolong is the largest of Gambia’s protected areas at 220km2, and is home to mangroves, salt marsh and woodland. It offers the chance for some water bound bird spotting, via a pirogue cruise along the labyrinthine Kisi and Tunku bolongs (a Gambian word for creek). Passing through the mangroves, you are likely to see kingfishers, sunbirds, herons and martial eagles and, less commonly, Pel’s fishing owl, little green woodpecker and African blue flycatcher. Dinner and overnight at Baobolong camp.

Day Thirteen: Tendaba Camp

Today after breakfast drive to Tendaba passing through Morgan kunda woodland and farmland species. Upon arrival, you will check In to your camps and have lunch. Later get into a boat to explore kissi and tunku wetlands. The 3 hours boat ride will bring you uplclose to Egyptian Plover, Marshall Eagle and Long-crested Eagle, Exclamatory Paradise Whydah, Red-throated, Little Green, Blue-cheeked and European Bee-eaters led the way, with African Golden Oriole, Dark Chanting Goshawk and Grasshopper Buzzard, Beaudouin´s, Brown and Short-toed Snake Eagle, African Fish Eagle, African Blue Flycatcher, Kittlitz Plover, Chestnut-backed Sparrow Lark, Cut-throat Finch, Yellow White-eye, Ant-eater Chat, Pied and Blue-breasted Kingfishers. Then return to the Tendaba camp for the dinner and overnight.

Day Fourteen: Klang West National Park

You will drive to kiang west national park, one of the most important reservoirs of wildlife in The Gambia. Although the major part of the park is dry deciduous woodland and guinea savannah, there are extensive stretches of mangrove creeks and tidal flats. In the mangrove creeks is the home of the West African Manatee and Nile and Dwarf Crocodiles, African Clawless Otter, Mongoose and Sitatunga. In the afternoon, you will explore the rice fields, raptors bridges where you will come across the terns and guils. Later drive back to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day Fifteen: Fly Out

Today after your breakfast, the guide will transfer you to Banjul airport to catch your flight back home.

ENJOY AFRICA