One of the most popular spots to travel in West Africa, the Gambia is a coastal nation and the smallest country in continental Africa.

Surrounded by Senegal on all 3 sides and the Atlantic Ocean on the 4th, The Gambia has probably the largest package holiday scene in West Arica, with its capital, Banjul, featuring a modern and well-serviced airport.

With beautiful coastline, many tourists flock to the Gambia for its winter sun and blue sea, but there’s also plenty for independent travellers to discover here too, in particular the country’s amazing wildlife.

Centred around the Gambia River, which flows through the country, the diverse ecosystems of this waterway support impressive numbers of monkeys, leopards, hippos, hyenas, crocodiles, dolphins and birds.

Spotting them via a boat tour is most common, but there are some land safaris on offer here too.

The Gambia also has a lot of important historical sites – many connected to the Atlantic Slave Trade. Learning more about this dark chapter in history, and the mark it has left on the country, is key to understanding the country that is the Gambia today.

Read more about my travels in this West African nation below…