Price: £2295/person
Arrival at Banjul International Airport and transfer to Belgambia Lodge Mandinari. Depending on arrival time, there may be time for a first short walk around the lodge gardens and nearby wetlands.
Overnight in Mandinari.
Meals included: None
A full day around Mandinari, with a mix of woodland, wetland and garden habitats. We can use the photo hides and feeding/drinking areas around the lodge, which are especially useful for relaxed bird photography.
Possible species include various doves, weavers, finches, kingfishers, bee-eaters, sunbirds, hornbills, rollers and raptors. The Tanbi Wetlands area is also very good for herons, egrets, waders and wetland birds.
Overnight in Mandinari.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Morning visit to Farasuto Forest and Mr Bah’s hide, one of the well-known birding sites in The Gambia. This is a good location for forest and woodland species, with opportunities for owls, kingfishers, barbets, turacos, woodpeckers and other forest birds.
Afterwards we continue inland towards Tendaba, with birding stops in the Kwinella woodland area.
Overnight near Tendaba.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Morning boat trip in the Kiang West / Tendaba area. This is one of the classic boat excursions in The Gambia, with good chances for African Fish Eagle, herons, egrets, kingfishers, bee-eaters, waders and other riverine species.
After lunch we drive further inland towards Kuntaur, with a stop at Wassu Quarry, which is known for Red-throated Bee-eaters and other open-country birds.
Overnight near Kuntaur.
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Morning birding around Kuntaur rice fields and surrounding habitats. This area can be good for wetland species, finches, weavers, raptors and open-country birds.
In the afternoon we take the boat trip towards the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project area, with chances for hippos, chimpanzees from the boat, crocodiles and river birds.
Overnight near Kuntaur.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, dinner
Morning visit to Njau and Kaur wetlands. This area is especially interesting for inland wetland species and can offer excellent photographic opportunities. Depending on conditions, Egyptian Plover is one of the special target species in this region.
Later we continue towards Bintang Bolong, with birding around Kassagne wetlands.
Overnight near Bintang Bolong.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, dinner
Morning visit to the photo hide at Killy, where there can be good opportunities for close photography of drinking and feeding birds.
Afterwards we drive to Marakissa. In the late afternoon we can explore the Marakissa wetlands and lodge surroundings.
Overnight near Marakissa.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, dinner
A very strong bird photography day around Marakissa and Dasilameh. We include a boat trip on the Halahin River, which is excellent for kingfishers, herons, egrets, waders and other wetland birds.
The Marakissa area also offers woodland and wetland habitats, with chances for species such as Green Turaco, Shining-blue Kingfisher, bee-eaters, hornbills, sunbirds and many others.
Overnight near Marakissa.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, dinner
Morning visit to Kartong wetlands and beach area. This is a very different habitat, with coastal wetlands, open water and beach habitat. It can be good for waders, terns, gulls, herons, egrets, kingfishers and other wetland birds.
Later we return towards Mandinari, with an afternoon visit to Lamin rice fields if time allows.
Overnight near Mandinari.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, dinner
Depending on flight time, we can include a final relaxed walk around Mandinari before transfer to Banjul Airport.
Meals included: Breakfast
Throughout the holiday we will be staying at simple lodges. Most of these are community-owned, so your stay helps the local people. All accommodation will be en-suite. Accommodation is comfortable, but get more rustic the more central we go.
Prices & Inclusions
3rd to 12th November 2027 – 6 Spots
|
Holiday Price: |
£2295/person |
|
| Single Supplement | £200/person |
Inclusions
Exclusions
On this holiday we will explore this tiny West African country, The Gambia. It is home to an incredible array of birds and we will have excellent photography opportunities. The tour runs during the dry season, the weather will be hot and humid. We use photography hides, do field walks and also boat cruises to maximise our chances to see a great variation of birds. Richard Birchett’s presence will be a guarantee for an excellent photography-mentorship.
The Gambia: The Gambia is Africa’s smallest (non-island) country that is dominated by the Gambia River. The country is quite flat and is surrounded by Senegal. The vegetation on the uplands is savanna, but inland and mangrove swamps can also be found along the river. It is a birding hotspot, but the country is also home to mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
Get In Touch:
hello@ecoterraadventures.com
+44 (0) 20 805 08658
+44 (0) 738 888 45 30
ATOL: 12505
Registered Office Address: 85 Great Portland Street, First Floor, London, W1W 7LT
Leave a Reply