From the Art Institute and skyscraper-viewing boat tours to world-class restaurants and bars, there is no shortage of places to spend plenty of money in Chicago.
21.07.2023 - 08:17 / roughguides.com
Think of The Gambia and sun, sea and sand package holidays might spring to mind, but visitors are starting to explore beyond the beaches. What makes it even more attractive is that Africa's smallest country is also on the list of budget travel destinations. Lynn Houghton tells us the best things to do in Gambia.
The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guides guidebooks — your essential guides for visiting the world.
About a five-hour drive from Banjul on the north bank of the River Gambia is the pre-historic sacred UNESCO site of the Wassu stone circles. The laterite stones, a rich deep mahogany colour, compare in age with Stonehenge in England and are thought to have had a religious purpose, marking burials here for 1500 years.
The museum has some interesting information but folklore is much more exciting: talk to the Stone Man, the site’s erstwhile caretaker. He says you can see lights shining from behind the stones at night – a common occurrence according to the superstitious locals.
Wassu stone circles © Shutterstock
Swinging from the treetops and squabbling with the baboons, West African Chimps are relishing their environment at the Chimp Rehabilitation Centre in the River Gambia National Park. They roam free on the Baboon Islands in the middle of the river, while rare red colobus monkeys congregate on the mainland.
The centre was started by Leslie Brewer-Marsden in 1979: the first chimps brought here were rescuées and mistreated pets, and there are now 107 completely wild chimpanzees that thrive on these three islands. From Thursday through Sunday, visitors can follow behind a feeding boat to see the chimps in their natural habitat as they come to the riverside to grab a meal.
Gambia, National Park. Image by Lynn Houghton
Centuries of legend surround the ancient Matasuku Forest, a nearly pristine area of mangrove covering 17.5 square kilometres along a tributary named Mandinka Bolong. From time immemorial, the forest was a no-go area and was thought to be inhabited by demons and dragons.
A Mali King, along with his troops, once managed to make the forest his stronghold but he was ousted by a local tribe; according to folklore, the king’s head, throne and crown are buried somewhere on the land.
Today, things are more peaceful. The area has been developed into a sustainable tourism project, the Matasuku Cultural Forest, in partnership with the Gambian government and now includes lodges and a base camp with an arts and crafts market run by local Kembujeh villagers.
Baboon in Matasuku forest in Gambia © Shutterstock
As the pre-dawn fog clears and the morning sun begins to rise, a visit to the Bao Bolong Nature Reserve is one of the best things to do in Gambia for birdwatching. Over
From the Art Institute and skyscraper-viewing boat tours to world-class restaurants and bars, there is no shortage of places to spend plenty of money in Chicago.
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