The Gambia

Africa's Jewel In The Sun

An 8-day, small group birdwatching tour exploring the small West African nation of The Gambia

Limosa’s single-centre birding holiday to The Gambia (run in collaboration with our sister brand New Horizons Wildlife) offers the perfect escape from the chill and dark nights of winter with a week exploring this small West African nation which sits just 13° north of the Equator.

Birds are abundant throughout The Gambia and during our holiday, we plan to explore a wide variety of habitats which are within a relatively short distance of our comfortable coastal hotel. We can expect to see a kaleidoscope of exotic birds with possibilities such as Hamerkop, Giant Kingfisher, African Jacana, Senegal Parrot, Western Red-billed Hornbill, Violet Turaco, Western Plantain-eater, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Bearded Barbet and Beautiful Sunbird.

Tour Dates & Prices

Tue 5th January 2027

Tue 12th January 2027

Available

Tour Cost: 8 Days from £3295 including return flight from London

Deposit: £825 Single Supp: £295 Group Size: 10 Leader: Christopher Hall and Local Guide

Enquire about this tour

What's Included?

Limosa Tour Leader
Seven nights accommodaton
All main meals from dinner on day 1 until breakfast/lunch on day 8 (depending on flight times)
All surface transport including a boat trip at Marakissa
All excursions, entry fees and permits
All tour-based tips
Limosa checklist of birds

Cost Excludes

Insurance, drinks, airport taxes (c.GB£25 payable on both arrival and departure), airport and in-flight meals and snacks and other items of a personal nature

Additional Information

A reduced land only cost for this tour is not available.

Tour Highlights

A fantastic introduction to the birds of West Africa
Enjoy birding that is easy, exotic and exciting whilst visiting a wide variety of different habitats
Six full days in coastal Gambia, with wall-to-wall sunshine and a feast of tropical birds
Expect to see a myriad of different kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers, plus colourful turacos, paradise flycatchers, sunbirds, cordon-bleus and much more
Look for a selection of overwintering palearctic migrants such as Western Olivaceous, Melodious and Western Subalpine Warblers, Caspian Tern and Western Yellow Wagtail
Small party size - maximum of 10 participants
Expertly led by Limosa's Christopher Hall plus a local Gambian bird guide

Outline Itinerary

Fly to Banjul and transfer to our hotel at Kololi, on the nearby West African coast. Night Senegambia Hotel
Six days of birdwatching in coastal Gambia visiting a range of key sites with the options including Kotu, Brufut, Tujereng, Kartong, Mandina Ba, Farasutu, Lamin and Abuko. Six further nights at Senegambia Hotel
Local birding or at leisure. Fly to UK

Overview

Itinerary

Trip Info

Running eastwards from the Atlantic Ocean, The Gambia is a slender finger of land seldom more than 40km across, however, for birdwatchers what this tiny West African republic lacks in size, it more than makes up for in sheer variety and wealth of birds. Indeed, we only have to step into the grounds of our comfortable beachside hotel to be immersed in a world of Senegal Parrots, Western Red-billed Hornbills, White-crowned Robin-chats, Beautiful Sunbirds and Blackcap Babblers, all species as exotic in appearance as they sound. And all within six or so hours flying time of the UK!

Birds are abundant everywhere in The Gambia and we shall not only encounter a host of West African residents, but can also expect to enjoy many more familiar summer migrants here in their warm winter quarters. Among these, the possibilities include Melodious, Western Subalpine and Western Bonelli’s Warblers, Woodchat Shrike, Whinchat and Common Nightingale.

During our holiday, we will choose our programme from the wealth of top birding sites which are within a relatively short distance of our hotel. From Tanji and Brufut Forests to the bird-rich areas around Marakissa, we will enjoy noisy flocks of weavers, bishops and waxbills in the cultivated lands, watch for Hamerkops, Giant Kingfishers, African Jacanas and snake-necked African Darters on secluded pools and listen for Oriole Warbler, Brown-throated Wattle-eye and Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher in areas of lush tropical canopy. As Green Monkeys and Western Red Colobus crash away through the treetops, a flurry of bright crimson wings might betray the presence of gorgeous Violet and Guinea Turacos.

Adding to the experience are the Gambia’s wetlands, coastal mangroves, marshes and tidal creeks, which are alive with birds and all within easy range of our comfortable hotel, with its inviting swimming pool and palm-fringed sandy beach. Black Egrets demonstrate their seemingly bizarre ‘umbrella’ feeding action alongside larger Western Reef Egrets, whilst Pied Kingfishers hover above the water and flocks of wintering waders are dwarfed by groups of enormous Pink-backed Pelicans.

A visit to the bird observatory and wetlands at Kartong which lies at the southernmost tip of the country and close to the border with Senegal is another site we may visit during our holiday. This is one of Gambia’s ‘newest’ birding locations and the possibilities include African Swamphens lurking in the pools, migratory Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters hawking overhead and a chance to look for White-fronted Plovers on the beach. The ringing station here regularly turns up a surprise or two and on one of our previous visits, we enjoyed two Cuckoo-finches, a vagrant to The Gambia, while unusual finds on another visit included Marabou Stork and House Bunting.

After a final night in our coastal hotel, we will take an afternoon direct flight back to the UK.

Limosa has been operating bird tours to Gambia since 1994 and this will be our 50th trip there. Guide Christopher Hall first visited Gambia in 2001 and our January 2027 tour will be his fourth visit to the Senegambia region.

Day 1
FLY TO BANJUL, GAMBIA

Our birdwatching holiday to The Gambia begins with a morning flight from London Gatwick direct to Banjul. Afternoon arrival and transfer to our hotel at Kololi, on Gambia’s sunny Atlantic coast.

We may arrive in time to enjoy some late afternoon birding in the hotel grounds, where the likes of Green Woodhoopoe, Blackcap Babbler, Red-billed Firefinch and other exotic residents provide first-time visitors with a truly magical welcome. Night Senegambia Hotel

Days 2 – 7
COASTAL GAMBIA: KOTU, BRUFUT, TUJERENG, KARTONG, MANDINA BA, FARASUTU, LAMIN AND ABUKO

We will awake on our first morning in The Gambia to an unfamiliar chorus of African birds including Common Bulbuls, White-crowned Robin-chats and Laughing and Vinaceous Doves.

With a host of terrific birdwatching spots to explore within easy distance of our hotel, we shall not need to journey far to find a spectacular range of birds. Hooded Vulture, African Wattled Lapwing, Speckled Pigeon, Western Red-billed Hornbill, Bearded Barbet, Blue-bellied Roller, Yellow-billed Shrike, Western Olivaceous Warbler, Piapiac and the gaudy Yellow-crowned Gonolek are among an abundance of birds awaiting our discovery.

Not far to the south, Brufut Forest and Tanji Bird Reserve offer an attractive mix of coastal Guinea Savanna woodland, running down to open dune scrub and sandy beaches at Tanji. Here, we may find residents such as Stone Partridge, Broad-billed Roller, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Black Scimitarbill, Fanti Saw-wing, Northern Crombec, Senegal Eremomela, the exquisite Variable Sunbird and the comical-looking White Helmetshrike. This can also be a good spot for wintering warblers and other Palearctic migrants and, if we are fortunate, we may also come across a roosting Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, its surreal pink eyelids drooping heavily as it dozes in the shade.

The fields around Tujereng offer wide skies which are great for scanning for raptors and we have seen African Harrier-hawk, Wahlberg’s Eagle and Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle previously. Mixed flocks of weavers and glossy starlings may conspire to tax our identification skills and other possibilities include Striped Kingfisher, White-fronted Black Chat and Black-crowned Tchagra. Iridescent Splendid Sunbirds, Senegal Batis and Singing and Whistling Cisticolas are among species that can regularly be seen at Tujereng, alongside a range of more familiar European birds such as Wryneck, Melodious Warbler and Common Nightingale.

A little further from our hotel, another option is to explore near the village of Kuloro which provides just the right mix of cultivation and scrub to offer excellent birding. Here, we should find a multiplicity of dove species as well as a wealth of prinias, cisticolas, cameropteras, waxbills, bishops and weavers. We shall also be keeping our fingers crossed, hoping that our local contacts can point us in the direction of roosting Northern White-faced or Greyish Eagle Owls. In the denser swamp forest at nearby Farasutu, we may even be lucky to add the elusive African Wood Owl to our list, whilst also enjoying forest specialists such as Grey-headed Bristlebill, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Green Crombec and Yellow-throated Leaflove.

Another site we plan to visit is one of the country’s ‘newest’ birding hotspots, Kartong, an area of worked out sand pits, pools and coastal scrub which lie at the southernmost tip of The Gambia, close to the border with Senegal. This area offers the best chances of seeing the likes of Comb Duck, Allen’s Gallinule and African Swamphen, while Black Crakes and White-faced Whistling-ducks are also possible.

Thanks to the presence of a bird observatory, Kartong also has a knack of turning up species that can be difficult to find elsewhere in The Gambia and a surprise is always on the cards!

We will enjoy lunch locally and may also be fortunate to see one or two species in the hand, courtesy of the bird ringers. Raptors hunt across the area and we have seen Brown Snake Eagle and the bizarre Palm-nut Vulture, a unique vulture which is largely vegetarian!

During our six full days staying on the coast, we will also explore some exciting wetland habitats and spend some time investigating the network of rice fields, beaches, tidal inlets and open mudflats. Here, one can watch as Black Egrets hunt in the shallows suddenly ‘freezing’ and flicking open their ‘umbrella wings’ to provide shade as they hunt small fish, whilst the heavier and more ‘boring’ Western Reef Egrets stalk the tidal flats for crabs and fish. Royal and Caspian Terns, Osprey, Black-winged Stilt, Wood and Curlew Sandpipers and Senegal Thick-knees add to the mix of familiar and unfamiliar with dazzling Pied Kingfishers hovering above the water before plunging in for their next meal. Six further nights Senegambia Hotel

Day 8
MORNING BIRDING LOCALLY OR AT LEISURE AT THE HOTEL, FLY TO UK

For those that wish, there should be time during the morning to enjoy some final birding, perhaps with a last look about the grounds of our hotel, or to simply relax beside the hotel’s inviting pool, if you prefer.

We plan to take an early lunch at a local restaurant before transferring to Banjul airport during the afternoon. Check-in for our return flight to London Gatwick, where our birding tour to The Gambia concludes this evening.

WHAT TO EXPECT
Eight days of relaxed-paced tropical birding staying at a comfortable hotel on the sun-drenched West African coast with an itinerary which includes visits to a great range of locations within The Gambia’s coastal region.

In The Gambia, expect “12-hour tropical days”, typically beginning with daybreak/breakfast at around 7.00am, usually with a rest after lunch (when it is hot and relatively birdless) and concluding with nightfall at around 7.00pm.

It is hot all year round in The Gambia, which means bird activity is generally at its peak during the first few hours of daylight, and to a lesser extent again in the late afternoon and early evening as temperatures start to decline. So while the pace of this tour is relaxed, with easy walks in search of the Gambia’s abundant birdlife, please note that we will be making relatively early starts each day to enjoy the best birding before it gets too hot.

The Gambia has a hot tropical climate with temperatures pretty much constant all year. During January-March, you can expect it to be hot, sunny and dry, coolest first thing in the morning and evening, with average daily temperatures in the range of 18-34C (64-91F) and occasionally hotter. A wide brimmed sun hat is essential and use of an appropriate barrier cream and sunglasses strongly advised. We are unlikely to experience any rain at this season.

There should be some excellent photographic opportunities on this tour, especially of habituated birds in the grounds of our coastal hotel, as well as everyday life in The Gambia.

Insects are rarely a problem on this tour, but mosquitoes are present year round and likely to be encountered at some spots, particularly if dining al fresco in the evenings. You should be aware of their presence and take the usual precautions (pack some repellent and cover up, wearing long sleeves and long trousers). Malaria prophylaxis is essential for all visits to The Gambia.

BIRDS

200-240 species

MAMMALS

There are a few large mammals in The Gambia such as Vervet and Red Colobus Monkeys but plenty of incidental wildlife to enjoy, from crocodiles to butterflies and day-flying bats.

ACCOMMODATION

Seven nights accommodation at the coast, staying at the Senegambia Hotel, one of the Gambia’s most popular tourist hotels. Set in 20 acres of tropical gardens, the beach and swimming pool make it a great place to relax for those that wish to take some time out from our organised birding programme. All rooms are air-conditioned and are en suite.

Our tour price includes standard air conditioned rooms at the Senegambia Hotel. If you are interested in a deluxe room or suite, please contact the office for further information and we will be happy to check availability and prices for you.

MEALS

All main meals are included in the tour price, commencing with dinner on Day 1 and concluding with either breakfast or lunch on Day 8 depending on flight times.

Food is good and there are likely to be a mixture of western-style and African dishes. Some lunches (and possibly some breakfasts) will be picnics, with our lunches generally taken at lodges or restaurants away from the hotel.

There should be a decent choice with fish, meat, vegetables and rice usually available. Vegetarians should be aware that this is not widely understood in The Gambia, however, there will still be options available.

WALKING

Easy, but you do need to be aware of the heat and be sure to drink plenty as it will be hot every day! Short walks (up to 2 miles) over easy terrain as there are no hills in The Gambia!

Sturdy training shoes or comfortable walking shoes with sturdy corrugated soles for grip and protection against thorny scrub are advised.

GROUND TRANSPORT
Small bus or similar with local driver depending on the group size.

BOAT TRIP
Our tour price includes a boat trip at Marakissa. Please note that this trip is dependent on the tide.

FLIGHTS
The only direct flight from London to The Gambia is with a charter airline (from Gatwick) with allocated seating and 20kg hold luggage allowance.

A limited number of “Star Class” seats are available which provide extras such as a dedicated forward cabin, extra baggage allowance, enhanced meals and complimentary drinks. If you are interested in upgrading then please contact the office for further details.