Gambia Holidays

The Gambia – one blink and you’ll miss it. Trace your finger south from the Canaries and you’ll come across this tiny West African nation, surrounded by Senegal on all three sides. It may only be 31 miles at its widest point, but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in personality. It’s dubbed the Smiling Coast of Africa, thanks to its friendly locals. And the best bit? The Gambia runs on UK time, so there’s the added bonus of a jetlag-free journey.

Most tourists are drawn to The Gambia’s crowd-free coastline. Picture long strips of pale sand that go on and on – all gazing out across the Atlantic Ocean. The high priests of the 50-mile-long shoreline are undoubtedly Kotu and Kololi. These sun-soaked sweeps are big, bold and bustling with action. Here, the sands are accompanied by craft markets and strips of bars and restaurants, where you can tuck in to everything from Lebanese cuisine to Gambian delicacies.

It wouldn’t be Africa without some exotic wildlife. And the David Attenborough moments come thick and fast in The Gambia. Its namesake river’s teeming with manatees, hippos and crocodiles, while monkeys and birds fill the treetops. Plus, more than 100 chimpanzees rule the islands of the River Gambia National Park. People aren’t allowed to step foot on the isles, but you can usually admire the apes from an organised boat tour.