The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa, but quite possibly offers the warmest welcome. Situated on the west coast of Africa it has been dubbed as “The Smiling Coast” and it is easy to see why. As soon as you arrive the locals meet you with a warm genuine smile.
The Gambia is surrounded by Senegal to the north, south and east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Tourism plays a huge part of life in The Gambia and I have compiled a list of good reasons as to why you should visit.
1. There is no jet lag. The Gambia is just a six hour flight from the UK.
2. For the weather, Gambia offers guaranteed sunshine with average daily temperatures over 30°C!
3. There are an excellent range of restaurants in the Gambia, from local takeaway to Chinese, Indian, Lebanese and Italian
4. The Gambia is one of the safest destinations in the world, with a very low crime rate and attacks on tourists are extremely rare
5. The Gambia offers a good choice of hotels – from 1* no frills to 5* luxury spa hotels.
6. The Gambia offers good nightlife, Kololi (or Senegambia as known locally) has an excellent range of lively bars
7. Fantastic beaches. The Gambia offers some of the most beautiful beaches in Africa to enjoy the hot sunshine.
8. Good range of flights from UK airports. Flights to The Gambia are now available from London Gatwick, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester airports.
9. Over 500 different species of bird and is one of the best destinations for bird watching.
10. The Gambia has excellent sea and creek fishing.
The Gambia is a former British colony and only gained independence on the 18th February 1965 so English is widely spoken by local people. The Gambia is a peaceful country and has a
population of around 1.5 million people. Religion is made up of 90% Muslim and 10% Christian and other religions.