Jeanie
Jeanie with one n.
We have recently returned from a trip to The Gambia. We booked a 14 night trip with Thomas Cook and stayed at the Bakoto Hotel. This place is good for birding but is small and you have to pay extra for a fan.
On the recommendation of another birdwatcher we pre booked Ebrima W Barry. The W is important since there are a couple of other birders with similar names.
His e-mail is [email protected] and he has a Facebook page.
Mobile (220)9981130
We are both in our 70's and are past the stage of wanting to get up early and bird all day including the heat of the afternoon. We initially agreed to bird for 7 days one being a half day. 3 nights were to be spent up river.
As it turns out we were guided on 10 days, some of them split into 2 sessions when we could go back to the hotel for a break.
We found Ebrima to be an excellent guide with a good sense of humour. He understood that we had birded in Ethiopia and were likely to have seen many of the birds.
We only count birds that we have had a decent view of and recorded 232 of which 104 were new to us. We are delighted with this count considering we avoided the hottest part of the day when no doubt we would have picked up a few more.
Below is the original itinerary but we mixed and matched and also added some days to bird in South Gambia on the Senegal border.
Day 1 meeting with you at the hotel you will staying on the day of your arrival.
Day 2 ,picking time 7:30am to start around Kotu ,the rice fields area and the golf course for the morning then back to your hotel for a break by midday ,and pick you up again by 14:30 to Abuko nature reserve and back to the hotel around 18:00.
Day 3 picking time 7:30am to Tujereng woods in the morning for woodland species then from there to Tanji for sea birds and lots of waders ,then a lunch break at Tanji bird reserve restaurant and then 14:30 we then drive to Brufut woods ,for honey guides ,night jars ,and etc then back to the hotel around 18:00,
Day 4 picking time ,7:30 for a long half a day to Farasuto forest for the greyish eagle ,and the wood owl ,and some good species and back to. The hotel around 13:00,
DAY 5 ,picking time ,5:30 ,we rush to Banjul to catch up the first ferry crossing at 7:00 to Barra on the north bank and is going to be all day birding and driving visiting all the good sites on the north ,places like Baobolong wetland ,Ngain Sanjak for the bustards ,Njau for the Egyptian plovers ,Kaur wetland ,Pancjang and Nyaga Nantant wetland and arrive to Georgetown around 18:00 and when we cross before getting to our camp we will go. For the night jars and the sandgrouse and then to the camp for dinner and our first night inland .
DAT six ,after breakfast in Georgetown will cross the ferry in the morning to go back to Eassu for the carmine new eater ,red throated bee eaters ,anteater chats and etc and back to the camp for a lunch break and by 15:30 we drive to Kunkiling forest for the Adamawa turtle dove and back to the camp for dinner and our second night in Georgetown .
Date 7 ,after breakfast in Georgetown we do the boat trip for three hours and after the boat we start to drive from the south coming to Tendaba camp for our third night and arrive there in the late afternoon but before we get to the camp we will visit the Kiang national park then to the camp for dinner and our last night inland ,
Day 8 after breakfast in Tendaba we do the boat trip for tjhree hours and after the boat we start the drive coming down to the coast and the stops on the road will be at Kanlagi bridge ,Kanpanti and Ppirang forest and arrive to the coast around 18:00:
I would have no hesitation to recommend both The Gambia and Ebrima as an excellent guide.
We have spent many years birding in Goa and it has similarities though in The Gambia the beaches are much emptier and the driving less hazardous.
We will be back.
On the recommendation of another birdwatcher we pre booked Ebrima W Barry. The W is important since there are a couple of other birders with similar names.
His e-mail is [email protected] and he has a Facebook page.
Mobile (220)9981130
We are both in our 70's and are past the stage of wanting to get up early and bird all day including the heat of the afternoon. We initially agreed to bird for 7 days one being a half day. 3 nights were to be spent up river.
As it turns out we were guided on 10 days, some of them split into 2 sessions when we could go back to the hotel for a break.
We found Ebrima to be an excellent guide with a good sense of humour. He understood that we had birded in Ethiopia and were likely to have seen many of the birds.
We only count birds that we have had a decent view of and recorded 232 of which 104 were new to us. We are delighted with this count considering we avoided the hottest part of the day when no doubt we would have picked up a few more.
Below is the original itinerary but we mixed and matched and also added some days to bird in South Gambia on the Senegal border.
Day 1 meeting with you at the hotel you will staying on the day of your arrival.
Day 2 ,picking time 7:30am to start around Kotu ,the rice fields area and the golf course for the morning then back to your hotel for a break by midday ,and pick you up again by 14:30 to Abuko nature reserve and back to the hotel around 18:00.
Day 3 picking time 7:30am to Tujereng woods in the morning for woodland species then from there to Tanji for sea birds and lots of waders ,then a lunch break at Tanji bird reserve restaurant and then 14:30 we then drive to Brufut woods ,for honey guides ,night jars ,and etc then back to the hotel around 18:00,
Day 4 picking time ,7:30 for a long half a day to Farasuto forest for the greyish eagle ,and the wood owl ,and some good species and back to. The hotel around 13:00,
DAY 5 ,picking time ,5:30 ,we rush to Banjul to catch up the first ferry crossing at 7:00 to Barra on the north bank and is going to be all day birding and driving visiting all the good sites on the north ,places like Baobolong wetland ,Ngain Sanjak for the bustards ,Njau for the Egyptian plovers ,Kaur wetland ,Pancjang and Nyaga Nantant wetland and arrive to Georgetown around 18:00 and when we cross before getting to our camp we will go. For the night jars and the sandgrouse and then to the camp for dinner and our first night inland .
DAT six ,after breakfast in Georgetown will cross the ferry in the morning to go back to Eassu for the carmine new eater ,red throated bee eaters ,anteater chats and etc and back to the camp for a lunch break and by 15:30 we drive to Kunkiling forest for the Adamawa turtle dove and back to the camp for dinner and our second night in Georgetown .
Date 7 ,after breakfast in Georgetown we do the boat trip for three hours and after the boat we start to drive from the south coming to Tendaba camp for our third night and arrive there in the late afternoon but before we get to the camp we will visit the Kiang national park then to the camp for dinner and our last night inland ,
Day 8 after breakfast in Tendaba we do the boat trip for tjhree hours and after the boat we start the drive coming down to the coast and the stops on the road will be at Kanlagi bridge ,Kanpanti and Ppirang forest and arrive to the coast around 18:00:
I would have no hesitation to recommend both The Gambia and Ebrima as an excellent guide.
We have spent many years birding in Goa and it has similarities though in The Gambia the beaches are much emptier and the driving less hazardous.
We will be back.
