Sanyang, The Gambia (2 Viewers)

[jforgham]

Evening All,
Found a cheap flight to The Gambia in mid April and booked a room on Sanyang beach resort. I have also booked a recommended bird guide for two days of my 6 day stay. My first trip to this country so was just checking out safety when walking alone with binoculars and large lens on camera. Are there places I should avoid and is it basically safe to go birding locally on your own. I am a seasoned traveller and happily take walks on my own in countries I am not familiar with but some of the comments regarding The Gambia give me the impression there are no go areas, eg Koto Creek and Koto Bridge. Comments welcome from those who have visited The Gambia. Many thanks.

 

[trw]

Evening All,
Found a cheap flight to The Gambia in mid April and booked a room on Sanyang beach resort. I have also booked a recommended bird guide for two days of my 6 day stay. My first trip to this country so was just checking out safety when walking alone with binoculars and large lens on camera. Are there places I should avoid and is it basically safe to go birding locally on your own. I am a seasoned traveller and happily take walks on my own in countries I am not familiar with but some of the comments regarding The Gambia give me the impression there are no go areas, eg Koto Creek and Koto Bridge. Comments welcome from those who have visited The Gambia. Many thanks.

It's a few years since we've been there but I had no safety issues walking around with my bins and scope. I generally did my birdwatching alone ( my non- birding other half was sometimes with me, so she'd tag along depending on where and when I did my birdwatching). Avoiding being generally hassled was more of an issue, depending where you go. I tend to give hasslers short shrift and send them on their merry way. I found the hassle more of a pain in Morocco where they'd sometimes end up begging for money or fags. In Gambia it was more a bit of banter.
We visited the Sanyang area ( see below). Had no bother or hassle from locals at all here at all. Nobody approached us or spoke to us in the entire time we were there. I didn't go to any areas I would consider 'no-go' so I can't tell you about places to avoid.
Enjoy your trip!

Report ( bear in mind the area might have changed since then):

Probably my favourite area. The beach just goes on for miles with just a few beach shacks along the way. The taxi driver dropped us off just north of Sanyang Point.We walked south the fishing centre and the lagoon.

Apart from the usual species there were Hueglin’s Masked Weavers and an African Paradise Flycatcher in some shrubs just south of Sanyang Point. Along the way to the lagoon we saw a Black Shouldered Kite, African Palm Swift.Whimbrel, Ringed Plover, Bar Tail Godwit, Sanderling, Turnstone and Grey Plover.

The Lagoon was full of birds including, Caspian Tern, Grey Headed Gull, Lesser Black Back Gull, Ringed Plover, Intermediate Egret, Cattle Egret, Black Headed Heron, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Spur Winged Plover, Long Tailed Cormorant, and a Pied Kingfisher

 

[temmie]

While just walking around is probably very enjoyable, I would, but that's just me, book another 3 days for respectively the Gunjur / Kartong area (with e.g. Capuchin Babbler), Marakissa camp (great birding around in general) and Farasutu / Pirang forest (e.g. Spotted Honeyguide and a lot of forest birds).

 

[jforgham]

It's a few years since we've been there but I had no safety issues walking around with my bins and scope. I generally did my birdwatching alone ( my non- birding other half was sometimes with me, so she'd tag along depending on where and when I did my birdwatching). Avoiding being generally hassled was more of an issue, depending where you go. I tend to give hasslers short shrift and send them on their merry way. I found the hassle more of a pain in Morocco where they'd sometimes end up begging for money or fags. In Gambia it was more a bit of banter.
We visited the Sanyang area ( see below). Had no bother or hassle from locals at all here at all. Nobody approached us or spoke to us in the entire time we were there. I didn't go to any areas I would consider 'no-go' so I can't tell you about places to avoid.
Enjoy your trip!

Report ( bear in mind the area might have changed since then):

Probably my favourite area. The beach just goes on for miles with just a few beach shacks along the way. The taxi driver dropped us off just north of Sanyang Point.We walked south the fishing centre and the lagoon.

Apart from the usual species there were Hueglin’s Masked Weavers and an African Paradise Flycatcher in some shrubs just south of Sanyang Point. Along the way to the lagoon we saw a Black Shouldered Kite, African Palm Swift.Whimbrel, Ringed Plover, Bar Tail Godwit, Sanderling, Turnstone and Grey Plover.

The Lagoon was full of birds including, Caspian Tern, Grey Headed Gull, Lesser Black Back Gull, Ringed Plover, Intermediate Egret, Cattle Egret, Black Headed Heron, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Spur Winged Plover, Long Tailed Cormorant, and a Pied Kingfisher

Thank you, that's very helpful.

 

[jforgham]

While just walking around is probably very enjoyable, I would, but that's just me, book another 3 days for respectively the Gunjur / Kartong area (with e.g. Capuchin Babbler), Marakissa camp (great birding around in general) and Farasutu / Pirang forest (e.g. Spotted Honeyguide and a lot of forest birds).

Thank you. I think the guide I have booked for 2 days has plans for some of these places. I can always book him for more if his prices are OK.