A recent report by the UK newspaper, the Independent said that the Gambian
Tourism Association is fed up with reports saying that 60% of visitors
to the country would not return after they found themselves the target
of harassment by bumsters (beach boys). Some tourists, who were quoted
as saying that The Gambia offers a wonderful and ideal holiday experience,
said the bumster menace presents a frightening blot. The Gambia Tourism
Authority (GTA) has announced that they are adopting tougher measures
against the presence of beach boys (bumsters), through the temporary use
of the National Guard.
Comments from tourists reported by the Independent include:
‘I found The Gambia excellent apart from the hassling, not only from
the people outside, but also from the staff at the hotels, which should
be stopped’, said a tourist who was ending his holiday.
”I found it difficult to cope with the harassment outside the hotel
and the constant begging. There were times when I did not to go outside
the hotel’ another complained to the Independent newspaper.
Other tourists were however more interested in the brighter side of the
country, saying that in spite of harassment from bumsters they will return.
The bumsters said that the approach adopted by the GTA, having armed
guards patrolling the beaches is a curb on their freedom. They noted
that since the start of the tourist season soldiers are seen in every
part of the industry armed with guns and arresting any individual or group
of people on sight. However they said people arrested around hotels are
taken to the Fajara military barracks, where they are subjected to hard
labour and their heads completely shaved. According to them even girls
found around the TDA are not spared. They are rounded up and forced to
do laundry.
Despite the bumsters, the Beetle wondered what there was to do in The
Gambia and has come up with the following suggestions.
When to Go:
The Gambia is a popular winter holiday destination. The best time to
go is between November and March when it is dry and cooler than the searing
hot summer months. The rainy season is June to October. Visitors no
longer require a Yellow Fever certificate, (unless you are arriving from
a country where Yellow Fever is endemic.) Most visitors from Europe do
not require a visa for stays of up to 28 days. There should be no jet
lag coming from the UK, as Gambian time is (theoretically!) the same as
GMT. The Gambians have a reputation as being a very friendly people,
but watch out for the beach boys, locally called “bumsters”
– see above – who have a tendency to harangue, hassle and generally
ask tourists for money.
Where to Go:
Most people come to the Gambia to stay for a week or two on one of the
beaches on the Atlantic coast. It’s pretty easy to get to as the
10 km stretch of hotels is only about 15km from Banjul International airport.
Popular resorts include Bakau, Fajara, Kotu and Kololi where you can find
many good class hotels with all the usual tourist attractions including
golf courses, water sports, cycle rental and good beaches for swimming
and sunning. Incidentally, the further south you stay, the better the
beach is likely to be for swimming. Banjul is served by a number of charter
and scheduled flights from Europe and other African countries.
Banjul, the Capital:
You might be tempted to step outside your hotel compound as there are
some interesting sites around The Gambia. Banjul, the capital city is
on an island at the mouth of the River Gambia, separated from the mainland
by a narrow creek. Because of its location, it has never really grown
into a large city and it is worth maybe half a day to wander around.
Take a look at Albert Market, a great example of an African market,
with its fruit and veg stands, shoes and clothes and household goods.
Close to the market on MacCarthy Square there is a War Memorial
and Fountain, erected to commemorate the coronation of Britain’s
King George VI in 1937. The Gambia National Museum is a bit decrepit
but has displays of photos, maps and text about archaeology, African people
and the colonial period. Close by is The Gambia’s tallest building,
the 35m (115ft) Arch 22 which was built to celebrate the military
coup of 22 July 1994 (led by Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh, who is still The
Gambia’s president). You can go up the arch – take a camera as
it has great views over the city and the coast.
Roots:
If you enjoyed reading the book Roots or seeing the film or TV series,
you could take a tour to explore Jufureh, a small village on the northern
bank of the River Gambia about 25km (15miles) upstream from Banjul. In
Roots, Jufureh is the place where Kunta Kinte, Alex Haley’s ancestor,
was captured here and taken as a slave to America some 200 years ago.
Today, Jufureh is very much on the tourist trail as it’s easily reached
from Banjul although there’s actually not a huge amount to see there,
but the locals put in an appearance, there’s an artisan’s
market and again, according to the Lonely Planet, an old lady called Binde
Kinte, (a descendant of Haley’s), makes a guest appearance at her compound.
Photos are produced of Haley and Binde Kinte and of the griot (storyteller)
who first told Haley the tale of his family. The tours you can take usually
include the village of Albreda. Here you can see the ruined ‘factory’,
a fortified slave house originally built by the French in the late 17th
century, and there’s a museum that tells you about the history of
slavery on the River Gambia.
Well, that’s Banjul visited! If you are a twitcher, there’s
good bird watching to be had around the mangrove swamps of Banjul Island;
there are plenty of tours. The Gambia’s largest town and de facto
capital is Serekunda. This is the transport hub and the economic centre
of the country. There’s not a huge amount to see here for the tourist,
but if you want to look around urban Africa, then this is it.
OK, so back to the Atlantic resorts: Bakau, the northernmost resort has
botanical gardens, if that is your thing. They were established during
colonial times and according to Lonely Planet it is looking “a little
dilapidated now, but it’s still a peaceful, shady place that’s good for
spotting birds”. Also at Bakau there is the Kachikaly Crocodile
Pool, a sacred site for the local people, who come here to pray, as
crocodiles among some tribes in The Gambia represent the power of fertility.
At the southern end of the coastal strip at Kololi, there is a
small wildlife reserve, Bijolo Forest Park, which has trails through
dense, shady vegetation, where you can often see monkeys and birds.
Getting Around:
It is pretty easy to get around in The Gambia. Green (Tourist) Taxis
are painted green with a diamond sign and a serial number on the side.
They are licensed by the Gambia Tourism Authority and dedicated to serving
tourists and other visitors. They are normally parked outside the hotels
in the resort areas. Yellow and Green taxis are mainly 4 passenger saloon
cars painted in these colours which run a shared taxi service between
short distances or park by the roadside for individual hire. Collective
(Bush) Taxi: The most common way of travelling in The Gambia is by Collective
Taxis otherwise called ‘Bush’ Taxis. These are mainly 7 passenger saloon
cars, vans and mini- buses and buses. They do not have a single colour
and operate everywhere.
The Beetle
would like to hear from you, if you have visited The Gambia – how
did you find it?
