With 16 well-researched chapters & 26 useful maps, this new thoroughly updated second edition of Bradt`s The Gambia remains the most comprehensive guide available in any language to what is the smallest country on mainland Africa. Significant development has taken place in recent years & this new edition offers all the latest updates, including new restaurants & hotels, detailed coverage of the many new eco lodges & camps that have sprung up, information on festivals, music workshops & opportunities to experience the unique local culture, & informed advice about birdwatching possibilities in a country very popular with first-time birders to Africa. As well as encompassing the popular coastal resorts, the guide also provides all the detailed information required to explore the relatively undeveloped interior, making it ideal for both visitors on organised packaged holidays & independent travellers alike. Bradt`s The Gambia reveals all the background & practical information needed to explore arguably Africa`s most welcoming & safest country with its plethora of beach resorts
- catering to all tastes & budgets
- that line the 80km stretch of tropical coastline running from the capital Banjul to the remote southern border. Small in size but rich in African character, The Gambia offers perhaps the closest English-speaking `winter sun` destination from Europe & is also an emerging destination for adventure activities such as kayaking, mountain bike tours, quad biking & parachuting. Justifiably popular with birdwatchers, the lush mangrove- & jungle-fringed river is also home to crocodiles, hippos, chimpanzees & a variety of monkeys. Historic attractions include the mysterious megalithic stone circles at Wassu & Ker Batch, & the fortified James Island & former slave-trading village of Juffureh (to where Alex Haley traced his ancestry in the book & TV programme Roots)
- all of which form part of the country`s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites & offer rich pickings to moderately adventurous travellers. All in all, Bradt`s The Gambia is the perfect companion for discovering this safe, welcoming & decidedly tourist-friendly English-speaking country which makes for an ideal short-stay introduction to the unique atmosphere of Africa.