Bakau
Bakau used to be a fishing village. Today, the little town has become
a major attraction for tourists. Many hotels are located on the
coast. Downtown there is a post office, a bank, a supermarket and
a bazaar for souvenirs. Politicians and wealthy businessmen live
in Bakau New Town.
Sightseeing:
- The Kachikaly Crocodile Pool is the habitat of four to five reptiles.
Admission: 20 Dalasi. In The Gambia crocodiles are considered as
holy creatures. Women once used to bathe in the pool water in hopes
of becoming pregnant. Today, the pool has become a major attraction.
- Botanical gardens
Banjul - Capital of the Gambia
Banjul is located at the mouth of the Gambia river, on a sandy,
flat peninsula. The British officer Alexander Grant bought the land
in 1816 and named it Bathurst after the British Minister of the
same name. In 1889, Banjul became the capital of the British colony.
In the course of Africanization, in 1972, the town was given back
its original African name, Banjul, which means bamboo island.
Due to its location on the sea, the town experienced constant flooding
in earlier times, and fish and crocodiles were swept ashore into
the streets. Epidemics also plagued the city often. In 1869, Banjul
was hit so hard by a cholera epidemic that the Mocamtown district
was renamed "Half Die".
Although the country has been modernized, you can still visit some
of the original colonial buildings. The town gained financial and
political importance because of its large natural deep-sea harbour,
which was enlarged in the 1970s. About 45,000 people live in Banjul
today.
Georgetown
Georgetown is the capital of the Central River Division. But it
became well-known as a centre of the slave trade. It is situated
in the midst of the Gambia River on McCarthy Island. From the south,
you can reach the island with a man-powered ferry and from the north
with a larger ferry. Here, the British established their major administration.
Things to see:
- The former slave houses
- The stone circles of Wassu. Even today, this enigma remains unsolved.
They are probably tombs of kings and queens.
St. James Island
Two hours away from the capital of Banjul, the small St. James Island
is situated at the mouth of the Gambia River. In 1651, the island
was named by the English after their successor to the throne. In
times of the slave trade, it played a very important part because,
from here, the slaves were shipped to the Caribbean. Over the course
of many decades, English, French and Dutch struggled for supremacy
due its strategic importance. After the abolition of slavery in
1807, the island was used to intercept the French and Portuguese
slave ships from the coast.
Today, the island is uninhabited. Monkey bread trees overgrow the
ruins of the old fortress, which you can visit within a boat trip.
Serrekunda
Situated 12 km away from Banjul, Serrekunda is the biggest city
of The Gambia with its 170,000 inhabitants. Although Banjul is the
capital of The Gambia, it cannot expand anymore because it is located
on a peninsula. That is why Serrekunda became an important trading
centre in the country.
Sightseeing:
The large covered market on the one side of the street and the little
shops on the other side provide everything you need. It is never
calm here.
History
