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Electricity
As The Gambia has 220V current, European devices can generally be
used. But power failures occur often, especially in the rainy season.
Hotels and restaurants are prepared for this and emergency generators
will start within seconds. However you should unplug sensitive electrical
devices as the voltage may fluctuate when emergency power starts up.
Entry Regulations
When you enter The Gambia, a passport valid for at least six months
is required for citizens of all countries, but not everyone needs
a visa. For further details please contact the Gambian High Commission
in your country.
Guides
Tourist guides can be found almost everywhere and always near hotels.
They offer to show you the market or the town. And even if you only
want to take a short walk, they will follow you everywhere.
Their service is normally free of charge, but of course the guides
will expect a tip. Often you are asked to buy a sack of rice or something
like that for them. Just like the taxi drivers they try to sell their
self-organised tours, which are cheaper than those organised by the
hotels.
Even though the permanent presence of the guides can sometimes be
annoying, you learn a lot of interesting things and see places you
would not find by yourself or to which you would not dare to go on
your own.
Health
The risk of a malaria infection is higher during and after the rainy
season. In any case, you should protect yourself by using a mosquito
repellent, a mosquito net and long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
The anopheles mosquitoes are active mainly in the evenings. Furthermore
you should only drink bottled water. Tap water is free of germs but
heavily chlorinated.
A yellow fever vaccination is recommendable. Please follow the guidelines
of your country. In The Gambia, HIV and AIDS are a huge problem and
threaten everybody who risks an infection by having sexual contact,
using contaminated syringes and needles, or getting blood transfusions.
Language
English is the official language of The Gambia. Even in remote areas
most people speak English. First, this is because The Gambia was ruled
by Great Britain for a long time, and second, there are several tribes
with their own languages which are only spoken by them. That means
even Gambians speak English among themselves.
Money
The Gambia's currency is the Dalasi (D), one hundred Butus equal one
Dalasi. Bank notes of 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 Dalasi are in circulation.
In June 2006, one US$ was worth 30 Dalasi and one Euro was worth 37
Dalasi. You can change money in every hotel, but it is cheaper in
banks and even cheaper in exchange offices. You can often exchange
money on the street as well.
You should always have some cash in small denominations with you;
otherwise you may have trouble getting change.
Opening hours
Banks and public offices are usually open from 9-12 a.m. and 2-5 p.m.,
but on Fridays only until midday. Supermarkets have longer opening
hours though there are no statutory business hours.
Photographs
It is strictly forbidden to take photographs of military and strategic
facilities. These facilities include harbours, bridges and airports.
Please make sure that you do not insult the largely Islamic population
when taking photographs. This is especially important in rural areas
where many people still believe a photo could hurt or even steal their
soul. So you should ask for permission if you want to photograph local
people. Professional photographers have to take along a guide, who
will help to deal with the Gambians. You should definitely bring enough
rolls of film and batteries with you, as prices in The Gambia are
quite high. Slide films are virtually unavailable.
Post/Telephone/Internet
The Gambia Postal Services (Gampost) is reliable - nevertheless, letters
and postcards will take at least one week to arrive. The main post
office is in Banjul next to the Albert market. Stamps and postboxes
are also available in most hotels. In cities and villages you can
make phone calls at "tele-centers". Faxing, on the other
hand, is very expensive. You can access the Internet in most of the
hotels and Internet cafes in bigger cities.
Prostitution
Prostitution is an omnipresent problem, as the tourists' money is
too tempting. In contrast to other countries, you often find the opposite
combination: white European women and black men. In this way, many
young male Gambians hope to leave the country and start a new and
better life in Europe. In any case you have to be aware of the health
risk. In some regions almost 40%of the prostitutes are HIV-positive.
Safety
The Gambia is a safe country with virtually no violent crime. Tourists
are very rarely victims of theft. Nevertheless we recommend you to
take the normal safety measures, for example do not wear jewellery
and many bags while walking through the streets or a market.
Taxis
There are three sorts of taxis. The yellow ones with green stripes
are the common taxis for the Gambians. There are no taximeters but
the locals know the fares. That means you can and have to bargain.
The green taxis have been introduced especially for tourists. They
are normally in better condition but are more expensive. They have
official fares that are often written on big boards. Yet they are
negotiable and we strongly recommend not paying the full price. For
a little higher fare, drivers also offer to wait for you, for example
in front of a restaurant. In any case, the price must be negotiated
in advance.
In addition, there are minibuses, which drive to Serrekunda and from
there to other towns. Mostly they are packed with ten or more people,
but only cost a few cents. At bus stops, a boy next to the door calls
out the destination of the bus.
Tourist season
The best time to travel to the Gambia is during the European winter.
In the summer months, the rainy season is accompanied by very high
humidity, which is almost unbearable for Europeans. All year round,
maximum temperatures are about 35 °C. The minimum temperature
gradually rises from 15°C in January to 22°C in September.
Time
The local time in The Gambia is minus one hour to MET in the winter,
and minus two hours in the summer.
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History
