The Gambia is one of Africa's smallest countries. English-speaking Gambia is completely surrounded by Senegal, which is French-speaking, because of its colonial past. Apart from the language difference, the two countries are ethnologically and geographically one. Between 1982 and 1989 they were actually merged into the 'Senegambia'.

There are several interesting sights in the Gambia. The capital of Banjul is uniquely African, with a bustling market and a distinctive street-side culture. Banjul doesn't feel like a capital city, it has a rural atmosphere.

The Gambia is dominated by the Gambia River, which runs all the way through the country and is the main reason for the existence of the country. In colonial times, the British were assigned the strip of land on both sides of the river that nowadays forms the Gambia. Cruises on the river are very popular, although they can be disappointing, as there is not much more to see than mangroves and a few monkeys.

It is very hard being a tourist in the Gambia. As soon as you get out of your hotel, you will be surrounded by touts, who try to do business with you and usually don't take no for an answer. Further away from the hotel areas they are less aggressive and it is very pleasant to visit rural areas in the Gambia, without any hassle, after the experiences around the hotels.

There is one traffic light in the country. It was installed in 2001, to make drivers familiar with it, in order to put more lights throughout the country in the future. Driving in the Gambia is a unique experience and normally you would spend more time driving next to the road, rather than on it, as there are too many potholes, it is easier to avoid the tarmac altogether.

Another amazing feature are Gambia's land borders with Senegal. No-one seems to care and the stamp in your passport, if they bother to give you one at all, might read 'SEEN ON DEPERTURE', rather than SEEN ON DEPARTURE'....

A visit to Gambia is a truly unique experience and although the country doesn't have many of the superb sights that are found in some other African countries, there are still numerous unique places, which are well worth a visit.

Click on the images to learn more about this interesting destination. A map of The Gambia will open full-screen. Just click on towns and places you want to know more about.