Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WESTERN GAMBIA
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Abuko Nature Reserve
Abuko Nature Reserve
( 4375888; adult/child US$1.30/0.70; 8am-6pm)
is rare among African wild-
life reserves: it's tiny, it's easy to reach, you don't need a car to go in, and it's well man-
aged, with an amazing diversity of vegetation and animals. It is possibly the mightiest of
Gambia's national parks.
More than 250 bird species have been recorded in Abuko's compact area, making it one
of the region's best birdwatching haunts. Birds include sunbirds, green hylias, African gos-
hawks, oriole warblers, yellowbills and leafloves. Abuko is also about the only place in
Gambia where you can observe green and violet turacos, white-spotted flufftails, ahanta
francolins and western bluebills. And among the 52 mammal species calling Abuko home
are bushbucks, duikers, porcupines, bushbabies and ground squirrels, as well as three mon-
key types: the green or vervet, endangered western red colobus, and patas. The reserve is
particularly famous for its Nile crocodiles and other slithering types such as pythons, puff
adders, green mambas and forest cobras.
Be sure to pop into the reserve's Darwin Field Station and educational centre, packed
with information on the animal species you'll encounter here. The animal orphanage here is
a rehabilitation centre whose aim is to return injured or mistreated animals back to the wild.
Many of the animals are baboons or monkeys that were previously kept as pets.
To get to Abuko, take a private taxi (D400 to D500) or a minibus headed for Brikama
from Banjul or Serekunda (D15).
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Makasutu Culture Forest & Ballabu Conservation Project
Like a snapshot of The Gambia, Makasutu Culture Forest bundles the country's array of
landscapes into a dazzling 1000-hectare package. The setting is stunning, comprising palm
groves, wetlands, mangroves and savannah plains, all inhabited by plenty of animals, in-
cluding baboons, monitor lizards and hundreds of bird species.
A day in the forest includes a mangrove tour by
pirogue;
guided walks through a range
of habitats, including a palm forest where you can watch palm sap being tapped; a visit to a
