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THE GAMBIA

Petra Shepherd joined Travel Channel for its launch back in 1994. She looks after our research and works on all original productions. Petra’s one of the most recognisable faces in the travel industry and when she’s not on the canapé circuit promoting the channel, she spends every free moment travelling. She’s visited over 70 countries and prefers back packing to 5 * luxury, unless of course it’s in the name of research!

Tourist Board's have a habit of giving a name or tag line to a coastline or coastal area. I'm sure there are hundred's of "Sunshine Coasts". I've visited one, "The Sunshine Coast" in Queensland, Australia. "The Emerald Coast" on Florida's pan handle has also seen me pass through it, as has "The Jurassic Coast" in Dorset and East Devon. I was even brought up on "The Sunrise Coast", a name rather optimistically given to the English Heritage Coast around Walberswick and Southwold in Suffolk. But I've never come across a "Smiling Coast". Until now that is. "The Smiling Coast" is the name given to The Gambia, one of the smallest countries in Africa. It's situated in the west of the continent and is on approximately the same latitude as Barbados.

Books, movies, glamorous tales from friends and we hope of course programmes on The Travel Channel inspire you to visit different destinations and sample new experiences. It was one such programme, in fact one particular shot that made me want to visit The Gambia. The Travel Bug The Gambia (next transmission ???) has a powerful colourful shot of hundreds of people flooding out of a big waiting room-like shed, running to get the best seats on the ferry across The River Gambia. The shot seems to encompass all the things I love - the exotic, colour, markets, and a different culture. The fact that The Gambia is just a six hour flight from the UK with no time difference and therefore no jet lag, enhanced the appeal. It's also a great place for winter sun. Northern Europe after all, has had one of the coldest and dullest winter's on record. My hotel was coincidently full of Travel Channel viewers from Scandinavia who like me were aching for some sun and had been inspired to visit The Gambia from watching The Travel Bug.

The Gambia is a relatively small country, 200 miles long but only 30 miles wide, and completely enclosed by Senegal. Far and away, its most important geographic feature is the river of the same name, at the mouth of which you'll find the capital Banjul. Once called Bathurst, Banjul is one of the world's smallest capitals. It was to Banjul that I headed on my first day for The Independence Day celebrations. Tourists and locals alike, as well as every school child in The Gambia in neatly pressed uniforms or so it seemed, were out in force to view military parades and hear the president speak. It was a great introduction to the people of The Gambia and you soon begin to realise why it's called "The Smiling Coast". Like all official events, there was a lot of waiting around for things to happen but it was a perfect opportunity for people-watching. Especially fascinating were the women in their ever more exotic and colourful dresses and headdresses. I thought they were all in their "Sunday best" but visiting markets and villages later on in my trip, I realised that this was what they wear every day. They must think us Europeans very boring by comparison.

A lot of people choose to spend their holiday time in and around the hotel pool or lying on the beach and there's nothing wrong with that. The beaches are wide and sandy and although the water isn't a clear blue, there are plenty of Atlantic rollers to play in. The hotels stretch along Gambia's 40 mile seafront in or near the resort areas of Kotu, Kololi and Cape Point. They range from the luxurious like The Kairaba and Coconut Residence, to the lively. The Hotel Kombo Beach definitely falls into the latter category. It has 250 rooms and excellent amenities with a full time entertainment team on hand offering the familiar pool games. The pool's a good size, which regular readers will know is a prerequisite of mine when choosing a hotel. There are four restaurants and three bars including Gecko's, a snack bar and ice-cream parlour open throughout the day and evening. This could have been lethal had I not been eager to get out and about and explore.

A relatively new excursion in The Gambia is to 'Makasutu', meaning 'Sacred Forest', an exclusive eco-friendly hotel and holiday resort. It's won lots of awards and Gambians are justifiably very proud of it. There's an opportunity for an hour's guided walk through the dense forest, glimpsing the resident baboons, as well as a trip through the mangroves in a dug out canoe, all followed by a delicious lunch of food that's been locally caught, reared or grown. The Gambia is famous for its bird-watching. There's more birdlife per acre than in any other country and this more than makes up for the lack of big game. Within the confines of Makasutu alone you'll find 186 species to spot, although you'd probably struggle without the help of a pair of good binoculars. Even if like me you're not a fully-fledged anorak-wearing birdwatcher, you're still likely to find yourself gazing skyward. On the whole the best time to spot birds is early morning as they're most active during the cooler part of the day. It's therefore not surprising that another excursion, an early morning "Birds and Breakfast" trip, is extremely popular. It's a must for birdwatchers and non-birdwatchers alike who don't mind an early start. Here you'll get to experience the dawn chorus in a dug out canoe in the mangrove creeks of the River Gambia.

Outdoor markets flourish everywhere and for a snap-shot of real Gambian life, a visit to one is a definite must. Albert Market in the capital Banjul, open daily from 9 am to 6 pm, and the even larger market in Serekunda are an easy taxi ride away from the main resorts. At first glance they appear bustling, vibrant and very chaotic. However, there is order in the chaos with the market divided into separate areas devoted to fish, meat, exotic vegetables etc. The Gambian women dominate in the markets and again are colourfully dressed with their signature elaborate headdresses.

Travelling through the country, you'll notice West Africa's most distinctive tree, the baobab or 'upside down' tree. The trunk can reach as much as 9 metres in girth and from all angles giant ungainly branches protrude like roots. Local legend suggests that this tree was uprooted by the devil and plunged, upside down into the earth.

It's all very well taking photographs of trees but did I get to see the shot that inspired my visit? Yes. There it is below. The ferry between Banjul and Barra more than lived up to all my expectations. Arriving early, I was on the top deck, camera ready to capture the scene. Just mingling with the other passengers, cars, bicycles and livestock onboard was an experience in itself. There's little to attract you to Barra but it was my jumping off point. I took a taxi to Juffereh, a small village on the northern bank of the Gambia River about 25 km upstream from Barra. Afro-American writer Alex Haley describes in his best-seller ROOTS how his ancestor Kunte Kinte was captured in Juffereh and taken as a slave to America. The village has since become a popular excursion more usually done by boat. I of course wanted to do the ferry thing. The standard excursion takes you to the ancient trading station of Albreda. From there it's a 15 minute walk to Juffereh which houses the Museum of Slavery and the original home of Alex Haley's great, great grand-father. There's also an opportunity to visit the fortress ruins on James Island steeped in slave history.

In case you've ever wondered where the phrase 'mumbo jumbo' meaning nonsense was born (no, I hadn't either), well, it all started in The Gambia. Mungo Park, a Scottish explorer who at the turn of the 19th century tried to trace the source of the Niger river, so confused British audiences with his story of the "Rainbow Snake Talisman" that the phrase 'mumbo jumbo' was born. The Gambia however, unlike Mungo, makes perfect sense. Yes, it is tiny but size turns out to be an asset. It's one of the few African nations you can see in a short period of time. The Gambia is "Africa Light" and has the continent's lowest crime rate. In fact, some people I met who were Kenyan expats had decided to build a holiday home in The Gambia. They felt it was a much safer place to bring their young family. The locals are relaxed and friendly, sometimes perhaps too friendly. There were times when I could have done with less attention but all in all, I felt that in a short period of time I'd had the real "Africa Experience" and of course the shot I'd set out to capture had not disappointed.

Petra travelled to The Gambia with The Gambia Experience.

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To find out more about The Gambia visit

The Travel Bug The Gambia can next be viewed on The Travel Channel on the following dates and times:

10th May 2006 @ 18:30 in Europe (CET)

19th June 2006 @12:30 in the UK

If you've visited The Gambia, I'd like to HEAR FROM YOU

May 2006