the beautiful Republic of Gambia
Specialised Birdwatching &
Photography.
Gambian Excursions is a registered company in The Gambia, under the Gambian Tourist Board. It is registered as Gassama’s Tour Guide.
We specialise in Birdwatching and Photography.
We also do other cultural and wildlife tours in The Gambia and Senegal.
We work with Get your Guide, Viator, and Tripspoint. But you will get our best prices directly through our contact details here on the website.
Birdwatching & Photography Tours
Suwaibou, also known as Pablo. Has been Birdwatching for over 15yrs. He trained as a ranger at the Farasutu Forest in Gambia. He is a authorised birdwatcher with the Gambian Birdwatchers Association. You can contact him about any aspect of Birding in The Gambia. If you are looking for a particular species if it’s in Gambia he will be able to help you find it.
Half Day Tours
On this short trip, we will go to Brufut Forest and Tanji bird reserve. This is a short trip for beginners and those with only a short amount of time while in the Gambia and would like to spot some of the many bird species that we have.
Cost of this trip is £70 if only 1 person.
For 2 or more people, it is £55 each.
Full Day Birdwatching
On this trip we will go for a whole day to Mandina wet lands, Farasutu Forest and the Bonto Forest. We will see water birds and forest birds such as African wood Owl, Violet Turaco, Western blue bill, African Goshawk, Western Blue bill, Spotted lesser honey guide, and many more. The cost of this trip is £90 for 1 person and £75 each for more than 1.
About Pablo
My name is Suwaibou Gassama but you can call me Pablo I am an official Birdwatching guide. I trained with the Gambian Birdwatchers association. I trained in the Farasutu Forest where I was a ranger for 5 years.
I am able to speak several different languages and speak very good English and some Dutch.
2 Night 3 Day Birdwatching
This trip includes all transportation breakfast and evening meal. It includes the overnight stay at Georgetown and Tendaba and 2 boat trips.
Day 1 takes us inland to Georgetown here we will do Birdwatching and go on a boat trip on the river Gambia to spot water birds. We will stay overnight in Georgetown in a Guesthouse next to the river.
On day 2 we will drive to Tendaba, where we will walk around the area to spot birds . We will go on a boat trip to see the birds in that area.
On day 3, we will make our way back to the main tourism area on the way we will make stops to watch birds or take photographs.
The cost of this trip is £350 for 1 person and £ 300 each for more than 1 person.
3 Day Tour Along The East Coast
Itinerary Day 1
This morning, after an early pick up from your hotel, we’ll head to Farasutu Forest and reserve where we’ll begin the day around the farmlands, scrub and forest margins, we’ll look for four banded sandgrous, Rufous crowned Roller, Greyish eagle owl, Both long tailed and standard winged Nightjar, we’ll go inside the forest in search of several species including African wood owl, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Violet Turaco, African Goshawk, and Little Greenbull, as the day warms up we’ll stay by the pool. Where we may see the western bluebill, Spotted and Lesser Honey Guides, Green headed sunbird and many more. We’ll enjoy lunch at the Sitajoyeh island Lodge and later explore the creek and mudflat for yellow billed stork, Goliath Heron and Pink Backed Pelican before heading to Bonto forest, where we may spot several savannah and forest species such as the very elusive White Spotted Fluff Tail, Verreaux’s eagle owl yellow breasted Apalis, Green turaco African golden oriole, Western bluebill and many more.
Day 2 An early start will see us head to marakisa woodland where we’ll explore the scrub, woodland Rice fields and River Allahein in search of African pied hornbill, Giant kingfisher, White crested helmet Shirke, African scops owl, White breasted cuckoo shirke Red shoulder cuckoo shirke, and black crake, after having our lunch we’ll visit the Dasillami wetland and look for waders such as marsh sandpiper, common greenshank, Redshank and Gull bill tern, African harrier hawk, Shikra and Dark chanting goshawk are also regularly seen.
Day 3 Today, we’ll be birding at the famous Abuko nature reserve and Lamin rice fields. The day will start at the Abuko nature reserve where we’ll enjoy a full morning seeking out for both forest savannah and wetland species and our long day list may include, Snowy crowned Robin chat, Grey backed camaropter, Grey headed Bristle Bill, Western Bluebill, Violet and Green Creasted Turaco, Palm Nut Vulture, Fanti Saw wing swallow Pigmy kingfisher and many more. After lunch at lamin Lodge we’ll visit the lamin rice fields, and search for long tailed cormorant, Black crake, Common Redstart Greater painted snipe, White Crowned Robin Chat, Grey woodpecker and Western Grey planting Eater: It’s sure to be an exciting three days birding.
Price for 1 person £350
More than 1 person £250 each.
inclusions Transport, guide, park fees, lunch and bottle of water.
10 DAY ALL INCLUSIVE TOUR.
This tour starts by being picked up at the airport and returned there after the 10 days. Everything is included except the cost of the flight. This tour will cover all the best birding areas in Gambia. We should see many of the 600 species that we have here.
Day 1
Pick up from the airport and take you to your first Guesthouse/Hotel. We will have a short introduction to the tour.
DAY 2 we will start early and walk around the local area and drive to Kotu bridge where we will spot birds such as Great White Egret, Western Reef Heron, and many migrant waders. We may also see the four species of kingfishers that are in this area. We will go for a walk around the rice fields. We will stop for lunch, then drive to Tanji Bird Reserve, where we will see many seabirds. We will go back to your Guesthouse/Hotel to relax.
Day 3 we will spend the day at Kartong wet lands. Here we will look for the Purple Swomphen, Comb Duck, White faced Whistling Duck, Kingfishers, Osprey, and many more.
Day 4 we will travel to the upcountry birding on route. We will stop at the Farasutu Forest and Prang Shrimp Farm. Where we will see many birds and hopefully Levaelants Cuckoo, Quail Finch, Pink Backed Pelicans, European Spoonbill, Northern Red Bishops, and Black Terns. We will stay the night at Abcas Creek.
Day 5 we will continue on to Kampont Rice Fields where we may see Bateleur Eagles, African Hawk Eagle Long Crested Eagle. We will head for Tendaba lodge, where there will be many more birding opportunities.
Day 6 we will head to the Yelli Tenda ferry crossing and go over onto the North bank of the river Gambia. Here there are the peanut farms. Birds we can spot here are Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, White bellied, Black bellied and Savile Bustards. We will make our way to Georgetown where we will spend the night in a guesthouse.
Day 7 we will go to Kunkilling Forest where we will look for the Little Green Bee Eater,Green Hylia, White Backed Vulture, Spotted Thick Knee,Klaas Cuckoo. We will head to Bansang Quarry where we can see the red throated Bee Eaters. We will go back to our base in Georgetown for lunch. Later we will take a boat trip along the river to see African Fin Foot, Shining blue Kingfisher, African Fish Eagle and Hadada Ibis.
DAY 8 after Breakfast we will visit the north bank to see another Red Throated Bee Eater Colony. This will be our best chance to see the Northern Carmine Bee Eater. We will make our way back to the south bank making several stops on the way. Fulla Bantang, Jahally rice fields, Dalaba Lake, where we can spot many water birds. We will carry on back to Tendaba and stay the night.
DAY 9 an early morning boat trip to see species such as Fairy Blue Flycatcher, White Backed Heron, Pels Fishing Owl, Goliath Heron , Wolley Neck Stork and more. We will move to Bateling Bush Track and look for White Shouldered Black Chat, Brown Backed Woodpecker, Scarlet Sunbird, Striped Kingfisher amongst so many species .We will make our way back to the coastal area for our last night and stay in guesthouse/hotel.
DAY 10 our Last day of Birding. We will go to the Abuko Nature Reserve for a few hours where we will look for Fanti Saw Wing, Little Swift , Broad Billed Roller and many more. We will stop for lunch and then later make our way back to the airport for your flight home.
You will see many many birds on this tour. It is best to contact me about this tour so i can make it fit your needs and the types of birds you are looking for. Or if your purpose is Photography i need to find out what you would like to take pictures of specifically.
It is not possible to give a price as costs change at different times of the season, but please contact me if this is what you are interested in.
SALOUM DELTA NATIONAL PARK AND SURROUNDING AREA BIRDING OR PHOTOGRAPHING TOUR.
This is also a tour that can be arranged. If you are interested please contact me to discuss where you would like to go and for how long .
CULTURAL AND WILDLIFE TOURS
For all our tours, we will pick you up and drop you back to your hotel/guesthouse in the main tourist areas of The Gambia.
Wildlife Safari at Fathala just across the border in Senegal.
On this tour, you will be picked up and will travel to Banjul, where we will catch the ferry across the River Gambia to Barra. In Barra we will get in a jeep which will take us to the wildlife park. We will cross the border into Senegal, so you will need your passport (some nationality passports may need a visa). From the border, it is a short trip to Fathala Wildlife Park. We will pick up a guide at the park who will have the knowledge of where to find the animals. Animals in the park are Zebra, Giraffe, Rhinoceros, Antelope, and Water Buffalo. After the safari around the park, which can take up to 2 hrs. We will make our way back to Barra and the ferry. You will see lots of rural Gambia and Senegal driving through different villages.
Our price for this trip is £160 per person.
Half day City Tour
This tour is to visit the Capital Banjul. We will first visit Arch 22 and museum. We will visit a Market either Albert or Serrukunda Market. We will go to Crocodile Park where you can get very close to the crocodiles. There is also some history and information about the culture and history of The Gambia. We go from there to Monkey Park where you can see Vervet and Colobus monkeys. You can buy food and feed the monkeys on a walk around the forest.
The cost of this tour is £65
7 in 1 tour
This tour takes in 7 attractions in 1 day. This is a full on 1 day tour.
You will visit, Monkey Park, Serrukunda Market, Lamin lodge where you go on a boat trip on the river Gambia, you see the mangroves and other nature and wildlife. There are large trees that resemble elephants.
We will visit Brikama craft /wood market, Tanji fishing village, Paradise beach .
The cost of this tour is £85
Roots / James Island.
This is a tour to James Island / Kunte Kinte island.
This is a tour to the Island where Africans were held before being put on a ship to the Americas where they were to be slaves. We will go to Banjul and get the ferry to Barra. From here we will get a car to the village where we will get on a boat to the Island. A guide will take us around the Island to show and share the history of the Island. We will take the car back to Barra and get the ferry back to Banjul.
The cost of this tour is £85
River Gambia National Park, Stone Circles at Wassu, Hippos & Chimpanzees,
This is an overnight trip to the up country. We will go by car to Waasu Stone circles. It takes about 4 hours to travel there. We then go on a boat trip to see Hippos. It is not always possible to see them. We will then see the Chimpanzees from the boat on the Island. After our boat trip we will go to Georgetown where we will stay overnight in a guesthouse by the river. We can visit the Freedom Tree and learn about the history of Georgetown.
We will make our way back to your hotel/ guesthouse.
Cost of this trip is £260 for 1 person
£220 for more than i person.
Lazyday boat trip
This is a relaxing few hours on the river, We will have lunch, There is an opportunity to sun bathe, spot wildlife or do some fishing.
The cost of this trip is £85
Birdwatching & Photography Tours Throughout Gambia
Experience the thrill of birdwatching in Gambia, home to over 600 species of vibrant and rare birds. Discover diverse habitats and enjoy wildlife adventures.
Why Gambia is the perfect place for bird watchers. Despite the increase in human population growth over the pastfew decades and the widespread habitat degradation and loss of biodiversity typical of so many African countries,Senegal and Gambia still hold a remarkable and diverse avifauna which attracts large numbers of birds.
The two countries Sengal and Gambia are often collectively known as Senegambia and they have a combined bird list of over six hundred species. This compromises of birds from Afrotropical residents, migrants and species of Palearctic origin. Over 30 of these bird species are of global conservation concern which ranges from critically endangered to threatened.
Lying immediately south of the Sahara, Senegal and Gambia is particularly important as a stop over and wintering place for migrant birds after their crossing of the desert. The many coastal and inland wetlands attract large numbers of Palearctic and inter African water birds whilst the dry and seemingly poor but actually complex Sahel ecosystem provides food and shelter for a multitude of Palearctic passerine birds throughout the northern winter months coinciding with the regions dry seasons off shore. Seabird passage can be very impressive throughout Gambia.
Places where you can go Birdwatching in Gambia
Farasutu Forest
This is a community forest sited at the eastern part of The Gambia and is 35km away from the hotel area. This is a gallery forest and behind the forest are mangroves with fresh water pools and farm
lands outside the forest. In Farasutu Forest species expected to be seen are: African wood Owl, Greyish eagle owl, Sported Honey guide, Lesser Honey guide, White backed night heron, long tailed nightjar, Standard winged nightjar and many more.
Brufurt Woods
Protected by WASBA with the collaboration of the Brufurt community. This place is a favourite with birdwatchers. It is a quiet and open area of woodland it is easy to observe birds. Expected species to be seen are: Green Turaco, Splendid sunbird, Yellow White eye, White Faced Scops Owl, Long Tailed nightjar, Verreaux Eagle Owl, and many more for bird watching in Gambia.
Kotu Bridge and Surrounding Cycle track
This is another birding site which is located in Kotu . It has lots of beautiful birds along its length and has provided many birdwatchers with new species for their life list of species. Expected species to be seen are: Beautiful Sunbird, Pearl Spotted Owlet, Greater Painted Stripe, Sacred Ibis, Common Sandpiper, Black Winged Stilt and many more.
Fajara Golf Course
This is a very good birding spot. There is a range of habitats from open area to central scrubs and a few patches of woodland. The course lies alongside the Kotu stream which passes beneath the road at Kotu Bridge before it empties into the sea. Kotu Streams is one of the first places where bird watchers normally visit in The Gambia. The birds expected to be seen here are: Doubled Spurred Falcon, Black Headed Plover, Fork Tailed Drongo, Violet Turaco and many more bird watching in Gambia..
Kotu Pond
Kotu Pond is an open sewage pit an unlikely place to see birds but the surrounding open woodland can be reached along a sandy track and the birds that can be seen at the ponds are amazing. You can view the birds at close distance. The species that can be seen here are: Giant King Fisher, Blue Breasted Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Yellow wagtail, Black Egret, Western Reef Heron, Blue Belled Roller. Pearl Sported Owlet, African Spoonbill, Black Crake, African Jacana and many more.
Lamin Lodge
This is a place that you can stay and get a close view of the birds. You can take a boat ride to explore the mangroves that make up the Tambi Wetlands. Here there is also an Oyster factory. Some of the species of birds you can see here are: Osprey Eagle, Caspian Tern, Grey Headed Gull, Pink Backed Pelican and many more bird watching in Gambia..
Makasutu Culture Forest
This Forest is a 1000 hectare reserve and one of the finest eco-tourism areas in The Gambia. It lies near the town of Birkama. It is to be found on the banks of the tranquil Mandina Bolong. Bolong is the Mandinka name for river. The whole area contains different ecosystems and habitats so it is home to many species of birds and butterflies as well as monkeys, Baboons, Monitor Lizards and Nile Crocodiles. The word Makasutu means Holy Forest.
Birdwatching in Gambia offers a truly unparalleled experience for nature lovers and bird enthusiasts alike. With its incredible diversity of over 500 bird species, picturesque landscapes, and welcoming culture, Gambia is a destination that captivates the heart of every visitor. Whether you’re an expert birder or a curious traveler, the country’s vibrant ecosystems and expertly guided tours provide endless opportunities for discovery and connection with nature. As a haven for avian life, Gambia promises unforgettable moments, making it a must-visit for anyone seeking a unique and enriching wildlife adventure.
