Destination Guides
Deep-dive guides to every destination we cover — written by people who've actually been there.
12 listings
The Gambia
Browse listings →Banjul: A Local's Guide to The Gambia's Tiny Capital
Faded colonial elegance on the Atlantic coast
Banjul is one of Africa's smallest capitals — a half-day is enough to see the highlights, from Albert Market to Arch 22.
Brufut: Quiet Beach, Coastal Forest and Boutique Hotels
Where the resort strip ends and the real Gambia begins — a forested headland and a long Atlantic beach south of Kololi
Brufut marks the southern edge of the main tourist strip. The beach is long, sunset-facing and quieter than anything north of here. Behind it rises Brufut Heights — a patch of dry forest that is one of the best birding spots on the coast and among the least-visited.
Janjanbureh & Upcountry Gambia
The river, the wildlife and rural Gambian life
Three hours up the River Gambia from the coast, Janjanbureh is the gateway to wildlife-rich upcountry — chimpanzees, hippos and over 500 bird species.
Kololi & The Smiling Coast: Where Most Visitors Stay
The Gambia's main resort strip
Kololi is where most of The Gambia's tourist infrastructure is concentrated — beaches, restaurants, nightlife and the bulk of the country's hotels.
Kotu: Gambia's Birdwatcher Beach
Atlantic beach, Kotu Stream, and the best birding in West Africa — all within walking distance
Kotu sits just south of Kololi and manages to feel quieter despite being ten minutes' walk from the tourist strip. The beach is wide and uncrowded, but the real draw is Kotu Stream — a narrow channel of water that attracts an extraordinary variety of birds at dawn.
Sanyang: Paradise Beach, The Gambia
The longest, emptiest stretch of Atlantic coast on the tourist route — plus Gambia's freshest grilled fish
Sanyang — almost always called Paradise Beach by locals and visitors alike — is what travellers picture when they imagine The Gambia before they arrive: a huge arc of white sand, Atlantic waves, palm trees, and almost no one else. The fishing fleet comes in mid-afternoon, turning the beach briefly into a working harbour.
Senegal
Browse listings →Cap Skirring
Casamance's finest beach — palm-fringed, turquoise, and unhurried
Cap Skirring anchors the southern tip of Senegal with what many consider the country's most beautiful beach: a 6 km arc of pale-gold sand, warm green water, and the lush Casamance forest pressing in from behind. Surfers, birdwatchers, and anyone seeking unspoilt West African coast have been quietly coming here for decades.
Dakar: West Africa's Coolest Capital
Music, art and Atlantic beaches
Dakar is one of Africa's great cities — a Cap-Vert peninsula crammed with music, food, art and the most cosmopolitan scene in West Africa.
Île de Gorée
The Door of No Return — Senegal's most haunting island
A 20-minute ferry from Dakar, Gorée is car-free, bougainvillea-draped, and sobering. Its 18th-century Maison des Esclaves and the infamous Door of No Return make it one of the most emotionally powerful sites in West Africa — and one of the most beautiful.
Saint-Louis: The Faded Colonial Jewel
UNESCO island city in northern Senegal
Saint-Louis was the first French settlement in West Africa and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site — three days here is well worth the journey.
Saly
Senegal's beach resort capital — sun, sea, and seafood on the Petite Côte
Saly sits 80 km south of Dakar on the Petite Côte, combining warm Atlantic beaches, a well-developed hotel strip, and easy day-trip access to the Sine-Saloum Delta and Île de Gorée. It is the most convenient beach base in Senegal — not unspoilt, but reliably comfortable and excellent value.
Sine-Saloum Delta: West Africa's Most Beautiful Landscape
UNESCO biosphere of mangroves, islands and birds
Where the Saloum and Sine rivers meet the Atlantic, a vast network of mangroves, sand bars and shell-mound islands forms a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.