Most people who visit The Gambia never get past the coastal resorts, which is a pity — the best of the country is upcountry. Janjanbureh, on a small island 300 km up the River Gambia, is the obvious base for it.
Why come here
The River Gambia National Park protects five river islands used by a chimpanzee rehabilitation project that's been running since 1979. More than 100 chimps live wild out there, and you can watch them from a boat at a respectful distance.
The river is one of West Africa's great birding stretches — over 500 species recorded — and you'll see hippos and crocodiles too.
Getting there
It's 5–6 hours by road from the coast. Plenty of people do it as a guided 2–3 day upcountry trip, breaking the journey at Tendaba camp.