Travel guide to Banjul, Gambia from Nigeria

Many of our readers have requested our expertise on how to travel to The Gambia from Nigeria, hence this article.

Even though it is the capital city of The Gamiba, Banjul is not the largest city in the country; it remains one of the most popular.

About Banjul

Capital of The Gambia, Banjul is a rapidly developing city situated along the West African country’s coast. The city of Banjul is in a greater metropolitan area that’s home to some 357,000 people. The city is actually located on an island known both as St. Mary’s Island and Banjul Island


Banjul is The Gambia’s main urban area and the African nation’s economic and bureaucratic hub. The industries of peanut processing, palm oil and palm wood are all vital to the economy of Banjul and its environs

Travel visa

The best part is that you don’t need a visa to The Gambia from Nigeria. Infact, citizens of member countries of ECOWAS (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo) do not require a visa to gain entry into The Gambia.
So what then?….make sure you have an international passport which is still valid for at least 6 months, a paid hotel reservation and some amount of money to show you will be able to take care of yourself during your stay in the country. Once all these are taken care of, then you can buy your return ticket.

Travel ticket

Many international travelers reach the city of Banjul through its Yundum /Banjul International Airport. Each year, the airport serves increasing numbers of passengers visiting The Gambia.

Banjul International Airport

There are no direct flights from Nigeriaat the moment. Gambia Bird used to fly directly from Lagos but stopped few months ago during the Ebola crisis. They might still resume flights though but in the mean time, you will be connecting two other airports (Lome & Dakar) before getting to Banjul from Lagos on Asky Air and Senegal Airline.
On the average, a return ticket will cost you about N235, 000 or more.

Weather and Heath issues

There has never been Ebola in The Gambia and it has remained this way since the outbreak in West Africa first came to prominence in March 2014. The Gambia does not share land borders with any of the current Ebola-infected countries, Guinea, Sierra Leone or Liberia.
The Gambian government have, since the 21st August, suspended all flights into The Gambia from these countries – including restrictions on anyone that has visited any of the affected countries within 21 days of travel.
Uninterrupted sunshine and high daytime temperatures with almost no rainfall is experienced from November to June with only small fluctuations in temperature from winter to summer; however from July to October the humidity level is high as the tropical sun is interrupted by short but spectacular showers.
Note: Temperatures during the summer can reach 42°C.

What to expect

Although the coastline around the resort area of Kololi suffers from erosion due to strong Atlantic currents, the area still remains very popular with holidaymakers. There are wide sandy beaches at Kotu, Bijilo, Banjul and Cape Point.

The Gambia has no migrating wildebeest, giraffes or any of the large animals commonly associated with Africa. However without leaving your hotel you can see a breathtaking variety of bird life, in addition to monkeys, baboons and crocodiles can be seen nearby and then far up the river, hippos.

Currency

The Gambia’s currency is the dalasi, with N4.50k to 1 dalasis in February 2015 in exchange bureaus. As with all currencies, the dalasi rate to the Naira can fluctuate.
Currency can easily be obtained at the airport, most hotels, banks or bureaux de change and there are a few ATMs where cash can be obtained.
Although some restaurants and hotels in The Gambia accept credit cards, it is not wise to rely on them. Debit cards are still more restricted – you should always check with your bank that your card will be accepted and whether there is any surcharge.

Language

English is the official language and language of instruction in most schools (The Gambia is a former British Colony). However, various tribal languages are used by the Gambians to converse between themselves.

Getting around

Taxis are readily available outside your hotel. Taxis can be hired for a specific journey or for a half or full day, in both cases it is best to agree the price in advance; there should be a price board together with a taxi supervisor to help.
The taxi waiting time is charged at approximately N295.00 per hour, but often the first couple of waiting hours are free. Bush taxis are available which are often very crowded but offer a very economical way of travelling and a way of absorbing part of the local flavour.
You can use the comment box below for further questions of visiting The Gambia from Nigeria.