Africa
A slender river country with birdlife, beaches and winter sunshine.
The Gambia follows the Gambia River inland from the Atlantic, and it's Africa's smallest mainland country. The coastal strip around Banjul, Serrekunda and Kololi has beaches and resorts, while upriver you'll find mangrove creeks, fishing villages and Kunta Kinteh Island, a UNESCO site linked to the slave trade. Birdwatchers flock to places such as Abuko and Makasutu for hundreds of species.
It's an easy, relaxed destination, often visited as a winter-sun escape from Europe. Expect domoda (peanut stew), benachin and fresh fish on the beach, plus a warm welcome in the markets. River trips and bush taxis set the pace upcountry. November to May is the dry season and the best time to go; the rains fall from about July to September.
January, February, March, November, December.