16 August 2010 - The Travel Editor - Ron Toft
Holidaymakers fly to The Gambia in West Africa for a variety of reasons, not least to soak up the sunshine and experience the local culture. But to one group of Brits, birdwatchers, the main attraction is the country's feathered inhabitants. The Gambia, in fact, is a veritable mecca for birds, boasting more than 540 species.
Some birders, especially those travelling with their families, restrict their binocular and telescope-laden forays to the hours just after dawn or just before dusk. But for the really dedicated, who travel on their own or with fellow enthusiasts, it's birds, birds and more birds virtually all day, every day. It's amazing, for example, just how many species can be spotted from the comfort of a shady resort bar or sun lounger!
Some birders, especially the well travelled and more experienced, fly to The Gambia on their own and make their own way to the avian hotspots. For those, however, who don't like travelling on their own in a strange country, and don't really know where the birding hotspots are located, everything can be left in the capable hands of The Gambia Experience which organises several birding trips every year. One of those trips, in February, is led by none other than globetrotting TV naturalist and all-round nice guy Chris Packham.
Chris, whom I have known for about 20 years, often visits The Gambia and is, therefore, extremely knowledgeable about what birds can be seen and where they can be seen. The supplement for the three-day trip taking place from 4 to 7 February 2011 is £325. You could also book an additional three-night stay on a half-board basis at Mandina Lodges in Makasutu Forest for £495. A word of warning though: Chris' trips are very popular and your name may have to go on a waiting list. Other birding trips organised by The Gambia Experience make use of the services of local guide Malick Suso, whom Chris regards as one of the best bird guides in the whole of The Gambia.
What makes The Gambia so special in birding terms? "It's great for enthusiasts and for an introduction to West African bird life in general," writes Chris in The Gambia Experience's new holiday brochure.
"Maybe it's the place that all good birders go to when they lay down their binoculars and complete their life lists!"
He added: "Just last year (2009) my daughter and I spent a day aboard a luxurious catamaran at the mouth of the River Gambia. As a pod of eight dolphins splashed beneath the bows, a goliath heron was after the fish we'd caught and an osprey flew overhead. All this whilst sipping an ice-cold G&T. What's not to love?"
Indeed. I shall be returning to The Gambia in December 2010 and reporting on my birding and other experiences within the pages of It's A Wild World.
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