Tour Highlights
Duration: 15 days / 14 nights
Tour Type: Fully private, tailored to your own pace
Board Basis: Full board
Guidance: Personally guided by Fatou Colley
Price: From €1,300 per person (based on 2 people sharing)
Solo Traveller: €1,650
Single Room Supplement: €120
(Flights not included)
Gambia: 15-Day Bird Photography Tour – Alternative Lodges & Habitats
This 15-day bird photography tour in The Gambia follows an alternative lodge sequence, offering a different rhythm and fresh perspectives across varied habitats.
If you prefer the original and most balanced itinerary, discover the 15-Day Bird Photography Tour in Gambia – Classic Route, which represents the standard program design.
You can also explore my full range of Birding Tours in Gambia And Senegal, all designed for small private groups seeking variety, flexibility, and personal guidance.
This alternative version is ideal for returning travellers or photographers who want to experience different locations while maintaining excellent photographic opportunities and relaxed pacing.
Day 8: Wetlands and Kakuba Garden Hotel.
Today we travel to Kakuba Garden Hotel, making stops at vast wetlands and rice fields along the way. In the afternoon you will explore the area around the hotel and the Wetlands.
Day 9: Kakuba Garden Hotel and Western Wetlands and rice fields.
Today we take the car and visit Wetlands in the Western direction again and rice fields for various species of birds.
Day 10: Back to Tendaba Camp.
Today we travel to the south bank of the Gambia River, with Road birding along the way, and stay again at Tendaba Camp. In the afternoon you will explore one of the bird hides.
Day 11: Marakissa and Bird hide in Killy.
Travel to Marakissa and visit the bird hide in Killy, an excellent location for bird photography. In the afternoon we explore the area around the camp.
Day 12: Kartong and the Wetlands
Travel to Kartong with a stay at Stala Lodge, a location close to the border with Senegal. In the evening we will take a trip to the wetlands.
Day 13: Kartong Observatory and Halahin River
In the morning we will visit the Kartong Bird Watching Observatory. In the afternoon we will enjoy a scenic boat trip on the Halahin River, an idyllic spot for bird photography.
Day 14: Gunjur, Tanji Fish Market and Tanema Creek Lodge
In the morning we will visit the bustling Tanji Fish Market and then travel to Tanema Creek Lodge. In the afternoon you will take a trip in the area surrounding the lodge.
Day 15: Kotu Bridge and Lamin Rice Fields
Depending on flight times you will visit the iconic Kotu Bridge, a famous bird watching location. If time permits, according to your flight schedule, you will make a final trip to the Lamin Rice Fields.
Day 1: Arrival and Exploration of Tanbi Wetlands.
Your birding tour begins upon arrival at Banjul Airport. You will travel to the charming Mandinari River Lodge, set in beautiful surroundings. There we will explore the Tanbi Wetlands and the lush garden of the lodge, where you can spot and photograph colorful birds in a serene, natural oasis, or if you prefer you can immediately visit the specially designed bird photography hide.
Day 2: Walk and Bird of Prey Spotting.
The morning starts with a walk through the mangroves, rice fields and wetlands of Mandinari, a perfect place for bird lovers. In the afternoon we will visit a hotspot rich in birds of prey, where you will have unique opportunities to take impressive photos of these majestic birds. Or do you wish to stay in the photo hide and skip a walk? The choice is yours.
Day 3: Travel to Tendaba Camp and Bird Hides.
After a delicious breakfast we leave for the interior to Tendaba Camp, 142 km away. Along the way we stop at various bird-rich hotspots, including the famous Farasutu forest. After arriving in Tendaba we visit one of the bird hides in the area.
Day 4: Boat trip and Kwinella Bushtrack.
We start the day with a beautiful boat trip through the mangroves along the Gambia River. This trip offers fantastic opportunities to observe and photograph water birds in their natural habitat. In the afternoon we explore the Kwinella bushtrack, where we enjoy the varied landscape and the local bird species.
Day 5: Kauren River Camp and surroundings.
Today we leave Tendaba Camp and travel to an idyllic Lodge Kauren River Camp, this Lodge is located on a hill with a beautiful view of the Gambia River, during the ride we do Road birding. In the evening we take a walk in the area.
Day 6: Kauren River Camp and hotspots.
After breakfast we leave by car to the hotspots to photograph special species that you can only see here in the area, in the afternoon we take a walk in the area again.
Day 7: From Kauren to Kuntaur,
In the morning we visit a colony of red-throated bee-eaters, a highlight for bird photographers. After lunch we take a beautiful boat trip to the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project, where you can also photograph hippos.
Itinerary for this tour.
During this 15-day tour, we visit a diverse range of regions across The Gambia, each with its own unique character and abundance of birdlife. From mangroves and wetlands to savannas and rice paddies: every location offers different species and distinct photographic challenges.
Thanks to the well-considered route and flexible daily schedule, there is ample time to observe and photograph sightings at a relaxed pace. This approach ensures a balanced combination of discovery, photography, and relaxation.