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By RiverBy far the best way of travelling up-country is by boat. This not only avoids the making extensive use of river transport onboard our 2 pirogues - the Safari Queen and Lady Hippo.
Car HireDon't make the mistake of looking at a map and thinking "it's only 300km... should take about 4 hours" as Gambian roads are known to have the odd pothole. Driving all the way up-country will usually take you about 6 hours and can take longer... 
Since Bird Safari Camp was built in 1998, the roads have deteriorated considerably. Indeed, one of the main ground tour operators who used to run a 2 days/1 night minibus excursion to the camp from the coastal hotels no longer does so, simply because of the road conditions... Bush TaxiNot for the faint hearted! Bush taxis are basically shared taxis for people with a similar destination and only leave when all seats are taken. They're OK you're young, adventurous and are visiting The Gambia on a shoestring. You must be prepared to travel along with a few chickens and maybe a live goat strapped on to the roof rack! The best place to catch a south bank bush taxi to Georgetown from the coast is from Bureng (opposite the police station) - 7 am is a good time, although you never quite know whether one will turn up at all. Some bush taxis run all the way to Basse, though most only go as far as Soma where you will be directed to another vehicle for the second leg of your journey. Given the poor road conditions on the south bank (and subsequent decline in the number of vehicles operating this stretch), most locals now prefer to cross over to the north bank on the ferry and try their luck from Barra. If you do this, the chances are you will have to change vehicle several times at Farrafenni, Kau-ur and Wasu. The good news is that it will cost you between D100-150 (approx £2-3!). Unlike some other African countries, each passenger is guaranteed a seat though bear in mind that "a seat" might not be quite what you expect given that most bush taxi owners will have stripped out the original seats in order to fit in an extra row. Getting a flat tyre seems to be the norm rather than the exception with so it's advisable to check that the vehicle has a spare tyre and that the roof rack is not severely overladen. When you arrive at the ferry crossing point at Sankulay Kunda or Lamin Loto (click here to see a map), cross over to MacCarthy island and take a taxi for the short trip across the island to Bird Safari Camp (approx. 15 min). This should cost no more than 150 Dalasi. If you ring us in advance on 5676108 and speak to our receptionist, he/she can meet you when the bus comes in and arrange your transport to the camp. This is especially useful should you expect to arrive after 7pm as many taxi drivers have finished work by then. Good luck! Public BusThe roads have had the better of these - unfortunately there is no longer any public bus service to speak of... |
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