Senegal and The Gambia

Great tour with plenty to keep the bird watchers happy. There are a couple of long days on the road broken up with some interesting stops on the way. You really get to see the real country and people on this tour. The tour blends a good mix of nature, culture and history. The Gambia river boat ride was wonderful. I have to say, our tour leader, Assan, was superb. Only one gripe. For vegans or vegetarians there are no real alternative options provided.

Excellent variety in this tour. Tour leader Assan was outstanding in every department. Additional so was Usman, our driver. Great itinerary and loved the fact there were loads of boat trips! Excellent tour especially for bird watchers and nature lovers

The accommodation can be quite basic on this tour so be prepared but the amazing bird life makes it worth it. Our guide Assan was very knowledgeable and keen to show off his country (Gambia). As well as being a great wildlife spotter, he also taught us a lot about the history and culture of the region.

This trip to Senegal and The Gambia is excellent. Travel is mainly by boat, allowing great views of birds living along the rivers and waterways. The holiday was fast paced but not too much, allowing a few long days in the tour bus to travel to far flung parts of the country. We went off-piste miles from where tourists usually go, seeing several interesting places every day. Food and accommodation was of reasonable to excellent quality especially given basic conditions in some of the lodges. The tour guide was very helpful, well-organised and interesting.

An interesting itinerary which took us far away from the more popular tourist areas on the coast. We travelled on boats along rivers and through mangroves, seeing an abundance of bird life. We also had a glimpse of the life and culture of the two countries. Assan, our guide was excellent and helped make the trip so enjoyable - very knowledgeable and very professional.

Keen birdwatchers will get most out of this trip, but there is plenty for everyone else too, with the old colonial towns and fascinating (if disturbing) history of slavery. The river trips were lovely and relaxing, and even non-birdwatchers couldn't fail to be amazed by the pelicans at Djoudj. Our guide Assan and driver Ousman were excellent. On the downside, the accommodation wasn't great, apart from the Keur Saloum and the better rooms at the Savana. Food was so-so, excellent on the boat trip. Be aware there may not be hot water or wifi even when the trip notes say there is. Be prepared for the cold (seriously!). Nights can be chilly, especially sleeping on the deck of the boat. The five hour boat trip through the Saloum Delta was cold, wet, windy and uncomfortable. Despite the negatives, all in all a good and varied trip to 'off the beaten track' parts of two countries.

Very interesting and excellent tour throughout. Fantastic tour leader Assan and driver Osman. Hotels and food were generally very good. The only issues were sleeping on the boat and the boat trip in Saloum. This was mostly because of the strong wind which made it very uncomfortable and cold for sleeping. on the boat trip I was soaked with sea water. If better prepared this could have been tolerable, however, it was probably bad luck it was so windy.

This trip is an excellent opportunity to explore a little known part of the world, beyond the popular beaches. It is particularly aimed at those who enjoy birdwatching as much of the time is spent on boat trips in wetlands, river systems and a delta, where a huge variety of species are to be seen, often in large numbers. However, there are also opportunities to enjoy French colonial architecture in Ile de Gorée and St Louis, an important mosque and ancient stone circles, all UNESCO World Heritage sites. The accommodation varies from small hotels to African rondavels and a night on a riverboat - all clean and comfortable but you are sometimes without electricity and also without wifi, except in the cities. So prepare to get away from the modern world for a while and experience a very different but colourful and friendly culture.

The tour was so disappointing the accommodation differed for group Members so differently allocated you pay extra and are penalized by being placed away from the group in substandard accommodation. Promised huts over the river but placed outback in a rundown hut. Single women placed away from the group to walk alone in the dark. We had very little local food and no contact with local groups I expected to be taken to local restaurants or have locals cook for us and also no local charities or support groups included. 6 large tourists in a wagon on a small horse carriage so sad one of the horses was bucking under the weight most tour groups have moved away from this cruelty

Well planned itinerary with a combination of culture and nature. Significant emphasis being on birds of senegambia. Lots of boat trips. Some long drives but despite a full group bus had space to comfortably accommodate us all. As with many explore trips, accommodation not high end and some hotels were quite dated, probably closing, however clean and comfortable. In the gambia the accommodation was much more simple and rustic. Electricity limited, no hot water and no wifi. This was however expected and was fine and easily tolerated. The best thing about this trip was our wonderful, humble tour leader Assan. Fun, friendly, knowledgeable, kind. Shared his own stories, and his equipment. He really cared for the group. The driver Serign was also great and good fun.

Our tour leader Assan and driver Serign were superb. The trip was an interesting mix of culture and nature across two countries. We covered around 3000km in total, and spotted well over 100 birds, many unique to the area.

Our trip to Senegal and The Gambia was very enjoyable. Our trip down the Gambia River was a high point: both relaxing and we saw many different birds, as well as crocodiles and hippo. Our guide, Assan, was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. His warmth and enthusiasm definitely contributed to the holiday.

I enjoyed the tour , the bird life was prolific other sightings included Hippos , Crocodiles and dolphins. I found the House of Slaves , on the island of Goree , fascinating . Trying the local food was interesting. The standard of hotels was pretty good , some better than others , I always had a decent bed , rooms clean & tidy , decent shower, hot water could be a bit erratic but you have to remember where you are. Breakfasts I thought were always good. We were blessed with probably the best tour guide I have ever had - Mr Assan Saine. He always ensured and went out of his way to make everyone's trip a positive experience. Assan is also a very good birdwatcher. the driver - Serin - also deserves a shout out, driving over 3000 km very skilfully and carefully. I changed about 200 Euros and still had money left over , meals in restaurants were reasonable . If you aren't a birdwatcher or have an interest in birdlife this tour might not be for you, as its very much focused on that. I thought the tour was well organised , transfers to and from the airport were excellent.