Transportation: Border Senegal-The Gambia

This is the border with Gambia south in Casamance after Velingara town. Here things run pretty smooth and people are quite relaxed about tourist due to the few number of them actually passing countries here.
If you come with car you will need carnet de passage en douane, unless you can make the head police understand the document is only for cars older then 4 years (which is not, but he doesn’t know the law), so you just saw you pay the duane for the car and you want to enter. Its nice to have some pencils and t-shirts which they will love if you say you will give them that after you have the douane for your car made of course.
Coming by foot, you have transportation in Velingara going to Georgetown, or you can just hitching which I think will be ok since I haven’t seen much dangerous things in the country…

Transportation: Gambia river

The Gambia River is one of the smallest major rivers in Africa, running just 1,130 km (700 miles) from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean at the capital city, Banjul. It is navigable for about half that length.

The river is known largely because of The Gambia, the smallest country in Africa, which consists of little more than half the river and its two banks.

You can do almost all the river on boats, just ask people to go inside the boat and donated a bit of money. also usuayly there are boats that carry people and some merchandise to the big town down the river.

Piroge trip to James Island - The Gambia

This is an amazing experience. you can take the boat by discussing the price in Albreda to the captain. You can get a cheaper guidance package including the albreda guide, the museum ticket and the boat to the james fort on the island and also the guide explaining the island history.

To go to James Island you have to get a boat in Albreda. Before Albreda you have Juffureh which is connected to Albreda. This is a small village that mainly subsists of the guidance to the james island museum and the guidance to the Island itself.

This will the the highlight of you visit. Altough the island is great to enjoy with the ruins and some canon, definately this will be the thing you'll like the most. You have to make a 20 minutes trip up stream the river Gambia with a couple of local people. Oon the way you can see some girafes and lions. hehehe, i'm kidding its a joke, you dont have them here in gambia. you can just enjoy the amazing view of the river. I actually touched the water, but i dont really advise you to put you hand in the mouth after, even with all the vaccines taken.
 

Fort James Island - The Gambia

The Island
Fort James is located on a mid-river Island called James Island of course. So this island is pretty much worth it not for the ruins of the anciant fort itself because is a bit ruined, but the big trees along with the protection canons, the pelicans and the amazing pirogue ride will make this trip unforgettable to you.
this Fort was constructed back in 1651 by order of the Duke of Courtland (now Latvia and Lithuania).

Albreda/Juffureh villages
This is the villages where you have to get in order to take the boat to the Island where Fort James is located.
In Juffureh you can see Kinte’s compound and his birthplace (Knta Kinte). YES YES some people say its the birthplace of the fiction! Some people wonder why the whole story came from a family from here?!

To go to James Island you have to get a boat in Albreda. Before Albreda you have Juffureh which is connected to Albreda. This is a small village that mainly subsists of the guidance to the james island museum and the guidance to the Island itself.
Before when the Root industry was at its peak and thousands of African Americans made the pigrimage to see the village they believed Alex Haley had been describing in his book.
Also near by you can go to the place where Kunta Kinte was born.

Near the port where you take the boat to the Island where the Fort James is located, you have this beach full of fishing boats that leave in the morning and come back in the afternoon.

Pirogue trip to the fort
This will the the highlight of you visit. Altough the island is great to enjoy with the ruins and some canon, definately this will be the thing you’ll like the most. You have to make a 20 minutes trip up stream the river Gambia with a couple of local people. Oon the way you can see some girafes and lions. hehehe, i’m kidding its a joke, you dont have them here in gambia. you can just enjoy the amazing view of the river. I actually touched the water, but i dont really advise you to put you hand in the mouth after, even with all the vaccines taken.

Fort James

This fort was originaly constructed in 1651 by agents of the Duke of Courland, the Fort itself suffered several sackings, desertations and rebiuldings until its actuall state of ruins. It is a very pleasant visit.
This James Island and its related site belong to UNESCO World Heritage programe since 2003.

The Fort was constructed in 1651 and re sized in 1661 by Britain when the Royal Adventurers Of England Trading Into Africa bundled out of the Baltic occupants and set themselves up under the Royal Patent of Charles II, buying gold, ivory, peppers, hides and slaves to the American Colonies.

Arriving to the island

The arrival to the island is a pretty amazing adventure. After the 20 minute pirogue ride on the gambia river you actually arrive on this mid-river island with pelicans, canons and a ruined fort. The huge trees existing on the island gives it a special touch to the all great scene.

Fort James suffered various sackings and destructions due to its strategic place in mid-river right on the entrance of the country going up stream.
A god defense system was necessary. You have not more than 10 canons on the island.

Pelican **** on trees

Its incredible how did the pelicans changed the colour of the trees just by ***ing on them. Pelicans sleep on these big trees so when they poo it just fells on the floor and on the trees. Dont worry cos when you arrive to the island they fly away until you return to Albreda. Can you imagine if elephants were able to fly?

Meet the Captain of the boat

Try to talk with the boat’s captain. I’ve notice that men here in Gambia try to maintin a tuff atitute but that can be changed if you give them a bit confidence and smiles. After a while they talk a lot to you and you get to know a bit more of their culture by talking to people right?

Slave market

Gambia was the first Imperial slave exploit in Africa. James Island has caves and prisions where slaves were put to send them to the American colonies.

The Gambia River

The Gambia River is one of the smallest major rivers in Africa, running just 1,130 km (700 miles) from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean at the capital city, Banjul. It is navigable for about half that length.

The river is known largely because of The Gambia, the smallest country in Africa, which consists of little more than half the river and its two banks.