Arrive in The Gambia via Banjul International Airport. From there it’s a quick 12 km transfer to Belgambia Lodge, nestled in the heart of the Tanbi Wetlands. Settle in, relax—and start birding immediately: you’ll often spot your first raptors on the drive, with Hooded Vultures circling low and Yellow-billed Kites gliding over the mangroves. Your birding and photography adventure begins the moment you land.

After breakfast, head into the Tanbi Wetlands and the Mandinari rice fields for unhurried birding and photography. Rotate between open viewpoints and the SGB photo hide for intimate, eye-level shots as herons, bee-eaters, and waders drift in and out. Back at the lodge, the action often comes to you: scan the garden for Blue-breasted Kingfisher, African Pygmy Kingfisher, and showy rollers flashing past the palms. As the light softens toward evening, unwind with a cool drink and review the day’s images before overnighting at Belgambia Lodge.

Explore the Kotu Bridge and Fajara Nature Trail at first light, when the mangroves wake and the channels bustle with activity. Watch for the Black Heron hunting under its famous “umbrella,” ibises patrolling the shallows, and darting kingfishers along the banks. Glide afterwards on a quiet boat ride up Kotu Creek for close, low-angle views and reflections. After a tasty local lunch, continue through the Kotu rice fields—prime ground for waders and the sun-bright flash of a Golden Oriole in the palms. Return to Belgambia Lodge to unwind and overnight.

Travel ~150 km inland to Tendaba in Kiang West, breaking the journey with birding stops around Bulok (wetlands) and nearby woodlands, then on to Kwinella and Bately for classic savanna birding. Watch for Abyssinian Ground Hornbills striding between termite mounds, swift coursers on the flats, vibrant rollers rocketing from perches, and chattering helmetshrikes in thorn thickets. Dinner and overnight at Tendaba Camp.

At first light, board a pirogue and slip into the mangrove channels of Kiang West National Park—prime territory for shy specials. Watch the shaded roots for White-backed Night Heron, hope for a stealthy African Finfoot hugging the banks, and track the sprightly African Blue Flycatcher in the riverside scrub. Out on broader water, scan for pelicans cruising low and stately storks circling on thermals above the marsh. Later, step quietly into the forest bird hide for close, unhurried views before returning for dinner and an overnight at Tendaba Camp.

Take a day trip to Alla Kunda, a mosaic of open savannah and village fields that’s perfect for raptors and grassland specialists. Work the tracks for Abyssinian Ground Hornbill and scan the horizons for bustards stepping through the scrub. Overhead, watch for vultures (often Rüppell’s and White-backed), soaring snake-eagles, and the unmistakable Bateleur rocking across the sky. Perch lines and termite mounds are great for Rufous-crowned (Purple) Roller—a real crowd-pleaser. After a varied day’s birding, unwind and overnight at Bintang Bolong river lodge.

Esplorate Alla Kunda e le risaie circostanti alle prime luci dell'alba, seguendo le tracce di buceri terrestri, corridori e rapaci mattinieri. In seguito, guidate per circa 60 km fino a Marakissa e sistematevi al Belgambia Lodge Marakissa. Trascorrete il resto della giornata esplorando i suoi terreni ricchi di fauna selvatica e i punti panoramici ideali per scattare foto: osservate i martin pescatori (Gigante, Pettablu, Malachite) lungo l'acqua, i rulli e i gruccioni sui posatoi e i cuculi del Senegal tra i cespugli. Al calar della sera, la luce è perfetta per ritratti ravvicinati; ascoltate il verso della civetta macchiata di perle al crepuscolo prima di concludere il vostro servizio fotografico.

Scoprite le zone umide di Marakissa e Darsilameh: un mosaico di risaie, stagni e foreste a galleria, un vero paradiso per gli amanti del birdwatching e della fotografia. Esplorate gli argini alla ricerca di aironi, trampolieri, gruccioni e numerose specie di martin pescatori, per poi concedervi una rilassante gita in barca sul fiume Halahin, da cui ammirare panorami mozzafiato e acque calme e cristalline.

Spesso si possono osservare qui: il martin pescatore azzurro brillante, simile a un gioiello, e gli appariscenti turachi verdi e turachi viola che planano tra le chiome degli alberi. Con la luce soffusa e gli incontri ravvicinati durante tutto il giorno, è un luogo ideale per riempire la scheda di memoria e la lista delle specie avvistate per la prima volta.

Attraversate il confine a Jiboro ed entrate nella Casamance senegalese, dirigendovi verso Ziguinchor, la tranquilla capitale fluviale della regione. Lungo il percorso, attraverserete villaggi tradizionali, savana aperta e foreste a galleria, habitat ideale per rulli, gruccioni, buceri, ibis e rapaci. A Ziguinchor, rallentate il ritmo: esplorate i tranquilli corsi d'acqua e i margini delle mangrovie lungo il fiume Casamance, osservate da vicino martin pescatori e jacana e godetevi il tramonto sull'acqua prima di ritirarvi per la notte.

Visita Bignona, un vivace centro della Casamance, e immergiti in un tranquillo mosaico di savana, risaie e foresta a galleria, lontano dalla folla. Percorri i sentieri sabbiosi alle prime luci dell'alba alla ricerca di rulli, gruccioni, buceri e corridori; soffermati vicino a risaie e ruscelli per osservare martin pescatori, jacana e aironi; poi scruta i margini degli alberi alla ricerca di nettarinie, tessitori e rapaci di passaggio mentre il calore aumenta. Con la morbida luce del pomeriggio, potrai vivere incontri ravvicinati e rilassati, con numerose opportunità fotografiche. Concludi la giornata con cena e pernottamento all'Hotel Ballaste.

Osservazione degli uccelli nel cuore pulsante della Casamance, per poi immergersi in un mondo più tranquillo fatto di zone umide e infinite risaie: un paesaggio verde e ricco di uccelli, lontano dalla folla. Alle prime luci dell'alba esploreremo argini, risaie allagate e pozze orlate di canne, dove jacana, aironi, garzette e cicogne si nutrono a distanza ravvicinata, mentre martin pescatori e gruccioni sfrecciano sui canali. Ci fermeremo presso tranquille insenature e rive di ruscelli per scattare foto intime e suggestive, per poi tenere d'occhio i margini degli alberi circostanti alla ricerca di tessitori, nettarinie e rapaci in volo man mano che la giornata si riscalda. Cena e pernottamento al Lodge Baobas.

Kafountine is a haven of vast wetlands, quiet mangroves, and bird-rich beaches—perfect for unhurried birding and photography. Work the tide line for shorebirds, track herons along the creeks, and frame elegant terns and cruising pelicans against the surf. With soft morning light and glowing sunsets over the Atlantic, you’ll have endless low-angle, clean-background shots in a peaceful, nature-filled setting. Add a boat trip on the Casamance River out to Pelican Island, scanning the mangrove edges for intimate views, reflections, and big congregations of waterbirds. Overnight in Lodge Baobas.

After about an hour’s drive you reach the border and cross back into The Gambia—always a little adventure in itself. From there it’s a short hop to Belgambia Lodge Mandinari, where you can unwind, swap border stories for birdsong, and soak up the quiet of the Tanbi Wetlands. Relax, recharge, and get ready for another golden-hour session right on your doorstep.

Discover the bird-rich Lamin rice fields, a patchwork of paddies, canals, and hedgerows that shelter waterbirds at every turn. Work the dikes for close views of herons and egrets, scan muddy edges for stilts and sandpipers, and watch bee-eaters hawking over the levees—great for clean, low-angle shots and portraits in soft light. Linger for quiet observation as the fields come alive, then return to Belgambia Lodge Mandinari to unwind in the calm of the Tanbi Wetlands.

We make our way back to Banjul International Airport for your return flight—cameras packed, memory cards full. Your tour ends the way great journeys should: with unforgettable sightings, close encounters, and the easy warmth of The Gambia still in your bones. Until next time, when the wetlands call again.