Rivers of West Africa - Banjul to Banjul

Board between 3–4 PM. Depart Banjul, sailing upriver to Tendaba. Arrive late evening. Enjoy African Night before overnight docking in Tendaba.

Take motor pirogues from the ship to Tendaba, a small fishing village on the South Bank in the Lower River Division. Home to around 600 inhabitants of the Muslim faith, its main livelihood is fishing. Begin the optional morning excursion with a walk to Batelling, a village at the Kiang West National Park entrance, which boasts over 250 bird species, including rare sightings. Other wildlife includes Guinea baboons, bushbucks, warthogs, Senegal bush babies, and marsh mongooses. After a refreshing stop, board an open safari truck back to Tendaba, passing through local villages for a glimpse of Gambian life.  

In the afternoon, take motor pirogues for the optional excursion to Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve, opposite Kiang West National Park. This reserve features six major bolongs (creeks), ideal for birdwatching and boating. Spot rare and migratory birds, including Pel’s fishing owl, African finfoot, and brown-necked parrot. Overnight docked in Tendaba.

Early in the morning, you leave Tendaba and sail upstream on the Gambia River all morning to reach Kuntaur. Early afternoon arrival to the bustling Gambian port town of Kuntaur, the last inland stop along the river navigable for ocean-going ships. Later in the afternoon, you board a large motor pirogue for a 3-hour optional excursion cruise on The Gambia River. First, you head to the southernmost tip of Baboon Island, one of the five islands of The Gambia National Park. A local national park ranger is joining you onboard to give more information about the park and its fauna & flora. Then you turn, and the motor pirogue slows down and sails slowly back to Kuntaur, closely following the shores of Baboon Island. This island is home to the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project. If you are lucky, from your motor pirogue, you can closely observe the chimps with minimal intrusion. There is also the possibility of seeing hippos, crocodiles, Red Colobus, Green Vervet monkeys, and The Gambia’s famous birdlife. You return to Kuntaur, where you are met by the “Kankurang” and a local dance group on the pier. Believed to have spiritual powers, the “Kankurang” dispenses justice and wards off evil spirits. You overnight docked in Kuntaur.

This morning, your optional excursion by bus will take you to the ferry station in Janjanbureh. You board the local ferry for a short cruise over The Gambia River to Janjanbureh. You continue your excursion with a visit to one of the oldest towns of The Gambia, formerly Georgetown. During the walk, you get an impression of this laidback town and see the residence of the governor, the market, and the Methodist church with its school. Afterwards, you return to the ferry and re-board the bus to Lamin Koto. A new school building is being built through the generosity of Variety Cruises and many of its clients. Later in the morning, stop at the mysterious stone circles in Wassu, a megalithic site believed to be a burial ground thousands of years ago. Visit the little museum of this archaeological site, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. In the afternoon, after lunch, sail downstream to Kaur, a small fishing village on the banks of the Gambia. You can have the opportunity to walk around this small community and see how Gambians live today. In the evening, leave Kaur and sail downstream towards Banjul.
Farewell Dinner.

This morning, you anchor at St. James Island in the middle of the Gambia River, an important slave trading post under British rule in The Gambia. In 1976, James Island became famous due to the author Alex Haley and its bestseller book "Roots" and the story of an enslaved person called Kunta Kinteh. The island is now called a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

Optional walking tour: After disembarking by local tenders, your local guide will tell you more about the history of James Island, and afterward, you can have some time to explore this island by yourself. After lunch, leave "Kunta Kinteh" to reach Banjul around 4 pm. After formalities, later in the evening, sail out of the Gambia estuary into the Atlantic Ocean northwards to Dakar. Gambian Night with Kora Instrument Concert - Overnight at sea to Dakar.

Early morning arrival in Dakar. After breakfast, take an optional excursion to Goree Island and Dakar city tour, an exploratory adventure of Dakar's surroundings, inviting you to discover the traces of slave trading and its transformation into today's African modernity. The history makes room for the present development. Lunch outside the ship. Returning to the ship in the late afternoon and preparing for dinner. After dinner, sail southward towards the Saloum River Delta. Overnight at sea, cruising southwards along the coast. 

This morning, you reach the Sine–Saloum Delta in Senegal, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and also an Important Birding Area, as designated by Birdlife International and a natural habitat for many bird species but also such aquatic animals as marine turtles, dolphins, West African manatees, and crocodiles. Your optional excursion starts at the fishing village of Djiffer, where you reach the village of Joal Fadiouth, set on an island of clam shells used in local buildings and crafts. In the afternoon, leave Senegal and the Saloum Delta and sail south to Gambia to reach Banjul, the capital of Gambia and gateway to the 700-mile Gambia River. Fishermen Night. Overnight in Banjul.

Disembarkation at 9:00 am after breakfast.