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Gambia is a small country in West Africa with total area of 4,000 square miles or 11,295 sq. km (about 320 km. long). It is surrounded by Senegal on all sides and for this reason the two countries have a lot of ethnic and cultural ties. The coastal line is 80 km and the border boundary with Senegal is 740 km. The Gambia has a population of over 1.3 million people belonging to eight ethnic groups as well as fairly large communities from neighboring West African countries.
The River Gambia has always attracted visitors to its magnificent estuary, and its meandering waterways, and is home to a rich variety of birds, fish and mammals. Making it an ideal place to explore and discover.
Oral and written history give account of traders moving in caravans from the trading towns of the Niger to those of The Gambia about 400 years ago. People have been interviewed who said that their territories owed loyalty, to the Mali Kingdom.
The Gambia offers a variety of accommodation, from luxury hotels, self-catering apartments, and guest houses to upcountry lodges. There are four main resort areas in what is referred to as the palm-fringed coastline, with long stretches of golden sands overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
Accommodation is often booked up in the winter season (November to May) and individual travelers should seek confirmation with advance booking.
Most of the hotels are self contained complexes set in spacious gardens and will generally cater to the needs of most tourists. Rooms will not always be air conditioned and visitors who require this service should be sure to request this.
There are also dozens of camps, lodges and motels in the rural areas which provide basic but comfortable accommodation and food for tourists on excursions or other visitors wishing to discover the real Gambia.
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