FairPlay Gambia Upriver Adventures

Local Boat Trips in our Small Boat

Round the Island – Two to three hours trips around the beautiful nature of Janjanbureh Island, looking for hippos, baboons and other primates.

1 – 4 People:    £45and 5 – 10 People:  £70

River Gambia National Park – Six-hour round trip to see the Chimpanzees at the River Gambia National Park and a chance to spot hippos, crocodiles, baboons and other primates. Depart Janjanbureh at around noon to see the chimpanzee feeding and return as the sun sets and the wildlife is most active.

1 – 4 People:    £90 and 5 – 10 People:  £120

Or travel in style onboard the Fula Princess and enjoy comfortable mattresses, cooked lunch and toilet facilities. Private charter day trips to the River Gambia National Park from £295 including lunch and entry fees

Workshops in local arts and crafts

Traditional skills are still very much alive in rural Gambia. So whether you’re interested in learning about African music, cooking, pottery, silversmithing or traditional fabrics, FairPlay can organise single-day or multi-day workshops with local artists who are happy to share the secrets of their trade.

DRUMMING-COOKING-POTTERY MAKING-SILVERSMITHING-TIE N DYE/BATIK MAKING-LOCAL FISHING

The River Gambia

The River Gambia runs from its source in the Fouta Jallon highlands, 1,120 km to the Atlantic Ocean at Banjul. The last approximately 420 km of which are in The Gambia. It contains or supports some of the most pristine environments in West Africa. These include The River Gambia National Park and the Bao Bolong Wetlands. 

The freshwater habitats of the River Gambia around Kuntaur and Eastwards are home to Hippos, Nile crocodiles, Turtles, Warthog, Hyenas, African clawless otters, monitor lizards and four species of primates including Guinea baboons. The saltwater habitats nearer to the coast have two species of dolphin, saltwater crocodiles and even manatees. The country as a whole boasts a huge diversity of bird species for its small size.

From pre-colonial days until recently, the river was the main route for people/goods travelling to and from the provinces. These days tarmac roads have replaced the bush tracks and the bus service has replaced the riverboats. Leaving the river unused apart from a few fishermen and the peanut barges that still carry the annual harvest downriver.

River Gambia National Park (RGNP)

Ecotourism

As a social enterprise, FairPlay strives to ensure that our style of ecotourism brings benefits to the local community. And minimises damage to the environment and supports the development of The Gambia as a whole. We believe in people over profit. Employing local people as far as possible and always on fair terms. We try to use local, sustainable products whenever they are available and prioritise ethical suppliers in our purchasing decisions. 

We’ve been involved in supporting various projects in and around Janjanbureh. These include bee-keeping training, forestry projects, educational sponsorship, kayaking training for local youths, football academies and much more. Want to know more? Or would like to involve yourself with a community project in the area, we can also arrange volunteer placements.

• Self-drive to Janjanbureh
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• Public transport
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• The story of the dead cow
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