The Gambia

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Flag of The Gambia The Gambia
Information
Language: English
Capital: Banjul
Population: 1,622,000
Currency: Dalasi
Hitchability: <rating country='gm' />
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<map lat='13.6' lng='-15.7' zoom='7' view='0' />


The Gambia is a small country in Western Africa. It is completely bordered by the Senegal. Gambia is small, it is as wide as a English artillery battery can shoot from a boot on the Gambia river, because the Gambia was British territory, Senegal was French territory.

Hitchhiking

The road on the south bank of the river

Hitching is common in The Gambia and especially near the relatively developed western region locals hitch regularly. The two main highways along the south and north bank of the river see lots of traffic with a high proportion of personal vehicles. Getting rides with the police or military is also relatively easy.

The number of vehicles significantly decreases as one travels upcountry to the east, but the occasional truck, motorcycle, pick-up or NGO vehicle will offer a lift, especially if you are walking along the side of the road in the bush.

Traversing the country to travel between northern Senegal and Casamance is not too difficult because many truckers and Senegalese with personal vehicles make the journey, although expect to wait a long time to cross the river. Especially at Yelitenda, where crossings are very irregular and rides can be tricky to find as a lot of the traffic is already full buses and bushtaxis. Barra is a better option, with more personal vehicles crossing, and its proximity to Banjul.

Camping Sukuta (in between Serekunda and Senegambia), close to Banjul, hosts most European drivers who have a car for sale, and is a good place for finding longer rides southwards to Guinea-Bissau or eastwards. (Signs from Sukuta can be seen all the way to Western Sahara), and it is also a good place to mention as a 'place of residence' to give to the border guards from Senegal to Gambia if they decide to give you trouble.

Something that works in most of West Africa; if someone is hesistant about taking you along just ask them to take you to the next gendarmerie stop. If you have all your papers in order they will be friendly (albeit very curious on whether you have any 'cadeaus' for them), and can many times very authoritatively ask cars they stop to take you along if they are going your way.


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