JOY TOURS Gambia

21/10/2022

Hello to everyone.
I am welcoming you to my website.

09/09/2022

A wonderful half day out at the monkey park, don’t miss it.

09/09/2022

A very lovely half day out the monkey park

14/10/2019

Wassu Stone Circles & Janjanbureh from the GEORGETOWN 2-DAY Tour Into The Real Gambia, 7th & 8th November 2018

08/10/2019

Reviewed 28 February 2015
We were lucky enough to have Musa Ceesay (also known as Moses) as our guide for our holiday. I cannot praise Musa(Moses) enough for showing our family the many sites of the Gambia. Among many memorable trips, there was visiting the crocodile pool, the monkey park, Lamin Lodge for a boat ride along the mangroves, local markets, a boat trip along the river to see local villages, a visit to Banjul and 'Arch 22'. For the really adventurous there is the trip into Senegal to visit 'Fathala' wildlife reserve which includes a ferry trip across the river, Fabulous!. Apart from seeing the more popular tourist attractions Musa was keen to show how Gambian people go about their daily lives and we visiting local cattle and goat markets meeting many local people, fishing ports with the hussle and busstle of daily life. Musa also took us to visit a local school to take some school materials we had brought with us. The children were very happy to see us and it brought a tear to my eye when they sang some songs for us. Musa Ceesay is an offcial tourist guide with many years experience and my family cannot praise him enough for his professional
attitude and warm friendly personality.

Bakotu Hotel: Fantastic Holiday In The Gambia! - See 526 traveller reviews, 515 candid photos, and great deals for Bakotu Hotel at TripAdvisor.

08/10/2019

SOUTH GAMBIA ADVENTURE (SAFARI)
Driving through the southern part of the Gambia in an open jeep you’ll have time to take in the true spirit of West Africa.

The visit begins at the Serrekunda market, which is the largest and the busiest market in the Gambia and where you are sure to find a bargain or two assisted, if required, by your Joy Tours Gambia guide with any bargaining to get you that ultra low price.

Continuing your journey through Gambia you will have ample opportunity to see the real side of Gambian life before arriving at Abuko animal market to get a first hand view of this important rural market. At a local school you will get the opportunity to see and speak to locals about the importance of education to neighbourhood children and see just how much they enjoy their classes.

A short journey will bring us to Paradise beach. An ideal spot for a few hours to take in some sun or even swim and maybe take the opportunity for a spot of lunch at the excellent local restaurant & bar.

Our return journey will see us visiting Tanji fishing village – the biggest fishing village in the Gambia. Here you will have to opportunity to view fishermen in their brightly coloured boats landing their catch for immediate sale at the beach fish market. With so many in Africa without refrigeration you’ll learn how important the on site smoking & drying process is to preserve for export this most precious commodity.

£40 per person without lunch
£50 per person with lunch

08/10/2019

ROOTS by River Boat or JEEP
No trip to The Gambia is complete without a trip back in time to visit the home village of the renowned Kunta Kinteh from Alex Haley’s famous novel and TV series “ROOTS”

On board a twin decked riverboat, well equipped with refreshments and a buffet lunch, you can kick back and relax as you cruise down what Kunta Kinteh called Kamby Bolongo to visit what has simply become world famously know as “ROOTS”.

Arriving in Albreda & Juffureh you will get a chance to visit its historic slave museum & learn all about the history of the slave trade. You will hear its impact on this historically important area and will retrace more than 400 years of a slave trade that contributed considerably to the depopulation of the continent.

You will also visit the remains of a French trading post & the church which was the first of its kind to be built in West Africa by the Portuguese.

See and hear how the freedom flagpole came into being, which is nowadays one of our national monuments since 1970.

From here you proceed onto Juffureh, which is the home village of the famous slave Kunta Kinteh who was forced into slavery in the mid seventeenth century, It is on whom, Alex Haley has based the history of his best seller Roots, which retraces the events of the transatlantic slave trade

You may also get an opportunity to pay a courtesy call to the chief, at the Bantaba (meeting place), where the chieftaincy rule will be explained as well as how to become a chief in The Gambia.

You may then come to the main highlight of the roots trip, the visit of the Kinteh clan.

Later you can walk leisurely around the craft market and watch the highly skilled artisans as they produce their speciality wares for your delight.

Price is £50 per person. including Buffet Lunch.

08/10/2019

MAKASUTU CULTURAL FOREST
Makasutu is a private 1,000 acre reserve encompassing some of the best forest left in the Gambia. Set along 5 miles of the bank of the Mandina river, it has one of the most tranquil settings in the Gambia.

Mandinka folklore, traced back to the 12th century, says that a dragon like creature lives in the swamp, known as the 'Ninki Nanka' and guards the buried clothes and crown of Mansa Jatta, a tribal king from the Soninke Kingdom, The Ninki Nanka is also believed to protect the woods, and adjacent community held orchards from potential thieves. Local legend also maintained that the woodland was haunted by spirits or 'djinns', as well as giants, and as a result, the sacred woodland was uninhabited, and used mostly for prayer and tribal rituals.

As the 20th century progressed The forest was on the brink of being cleared bare by settling migrants but was saved by two adventurous Britons in their search for a location to build an eco-retreat in the wilderness. The local people that were living and utilizing the woods and streams, prior to the arrival of the two Britons were permitted to stay on the land and became integrate into the sustainable eco-tourism venture to emphasising how the local people live, and also to encourage the return of wildlife to the sub-tropical woodland and riverine

The Makasutu eco lodge was voted as the best new Eco Lodge in the world in 2002 by the UK Sunday Times and has also been featured in National Geographic magazine.

At Makasutu's Base Camp, an impressively tall white viewing tower there are two spiral staircases and 3 elevated viewing platforms from where you can take in fantastic vistas of the palm trees, mangrove creeks, the Mandina Bolong and savanna habitats.

You also get the chance to cool off in the irregular shaped swimming pool with its own island, set in a landscaped garden and dotted with palm trees and night lights. Visitors can also do a little shopping at the Craft Centre,

This tour includes a boat trip in a small dugout canoe so you can venture inside the mangroves and a nature walk into the jungle where you will visit a traditional herbal doctor as well as a fortuneteller.

You will also visit a palm wine tapper towards the end of your jungle walk and you will get the chance to sample the local jungle juice (otherwise known as palm wine) before returning back to base for lunch.
Price £45 per person.

08/10/2019

LAZY DAY CREEK TOUR
Relaxing on a typical Gambian Pirogue we will slowly meander through the wild life rich creeks of The Gambia.

Enjoy a spot of fishing, swimming or just laze on one of the upper or lower decks, watching our world famous bird life or see local fishermen & traditional oyster collectors (usually women) gathering in their all-important catches.
Lunch is served on board and the boat is equipped with a well stocked bar.

This trip is a very relaxing tour – so peaceful and quiet hence the lazy day tag 😁😁😁

Price is £35 per person