Set off from the coast early and arrive in Janjanbureh around midday. Meet your guide and enjoy lunch at a local bar or restaurant before checking in at Hippo Bush Camp. Spend the afternoon relaxing in the shade, swimming in the river, or joining our chef Lamin for an informal African cooking session.

You’ll stay in spacious riverside tents, and dinner will be served outdoors beneath the stars at our open-air dining area.

Begin the day searching for Green Vervet monkeys along the Lamin Koto riverside before travelling east by small boat to Koli Bolong ‘Mountain’. After taking in the river views, continue on foot through the bush, keeping an eye out for baboons, red colobus and other wildlife.

Your route leads through the villages of Kujew, Yonna, Kunting and Jarra Ji, with stops to meet community members and visit a women’s garden project. Continue to Tankong Kunda for lunch in a local family compound. Afterwards, meet the village chief and head to the riverside, where we’ll pitch tents at a small fishermen’s camp. Enjoy a gentle evening walk in the forest before dinner by the river.

After breakfast, leave Tankong Kunda and walk south towards Dobo, then further southeast towards the river. The terrain becomes wilder here, with no formal paths, so we follow natural clearings and occasionally cut through the undergrowth.

With no permanent settlements in this area, wildlife is abundant — expect chances to see primates, monitor lizards, mongoose, bushpig and excellent birdlife.

Reach Bushtown and cross the river by small hand-paddled boat into Bansang. After a late lunch and a wander around the market, return by vehicle to Janjanbureh and Hippo Bush Camp for another relaxed dinner under the night sky.

After a leisurely breakfast, your guide will meet you at the riverside for a short briefing and for you to try out your kayak. In your own time, you'll depart Westward from Janjanbureh, heading for a group of river islands known locally as Six Junctions. Land at Manna Sandbanks and enjoy a packed lunch at the riverside before heading into Manna Village. On the way, youll stop to meet a palm wine tapper at work, and have the chance to try some fresh palm.

Spend the afternoon enjoying village hospitality and experiencing daily life in the rural communities. Spend the night in a clean, comfortable house in your guides compound.

After a typical Gambian Breakfast, you'll say goodbye to your hosts and return to the kayaks. As you continue to paddle West, you'll hopefully see hippos, baboons and great birdlife along the way.

At around 3pm, you'll see the chimpanzees as they come to the riverside for daily feeding by the park rangers. After chatting to the rangers, you'll continue on to Kairoh Garden Riverside Lodge, and your evening meal.

The morning will start with an early hike to Baobab Forest, with a great chance to see baboons, red colobus monkeys and more. Return to the lodge for an early lunch before visiting the enigmatic Wassu Stone Circles. Depart by 2pm in order to reach the coast before dark.