In the early morning hours, we set off on a long journey towards the country's interior. The pleasant route offers us many opportunities to observe the countryside. Local villages, thatched roofs and fences made of stakes or reeds near the mosque and, in some places, schools and authentic sub-savanna vegetation conjure up an image of authentic Africa. 

We stop in Jarra Soma for a short coffee/tea break at the local restaurant before we continue our journey across a new bridge that brings us to the northern bank of The Gambia.

Our next stop is in Njau, where we will learn about the amazing women's initiative for recycling and a wonderful project of tree replanting. We will engage in soap making workshop to learn traditional craft.

Next, will stop at the village of Wassu, where we will see the Gambian Stonehenge, 11 megalithic circular stone structures. The city became a national monument in 1995, and in 2006 it was added to the UNESCO list of natural and cultural heritage.

Our last stop for the day is in the village of Kuntaur. From here, we take a boat trip on the Gambia River to spot the mysterious Ninki Nanka. Apart from the dragon-like creature, this is the natural environment of the hippopotamus; the most dangerous African animal, many species of colourful birds and different types of monkeys. With a bit of luck, we will also be able to observe chimpanzees, which are part of the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project, living on one of the three islands on the river.

After dinner, we spend the night in a tranquil environment just next to the river. 

After breakfast, we head to Jamali Village, which boasts a strong tradition of cultural preservation. A charming reception with an invitation to exchange knowledge of dance steps will take us to another era.

Villagers from the Fula tribe will invite us to learn about their way of life. They will show us how they prepare their most popular breakfast, rice and peanut pudding. We will visit the head of the village, the woodcarver, and the local garden, where you can try out your skills in agricultural work. Before leaving, we will taste delicious porridge served in traditional dishes.

We cross the river with a ferry that takes us to the historic village of Janjabureh, where we check in to our accommodation place for the night. 

After lunch, we will have a short rest or free time to roam around the island alone.

The late afternoon is dedicated to exploring the culture and history of Janjanbureh. With a local guide, we will visit the Kankurang Centre and learn about the famous masks of the local tribes. We will visit the holy place with a strong spiritual meaning for the local population; the sacred baobab. We will learn about the history of the Liberation Tree and be present for the process of making silver jewellery at the silversmith's workshop.

After dinner, you are in for a cultural blast with the performance of the famous Kankurang, the masquerade of the Mandinka tribe with spiritual powers.

After breakfast, we will visit the rice fields of Kerewan Samba Sira, meet the alkalo, learn about the project of the solar lights installation and participate in a cotton spinning which is a tradition that is slowly being revived in the community. 

After a brief village visit, we will head back and stop for a delicious traditional home-cooked lunch at Ndemban, a Jola village on the river's south bank.

It's time for some skill learning!

We will join the tie&dye workshop, where we will create our personalized souvenirs while learning about traditional skills.

We will also participate in and learn about the process of salt production by a traditional method.

We take a stroll to the river, where we will see the process of cleaning and preparing oysters for sale at the market.

We return home in the evening hours.