8-Day Gambia Birding and Photography Tour with Lamin Camara
Eight private birding days linking Mandinari with Tendaba, Kartong, Tanji, Kotu and Lamin rice fields, combining coastal and up-river habitats with photography time.
About this tour
Move from the coast into a varied private birding route with local guide Lamin Camara. The eight-day programme starts from the Banjul and Mandinari area and continues through Tendaba, Kartong, the Halahin River, Gunjur, Tanji, Kotu and Lamin rice fields.
Trip style: a multi-stop itinerary for birders and photographers who want more than a single coastal outing. Route elements include mangroves, rice fields, wetlands, forest stops, bird hides, river boat trips and coastal birding locations.
Pricing status: the 2026-2027 rate for this programme starts at EUR 850 per person for two travellers; a separate one-person rate is also recorded. Current availability and final terms are confirmed after inquiry.
Compare the route and duration with other Gambia birdwatching tours before choosing the best fit.
Planning a wider trip? Read our birdwatching guide to The Gambia.
Birds you can spot
Bucorvus abyssinicus
target
Haliaeetus vocifer
target
Actophilornis africanus
target
Ispidina picta
target
Ardea goliath
target
Corythornis cristatus
target
Ptilopsis leucotis
target
Pandion haliaetus
target
Dryoscopus senegalensis
target
Merops bulocki
target
Merops malimbicus
target
Batis senegalensis
target
Euplectes macroura
target
Guides
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival at Mandinari River Lodge
From Banjul airport, transfer to Mandinari River Lodge. If your arrival leaves enough time, explore the nearby Tanbi Wetlands or watch birds in the lodge garden and its own hide.
Overnight: Mandinari River Lodge.
Birds to look for: African scops owl; bearded barbet; black crake; blue-bellied roller; blue-breasted kingfisher; blue-cheeked bee-eater; cattle egret; giant kingfisher; hooded vulture; northern red bishop; pearl-spotted owlet; robin chat; rose-ringed parakeet; Senegal coucal; Senegal thick-knee; shikra; starlings; sunbirds; village weaver; violet turaco; western grey plantain-eater; yellow-billed kite; yellow-billed shrike. Sightings are possible, not guaranteed.
Day 2
Mandinari on foot: wetlands and raptors
Walk through Mandinari's mangroves, rice fields and wetlands in the morning. The afternoon outing heads to the petrol station area to look for raptors.
Overnight: Mandinari River Lodge.
Birds to look for: African grey hornbill; African harrier hawk; blackcap babbler; brown babbler; common greenshank; common redshank; different kind of doves; green-backed heron; lanner falcon; levaillants cuckoo; long-crested eagle; pied crow; red-cheeked cordon-blue; wahlberg’s eagle; white-throated bee-eater; yellow-fronted canary. Sightings are possible, not guaranteed.
Day 3
Farasutu stop en route to Tendaba
Following breakfast, take the 142 km drive to Tendaba Camp, breaking the journey at Farasutu Forest. Arrival is planned for around lunchtime. Settle into your room before visiting one of the camp's two nearby bird hides.
Overnight: Tendaba Camp.
Birds to look for: common chiffchaff; cut-throat finch; fork-tailed drongo; grey kestrel; greyish eagle owl; indigobird; little green bee-eater; long-tailed nightjar; northern white-faced owl; piacpiac; pied kingfisher; pygmy sunbird; spotted honeyguide; striped kingfisher; verreaux’s eagle owl; vieillot’s barbet; yellow-crowned gonolek. Sightings are possible, not guaranteed.
Day 4
North-bank mangroves and Kwinella
Breakfast is at 7:30 AM before a morning boat outing among the mangroves on the River Gambia's north bank. Lunch and a rest break for the guide separate the boat trip from the later visit to Kwinella bushtrack.
Overnight: Tendaba Camp.
Birds to look for: Abyssinian ground hornbill; Abyssinian roller; African darter; African finfoot; African golden oriole; African paradise flycatcher; African pied hornbill; African sacred ibis; bateleur; beaudouin’s snake eagle; black-headed heron; broad-billed roller; bronze-winged courser; brown snake eagle; bruce’s green pigeon; dideriek cuckoo; dwarf bittern; great cormorant; great white egret; grey-headed kingfisher; hadada ibis; hamerkop; intermediate egret; klaas’s cuckoo; little egret; long-tailed cormorant; malachite kingfisher; Namaqua dove; pink-backed pelican; purple heron; red-bellied flycatcher; red-billed hornbill; Senegal batis; singing cisticola; striated heron; temminck’s courser; western reef egret; western-banded snake eagle; woodland kingfisher; wooly-necked stork; yellow crowned bishop; yellow-billed oxpecker; yellow-billed stork. Sightings are possible, not guaranteed.
Day 5
Back to the coast: Kartong wetlands
Set off after breakfast for the 150 km return to the coast. Your base is Stala Lodge in Kartong, a village in southwestern The Gambia near the Senegal border. An evening walk explores Kartong's wetlands.
Overnight: Stala Lodge.
Birds to look for: African jacana; African palm swift; African sacred ibis; African wattled lapwing; cattle egret; crested lark; grey kestrel; malachite kingfisher; osprey; piacpiac; purple swamphen; red-billed hornbill; shikra; white-faced whistling duck. Sightings are possible, not guaranteed.
Day 6
Kartong Observatory and the Halahin River
The morning is spent walking at Kartong Bird Watching Observatory and along the beach. After lunch, explore the Halahin River by boat before another night at Stala Lodge.
Overnight: Stala Lodge.
Birds to look for: African darter; African fish eagle; African spoonbill; blue-cheeked bee-eater; goliath heron; great white pelican; grey-headed gull; hamerkop; little weaver; osprey; oystercatcher; pink-backed pelican; Senegal thick-knee; slender-billed gull. Sightings are possible, not guaranteed.
Day 7
Gunjur, Tanji and Tanema Creek
Leave after breakfast, stopping at Gunjur and Tanji's fish market on the way to your final lodge. Have lunch in Tanji, then settle into Tanema Creek Lodge and take a short walk nearby.
Overnight: Tanema Creek Lodge.
Birds to look for: Caspian tern; chestnut-bellied starling; different type of gulls; little tern; royal tern; sandwich tern; violet-backed starling. Sightings are possible, not guaranteed.
Day 8
Final morning and airport transfer
Your flight schedule determines whether there is time for morning birding at Kotu or the Lamin rice fields. The tour ends with the transfer to the airport.
Locations & map
- Mandinari River Lodge - Gambia (Birding stop on the published route.)
- Tanbi Wetlands - Gambia (Birding stop on the published route.)
- Farasutu Forest - Gambia (Birding stop on the published route.)
- Tendaba Camp - Gambia (Birding stop on the published route.)
- Kwinella bush track - Gambia (Birding stop on the published route.)
- Kartong wetlands - Gambia (Birding stop on the published route.)
- Kartong Bird Watching Observatory - Gambia (Birding stop on the published route.)
- Halahin River - Gambia (Birding stop on the published route.)
- Gunjur and Tanji coast - Gambia (Birding stop on the published route.)
- Kotu and Lamin ricefields - Gambia (Birding stop on the published route.)
2 stops in itinerary order. Select a marker for its name.
Availability & pricing
Availability: Available on request · Season: 2026-2027 rates; dates and availability on request.
Included
- English-speaking bird guide - Birding and bird photography guidance
- Airport pickup and return - Included on published multi-day programmes
- Full-board lodge accommodation - Included on published multi-day programmes
- Boat trips and reserve entrances - Boat trips, nature parks and bird hides are included where part of the itinerary
- Bottled daytime water - Included during daytime field activities
Not included
- International flights - Not included
- Travel insurance - Guests arrange suitable travel and medical insurance
- Lodge drinks, tips and personal expenses - Not included
Transport & stays
- Private road transport Road transfers link Banjul, lodges, wetlands, forests, river crossings and birding stops. | Meet: Banjul airport or agreed pickup point | Pickup: Airport and coastal pickup by agreement
- Boat Boat trips are included on published river and mangrove days where listed. | Meet: Route-specific lodge or river landing | Pickup: Included within the final itinerary
Accommodations
- Mandinari River Lodge Lodge or camp accommodation
- Tendaba Camp Lodge or camp accommodation
- Stala Lodge Lodge or camp accommodation
- Tanema Creek Lodge Lodge or camp accommodation
Policies & FAQ
Cancellation Policy
Payment Terms
Insurance & Safety
Can the published route be changed?
Yes. You can request changes to the birding stops and lodges. Agree the final itinerary before booking.
Is this suitable for photographers?
Yes. The tours are designed for birdwatchers, photographers and nature lovers, with time in wetlands, forests, hides, mangroves and river habitats.
Are bird sightings guaranteed?
No. The route is planned around strong birding habitats and published target lists, but all sightings are wild and depend on season and field conditions.
Send inquiry
Ask about this tour before booking. Your preferred date is optional and availability will be confirmed after your inquiry.