So why is it so good? Short flights, no time difference, great hotels, fabulous food, friendly people, no crime, perfect climate, good value, and more birds than you could shake a stick at on your doorstep. Not that we shake sticks at birds of course! Many of the hotels have 'garden lists' that would make you envious and many others are just a short walk from a fantastic diversity of species, many of which will be entirely new to you if you have not 'done Africa' bird-wise. And they are tame 'ish', so it's an amazing place to perfect your photographic skills.
Megan, my little girl who likes her wildlife (what did you expect?), loves it here too. You see it's not 'off the beaten track'; you can combine lots of fun with the fauna and keep everyone happy. Perfect for families who want a little more wildlife than lives around the pool! Lastly I'm starting a club. Nothing exclusive - please join. It's called the 'Kotu 100 Club' and you get instant lifelong membership when you've seen a hundred different bird species from the Kotu stream bridge. And you get to be president if you can do it in a day! Not easy but not impossible and on my next trip I'm going to 'dawn till dusk' it on the bridge and I bet fifty species is easy, seventy five. a hundred? I can't wait. See you there.
Chris Packham
Also see our guest blog post from Chris on The Gambia Blog and our brand new Flickr group, featuring images from the Feb 2010 Chris Packham bird tour.
Download a PDF checklist of all the bird species in The Gambia (569 species!)
Itinerary Information
The birdwatching trip will run from 5th February 2010. These tours can be part of a longer holiday at any of the hotels in Kotu.
You will visit various habitats for the best chance of seeing the widest range of birds, including trips to Abuko nature reserve, walking tours of Kotu stream and the local area and a boat trip, enabling you to see water birds and the added bonus of an occasional dolphin.
At Mandina Lodges, you will have a chance to explore the local bush on foot with Chris as well as enjoy trips on the Gambia River in a pirogue. With a maximum of just 20 people on the bird trip and 12 people on the Mandina add-on, there will be plenty of opportunity to learn from Chris's extensive knowledge but it is essential to book early. Following Chris' appearance on the BBC's Springwatch and Autumnwatch we anticipate this trip being more popular than ever.
Pricing Information
- Bird Trip Only (5th - 8th February) - £299 per person
- Mandina Lodges Trip Only (9th - 12th February) - £450 per person (Including 3 nights half board accommodation at Mandina Lodges – based on twin occupancy)
- Both of the above trips can be combined or booked as individual trips. They are to be added as a supplement to the price of your chosen hotel.
For more information please contact a member of our reservations team on 0845 330 2060
Recommended Hotels for Birdwatching
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