Under African skies

Things started slowing on the “M1”. Ahead I spotted the hold-up – a local bus with four goats strapped to its roof. “This is our National Express,” grinned our guide, Mucki, as we stared wide-eyed out the window. This, after all, was Gambia, where a few goat-laden cars are normal rush hour traffic.

We’d arrived just in time for Tobaski, a festival looked forward to all year by Gambians. Men spend up to four months’ wages on a sacrificial ram for the family feast, and as we bumped along Gambia’s only highway, hundreds milled by the side of the road waiting to be bought.

This was my first taste of Africa, and a visit to Brikama, Gambia’s second largest town, was quite the eye-opener. Markets crammed with stalls sold unusual fresh fruit, battered TVs and Premier League football shirts. Excited children ran about waving as we pushed through a throng of women in vibrant, traditional African dress, haggling over metres of material.

Yet, in all honestly, we weren’t just here to soak up local culture. We were in Africa for the sun. Gambia is hot, with average winter temperatures rarely dipping below 30 degrees. But if I’d had any apprehensions about taking a winter break in such an unusual place, they melted away as we walked through Brikama.

Due to the intense heat, much of the market was covered with colourful sheets and stepping into the cool red-hued tunnels, we were welcomed with broad smiles everywhere. I guess they don’t call it the Smiling Coast of Africa for nothing.

But I had more to investigate beyond the interesting sights – and smells – of the market, including our home for the next five days, the Coco Ocean Resort and Spa, half an hour away on the Gambian coast. It’s right on the beach and is Gambia’s most luxurious hotel. Tiled paths lead down past Moorish domed restaurants and a three-tiered infinity pool to the beach, where a roaring Atlantic battles the golden sand. Cabanas invite lazy days enjoying the warmth, while the attentive staff provide cocktails.

We decided to head to Makasutu Culture Forest, a 1,000-acre reserve of mangroves, palm forest and wetland. As we made our way deeper into the bush, the ruts in the dirt road opened up like chasms. Towering palm trees crowded around the bus and huge termite mounts littered the roadside. Our guide had been to England and, keen to make us feel at home, he’d thought of some safety rules – because we Brits love that, apparently. “Remember, guys, do not put your hands in the termite mounds, or you might lose a finger.”

We lazily made our way downstream in an African dugout canoe. Sitting low in the water, we had spectacular views of the mangroves, which greedily stretched out their roots on either side. Sparks of colour flashed through the leaves as Long Tailed Glossy Starlings and Giant Kingfishers danced for food. On the muddy banks, lively clusters of red crabs waved their claws.

For such a tiny place, Gambia has a stunning array of wildlife, including 540 species of bird. There’s no big game but there are dolphins, hippos and crocodiles, which, as my guide keenly pointed out, is a lot better than England. Stopping for a drink at one of the reserve’s lodges, currently under construction, the forest came alive with a cacophony of raucous screeches.

The River Gambia is 700 miles long and nearly six miles wide at its mouth, a huge river dominating a tiny county, dividing it into two halves.

The south is where the majority of towns and resorts are. We cast off at Lamin Lodge, a ramshackle wooden building, perched on stilts. A well worn pier led us out to our modern catamaran, nestled among a motley crew of brightly painted fishing boats.

As the sun rose, the temperature followed suit. It was a relief to be out on the water. With legs dangling over the edge, I sat blissfully drinking in the sun while watching the river widen to lake-size proportions. Ahead, a lone woman in a rickety canoe paddled industriously towards the mangroves to harvest oysters.

We stopped at Situnuku, a new set of lodges two hours upstream on the north bank. Its landscaped gardens, filled with towering African Baobab trees and fuchsia Bougainvilleas, made for a secluded idyll to watch the world pass by.

With a sigh, I slipped into the cool waters of the plunge pool. With a bottle of the local beer, Julbrew, in hand and the sweeping vista of the river in front of me, I understood why the Gambia enchants so many. Its heady mix of African culture and spectacular wildlife make it the perfect winter paradise – without the hefty price tag – and just six hours from home.

Getting there

Stephanie Maskery was a guest of The Gambia Experience, which offers seven nights’ B&B at Coco Ocean Resort & Spa (www.gambia.co.uk/cocoocean) in a junior suite from £1,127 (April 13-30).

Prices include flights from Manchester, plus transfers and airport taxes.

Excursions are bookable locally through The Gambia Experience’s hotel reps with West African Tours. The Gambia Experience reservations, 0845 330 2087 or visit www.gambia.co.uk.