What can you tell me about...
1) ...health and safety?
In a nutshell, we recommend that each traveler:
a) be in good general health
b) drink bottled and hot beverages
c) eat generally only hot, packaged, or peelable foods
d) though skeeters are rare in the dry season, take an anti-malarial such as larium just to be sure...
e) have a current yellow fever vaccination (often required in the Gambia)
f) update any lapsed immunizations such as Hepatitis
g) bring along and inform leaders of any medications you may need
h) Again, though rare in the dry season, bring clothes and repellants to avoid insect bites
i) Bring ventilated, lightweight skin coverage and sunblock to avoid sunburn and heatstroke
Here’s our contract blurb on the subject…
“Participants should be in good health and should consult a physician before undertaking a tour. If you have questions about the physical requirements of a tour, please contact our office for further information. Although Senegal and The Gambia both treat their water in urban areas, it is a sensible precaution to drink only bottled or hot beverages throughout the tour. We would suggest you contact your personal physician for advice on side-effects of recommended or standard inoculations. At the time of printing, no vaccinations are required for entry into Senegal. However, The Gambia does require yellow fever inoculations. Although we’ll be traveling in the dry season, it is also a sensible precaution for visitors to take Larium in common use against malaria. Required inoculations must be recorded on a valid vaccination certificate which the client must carry for proof of inoculation where required. Additionally, it is advisable for all participants to have some form of medical emergency insurance that provides for expenses resulting from accidental injury or illness during the tour. Any person with specific health issues such as asthma, diabetes, a heart condition, or severe allergies to foods or bee-sting should consult with leaders to discuss treatments and trouble-signs in advance of the tour.”2) ...passport and visas?
Each traveler should keep a current passport on their person—also inexpensive visas for Senegal and The Gambia are sometimes required, and are usually cheaper when purchased in advance. Immunization cards such as a yellow fever certificate should be kept with your travel papers.
3) ...food and water?
There are many delicious and memorable dishes in West Africa that you may want to continue cooking after you return home. Most are based on soups and entrees of roasted fish, chicken, lamb, and beef with sides of rice, cous-cous, spices, citrus, and groundnuts. Mauritanian tea after lunch is a lovely and envigorating life experience. Some of our travel meals, especially lunches in the bush, will be simply sandwiches with clear, safe ingredients. Often it is advisable to generally stick to hot dishes and peelable fruits and veggies when one is newly visiting the tropics, just to avoid any potential discomfort.
Traditional Gambian recipes
Traditional and contemporary cuisine of Senegal
4) ...accommodations and WC's?
The "Relaxed" tours have generally good facilities throughout, as hotels are tourist class. Occasionally you may want to "find a tree" during a safari segment, but that's more the exception than the rule.
As for the main birding tours into up-country Gambia, this is the scenario...We always use the best available lodging, but even so, our facilities will vary widely as we travel from the very comfortable tourist-class hotels by the coast to the basic huts of our up-country journey. Nowadays most bush lodges have power generators for lights, fans, and sometimes A/C. Running water in sinks in the rooms is usually handy, but it's better for washing than for drinking. Some places provide mosquito nets in the rooms and many spray for bugs at around 4pm, but mosquitos are not so prevalent in the dry season when we'll be there. As for toilets, one must sometimes "squat and aim" as there are rarely sit-down commodes up-country. Though lacking in aesthetic delights, this is often less shocking than some gas station WC's along Route 66 back home. While we're out birding "in the bush" during the daytime, it's good to be prepared to find a private bush. The leaders bring camping shovels and TP, but a personal supply of TP is a great thing to have along. Ladies or spouses usually "stand lookout" for one-another--camping style. Some of our tour buses in Senegal have come equipped with quite decent latrines--we always try to rent these when available.
5) ...costs and comparison shopping?
Our best customer is one who 1) knows what the behemoth competition companies are offering, 2) finds that our itineraries and affordable rates are second-to-none, and 3) appreciates the advantage of the incomparable expertise and scouting of our guide team. Our pricing proves to be a great value when transit days and high-season airfare to the Netherlands or the U.K. are added together. Airfare to Dakar is stable and predictable, lacking huge spikes or large discounts, and runs between $1100 and $1400 in low and high seasons, respectively. Our JFK package includes air in the price, and we'll take a direct 7 hour flight to Dakar, arriving ready to (eat and) bird! We also offer "ground only" pricing in case you're coming from the U.K. or continental Europe.
6) ..."friend-finder" discounts and group rates?
Bird-finding in the wild is always optimized with at least six pairs of eyes...travel is also more economical and eco-friendly. Thus, we greatly appreciate referrals, and will offer you or your party a discount to your original full tour price in the amount of $150.00 for each additional person (after the "first" person signs up) in your party directly referred and/or cajoled by you into joining us on the same tour. Example: You and a friend or spouse will automatically receive one $150.00 discount for traveling together. If you get another couple/pair or guest to come along, the discount is now $450.00, and is generally shared among the foursome as a sort of "group discount" rate. (Party of 4, thus 3 "additionals" times $150.00) Enjoy!
7) ...climate, clothes, and gear?
If this is your first visit to the "tropical teen latitudes," we strongly suggest that you minimize use of A/C in vehicles and rooms so that you can more quickly acclimate to the very warm climate in a healthy way. The Gambia is hot and humid in November--Northern Senegal is hot and dry. Daytime highs vary, but are usually in the mid-90's Fahrenheit. The sun angle is surprisingly high. Sunscreen, sunglasses, and a brimmed hat are essential. For expedition work, well-ventilated, pale, and light-weight kakhi clothes with options to cover extremeties or shed layers are ideal. A cotton tee beneath a loose, light, long-sleeved shirt can work well. We will make efforts to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, so the classic shirt and shorts combo is fine most of the time. We generally rest and slow down or travel in our vehicle in the hottest parts of the day, say from noonish to 3:30. This is a great time to stay in the shade, study "Barlow, Wacher & Disley", swap stories, and drink Mauritanian tea.
8) ...maps and geography?
The Gambia is at about 13.5 degrees of latitude and the river dominates its mostly flat, lowland terrain. The skyline is nearly always articulated by a mixed woodland of fruit trees and palms. Open areas with savanna, rice patties, or groundnut cultivation occasionally provide some broad skies that are perfect for viewing raptors. The maps in the field guide are adequate for the tour, but terrifically detailed maps are commercially available.
9) ...airfare/transit-time "travel gap" from U.S.?
West Africa is a GREAT, AFFORDABLE, CLOSE, and virtually undiscovered travel destination for North American birders, trekkers, and vacationers. The African "travel gap" is our term for the widely held notion by North Americans that African travel is more distant, time-consuming, expensive, and inaccessible than it truly is in reality.
In fact, Africa is a major "QUICK VACATION GETAWAY" for folks from Europe and the U.K., much like the Bahamas and Acapulco for residents of North America. They have "beaten path" charter flights and specials out the wazoo, and many have thus explored various parts of Africa. North American travelers most readily think of Kenya or South Africa (both wonderful places, but West Africa rocks!), and assume that one must:
a) fly for 2 days to Africa, or get stuck in a London or Amsterdam air terminal for 11 hours...WRONG!
b) pay $6K for trips to Africa, and thus must stay for 3 1/2 weeks for any value...BZZZZT--WRONG AGAIN!
Africa IS NOT in fact very comparable to travel in the Carribean--the experience is so rich and unique, that it defies comparison, and is always a great life experience, not just a vacation. From the U.S. we fly South African Airways only 7 hours to Dakar--we leave at 5:30pm, and arrive ready to roll at 7am the next morning. Go ahead, GO FOR 10 DAYS OR SO, SEE SOME GREAT BIRDS, MEET THE WONDERFUL LOCALS, RELAX ON THE BEACH WITH A COOL DRINK, AND CATCH A WORLD-CLASS JAZZ FESTIVAL!!!
10) ...history and culture?
Huge topic--love to prattle on about this one, and one is constantly learning more. The pre-colonial history goes far to explain the language and ethnic variations of modern West Africa. The colonial history is extremely interesting and important, and has left a stunning architectural legacy in places like Saint-Louis Senegal that can almost make a visitor feel like a time-traveler. The impact of slavery on the area is deeply important and tragic, and the story of certain Africans and foreigners collaborating to exploit and enslave other Africans is far older than we usually realize, going all the way back to Alexander's time. Once Great Britain outlawed slavery, The Gambia served as Britain's chief anti-slavery military base against the French, American, and Portuguese slavers. Several links to good articles are provided in this website.
11) ...birding preparation & bibliography?
Up until 1997, one had to carry a heavy stack of books to properly bird Senegal and The Gambia, and color pictures were seriously lacking, even in the Collins West Africa guide. Thanks to Barlow, Wacher, & Disley, we now have far better information in a much lighter format. The sound recordings of songs are also fascinating and helpful if studied in advance, but can be overwhelming in sheer number. The "Bird Song of The Gambia and Senegal" CD set will prepare you well and help you recall marvelous sounds far into the future. First listen to the whole disk set once superficially, and take note of anything that catches your ear. These may turn out to be your favorites. Then, start learning at least the forest birds, doves, and then the shrikes. This will keep you plenty busy and will give you a rewarding level of preparation.
12) ...contracts and travel insurance?
Complete contract information is currently available on request, and will soon be available directly on this website. Travel insurance is a "must", and our agency partner "Timbuktours" provides our guests with good options. It's best to comparison shop for insurance, and find the plan that fits you.
13) ...how "cooperative" trips work?
These are scouting/ research trips, and the price/cost drops as participants sign up, maximum 8. A nominal percentage of costs is always set aside for conservation, research, and education. Example: We buy field guides and binoculars for young Africans who prove to be interested in birding and may wish to become local guides--the resident ABC rep recommends qualified individuals who have shown keen interest and motivation.
14) ...donations for research, education, and conservation?
Our research on West African bird distribution, behavior, conservation, and physiology is entirely funded through the private resources of Birds of the Gambia Inc and Firefinch Adventures. We feel that finding, researching, and "showing off" these marvelous birds to enthusiastic travelers is the best way to protect our natural world and the health of the biosphere at large--people protect what they love! In fact, proceeds from each "commercial" tour are dedicated to West African endemic/threatened species research, the development of ecotourism in numerous emerging birding-hot-spots in West Africa, and purchase/aquisition of field guides and optics for budding local birders.
15) ...local shopping and gratuities?
Bring a little dough along for shopping. The fabrics, objets 'art, and other offerings can be worthwhile and memorable.
Standard travel tips for drivers and waiters are included in your tour price, but you may still wish to have a few dalasis or CFA's handy to reward a hard-working bellman along the way. Tips for guides and leaders are not included in the tour price.
16) ...pre-tour payment schedules?
Fairly standard, but in some ways more flexible than the gargantuan companies. A $500.00 deposit holds your spot, and the balance is due 60 days before departure to cover our overhead. Refunds are given in appropriate cases as according to the tour terms and conditions.
Here's and excerpt from our contrac t on these matters...
INSURANCE: $300,000.00 of automatic travel insurance will apply to all participants through Timbuktours, Inc. However, it is highly recommended that you additionally insure yourself and your property against injury, illness, or loss of personal effects prior to departure. Additional insurance options will be made available through our carrier at the time of registration and/or before travel commences, but you may naturally use whichever insurance carrier you prefer.
NOT INCLUDED: US and foreign airport taxes; fees and service charges for obtaining passports or visas; excess baggage charges levied by airlines; meals and beverages other than specified; gratuities to drivers, guides, and other conveyance attendants; phone calls, laundry, room service, and other items of a personal nature; trip protection, personal, and baggage insurance other than specified; cost for anything not specifically mentioned in the listing above.
REGISTRATION & RATES: To register for tours, we require that you complete our Registration/Release and Indemnity Agreement form and return it with the specified deposit. All rates quoted are based on the current rate of exchange and tariff. In the event of a market increase in foreign exchange or tariff rates, costs are subject to change. Rates are based on a minimum of 4 passengers traveling together. Minimums also apply to all extensions and tour options. The right is reserved to levy a surcharge if minimum is not met.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE: A deposit of $500 total per person must be submitted with each application for confirmation. Final payment is due no later than 60 days prior to departure.
LATE BOOKINGS: When your registration is initiated within 30 days of your departure, a non-refundable “rush booking” fee of $50.00 per person will be charged. In addition, please note that most airlines require reservations and ticketing at least 30 days prior to departure. Therefore, bookings made within 30 days will also be subject to higher airfares if necessary.
TOUR CANCELLATION POLICY: The right is reserved to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which case full refund will constitute full settlement to the passenger. The right is reserved to substitute guides for those specified. Where this is necessary, the best available guides will be obtained, and notification will be given to participants.
17) ...additional tidbits and wisdom?
a) "African time" is a slower pace than we usually follow. Expect delays and you'll enjoy more. We'll have plenty of contact with curious and friendly locals. Fear not, they are outgoing and good-natured. Sometimes pens or bon-bons make nice trade or greeting gifts.
b) In busy, crazed urban scenes like the Dakar market or the Banjul/Barra ferry there are pickpockets and hustlers about, looking for the weak and careless tourist. Good time to use "secret" money belts and neck pouches for documents and dough. I think "Eagle" makes a great money-stashing belt with a zipper inside if you want to go all-out. Police checkpoints are very rare in The Gambia, and somewhat more frequent in Senegal, and are harmless. The driver takes care of the papers (and occasional bribes), and then we're on our way.
c) It's great to pack light, but a few creature comforts like lip-balm, hard candy, moleskin, TP, and you're favorite powdered Gatorade flavor can really keep you on track.
Often realistic expectations and a patient demeanor are the best guarantee of a good time--please feel free to ask us any additional questions not covered here, and enjoy your trip!
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