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  4. Cruising the Rivers of West Africa (Ex Dakar)
Days
8
Price from
1950EUR
Map of Cruising the Rivers of West Africa (Ex Dakar) including Gambia and Senegal

Join Peregrine for an unforgettable 8-day adventure cruise in West Africa.

See a different side of West Africa on this spectacular adventure cruise from Senegal down into The Gambia. Explore the wild realm of the Saloum Delta, where marine turtles, crocodiles and manatees lurk. Sail to Banjul and to former St James Island to uncover the story of Kunta Kinteh. Head on up to Tendaba village, where wildlife-filled parks and wetlands are just a safari-truck or motor-pirogue ride away. Continue to Kuntaur for the chance to get up close to chimpanzees, experience lively local culture and music, visit the Wassu Stone Circles and observe local fishing-village life. Drop anchor in Banjul for a kora performance, before returning to Dakar via the dolphin-filled Gambia estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way, discover the unique traditions and lively rhythms that make West Africa such a fascinating cultural tapestry, with optional land excursions from your plush base, the Harmony G.

Start
Dakar, Senegal
Finish
Dakar, Senegal
Destinations
Gambia, Senegal
Style
Peregrine
Theme
Adventure Cruising
Code
PFWR
Physical rating
Ages
Min 7
Group size
Min 1, Max 44

Looking for trips in 2022?

Why you'll love this trip

  • Visit the Saloum Delta, a UNESCO liste Biosphere reserve and important birding area

  • Visit Kunta Kinteh, the island named after the character in Roots and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site

  • Observe chimpanzees from a motor pirogue on Baboon Island

  • Look out for dolphins in the Gambia River estuary

Is this trip right for you?

  • This trip is operated by our partners at Variety Cruises and is best suited to independent travellers who want flexibility from their itinerary. On Variety Cruises, all shore excursions are optional, so you don’t have to pay for an activity you’re not interested in. Trips operated by Variety begin at port, do not include tips and require solo travellers to pay a mandatory single supplement.

  • This is a small ship adventure cruise, which means you’ll be sailing on a yacht with 30–50 other people. The boat is spacious and comfortable, but it focuses more on the destination than on-board activities. Instead of a casino, we’ve got board games and a good book. There’s also no formal dress code to worry about. Wi-Fi is available for a small charge.

  • Our ship moves under engine power, rather than sailing, so all cabins will experience light engine noise when the ship is moving (and occasionally when we drop anchor). It’s probably worth packing earplugs if you’re a light sleeper.

  • Onshore activities and excursions will involve a bit of walking. You’ll be visiting ancient sites and historical places, and at times you may have to cross cobbled streets and uneven ground, sometimes in hot conditions. If you have any concerns, please speak to your group leader before taking part.

  • If you’re concerned about seasickness, there are seasickness tablets on-board. The ship will experience some roll and pitch in choppy conditions, however all of our ships come equipped with stabilisers to minimise movement. Most of our departures run in peak season, when the seas are calmer. Your crew will do all they can to minimise any discomfort.

  • There are no lifts (elevators) on-board our ships, so you’ll have to navigate a few steep flights of stairs. Handrails are always available.

Boats

Harmony G on a tour

Harmony G

Drop anchor and swim right off the back of this 54m Mega Yacht.

Boat type
Motor Yacht
Passengers
42
Learn more

Itinerary
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Embarkation will take place between 2pm and 6pm this afternoon. Enjoy a welcome drink and meet your fellow passengers before dinner on board. After dinner, we set sail southward towards the Saloum River Delta. Overnight at sea.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Harmony G (1 night)
Meals Included
  • Dinner

Important Birding Area as designated by Birdlife International. This area is a natural habitat for many bird species along with marine turtles and dolphins, West African manatees and crocodiles. Our optional excursion starts at the fishing village of Djiffere, disembarkation takes place by local tenders, called motor pirogues. Then we board a bus and drive to the village of Joal. During the 1.5 hours journey you can enjoy spectacular panoramic views, watch local every-day-life and might observe various species of birds. Todays sights include, granary huts on stilts, sea-shell cemetery and village of Faiouth which is on a small island made out of sea shells. After lunch we take the same road back to Djifer, stop shortly at a giant Baobab tree and return to the ship by motor pirogues. In the afternoon, we leave Senegal and the Saloum Delta and sail south to Gambia to reach Banjul, the capital of Gambia and gateway to the 700-mile Gambia River. Stay overnight in Banjul.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Harmony G (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Joal Fadiouth morning excursion (including lunch) - EUR114
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
Joal Fadiouth morning excursion – this optional excursion needs to be prebooked at least 15 days prior to embarkation, please let your sales consultant know if you would like to prebook this service. This excursion requires a minimum participation of 10 customers, for it to operate. In Case of bad weather conditions we will replace the transport by motor pirogues with larger local tenders.

The morning in Banjul there is an optional half day excursion to Bakau (with its crocodile 'kachikaly' and Botanic Garden) and a short Banjul Tour. After lunch, leave Banjul and sail upstream to Tendaba. Stay overnight at the dock in Tendaba.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Harmony G (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Banjul & Bakau morning excursion (including refreshments) - EUR42
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

From the ship we take motor pirogues in order to reach Tendaba, located on the South Bank in the Lower River Division, our starting point of our morning optional excursion. It is a small fishing village of mainly Muslim faith with approximately 600 inhabitants. From there we will walk through to Batelling, a small village at the entrance to Kiang West National Park. The area boasts of over 250 species of birds; many of which are difficult to observe anywhere else. Other residents include Guinea baboons, bushbuck, warthogs, Senegal bushbaby and marsh mongoose. After a refreshing stop in Batelling, we will board an open safari truck which brings us back to Tendaba. On the way we pass again local villages where you get an impression of local life in The Gambia. In the afternoon, we are picked-up from the ship by motor pirogues for another optional excursion to the Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve. This reserve, lying across from Kiang West National Park features six major bolongs (creeks) that provide great birding and boating opportunities. Numerous rare and migratory birds also reside here including the Pel’s fishing owl, African fin foot and brown-necked parrot. Spend the night docked in Tendaba.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Harmony G (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Tendaba Baobolong Reserve afternoon excursion - EUR34
  • Tendaba - Kiang West National Park morning excursion (including refreshments) - EUR34
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
Special Information
Please note on the optional Tendaba - Kiang West National Park morning excursion you will be required to walk approximately 5kms over uneven terrain. We recommend bringing comfortable shoes with a good grip.

Please note on the Tendaba Baobolong Reserve optional activity you will be travelling on a motor pirogue for approximately 3 hours.


Early morning we leave Tendaba and sail upstream on the Gambia River to reach Kuntaur. We arrive early afternoon in the bustling Gambian port town, the last inland stop along the river that is navigable for ocean-going ships. Later in the afternoon we board a large motor pirogue for a 3 hour optional excursion on The Gambia River. First we head to the southernmost tip of Baboon Island, one of the five islands of The Gambia National Park. There a local national park ranger will join us onboard to talk about the park and its fauna & flora. Then we turn, downstream to motor slowly back to Kuntaur following closely the shores of Baboon Island. This island is home of the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project. If we are lucky, we can closely observe the chimps from the water with minimal intrusion. There is also the possibility of seeing hippos, crocodiles, Red Colobus, Green Vervet monkeys and also The Gambia’s famous birdlife. We return to Kuntaur where we are met by the “Kankurang” and a local dance group on the pier. Believed to have spiritual powers the “Kankurang” dispenses justice and wards off evil spirits. Overnight docked in Kuntaur.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Harmony G (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Kuntaur Gambia National Park afternoon excursion - EUR83
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

This morning, our optional excursion by bus takes us to the ferry station of Janjanbureh. There we board the local ferry for a short cruise over The Gambia River to Janjanbureh. We continue our excursion with a visit of one of the oldest towns of The Gambia, formerly called Georgetown. During the walk you get an impression of this laidback town and see the residence of the governor, the market and the Methodist church with its school. Afterwards we take the ferry back and re board the bus to reach Lamin Koto. Through the generosity of Variety Cruises and of many of its clients, a new school building is being built. Later in the morning we stop at the mysterious stone circles in Wassu, a megalithic site believed to be a burial ground thousands of years ago. You will visit the little museum of this archaeological site, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. In the afternoon, after lunch, we sail downstream to Kaur a small fishing village on the banks of the Gambia. You will have the opportunity to walk around this small community and see how Gambians live today. In the evening we leave Kaur and sail downstream towards Banjul. Enjoy a captains farewell dinner tonight.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Harmony G (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • Kuntaur Janianbureh & Wassu Stones morning excursion - EUR96
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

This morning we anchor at St James Island in the middle of the Gambia River. The first settlers on the island arrived in 1651 and under the British rule it became an important slave trading post in The Gambia. In 1976 St James Island became famous due to the author Alex Haley and its bestseller book 'Roots' and the story of a slave, called Kunta Kinteh. The island was recently renamed Kunta Kinteh Island and is now a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. We will have the option of taking a walking tour. After disembarking by local tenders your local guide will tell you more about the history of James Island and afterwards you will have some time to explore this island by yourself. After lunch, we leave "Kunta Kinteh" to reach Banjul around 4pm.  After formalities, later in the evening, we will sail out of the Gambia estuary into the Atlantic Ocean northwards to Dakar. Tonight is Gambian Night with Kora instrument Concert. Overnight at sea to Dakar.
Accommodation
  • M/Y Harmony G (1 night)
Optional Activities
  • James Island/Kunta Kinteah morning excursion - EUR17
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Disembarkation will take place at about 9am today, after breakfast
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Want to tailor this itinerary?

Meals

7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners

Transport

Small Cruise Ship

Accommodation

Small Cruise Ship, 7 nights

Dates & availability - 2021 season

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Important notes

Your voyage is operated by our partner company, Variety Cruises.

SHORE EXCURSIONS
Shore Excursions are not included in the cost of the cruise and are payable on board the ship in Euros. A description of the excursion on offer is included in the day to day itinerary.

DAY TWO OPTIONAL EXCURSION
Joal Fadiouth morning excursion – this optional excursion needs to be prebooked at least 15 days prior to embarkation, please let your sales consultant know if you would like to prebook this service. This excursion requires a minimum participation of 10 customers, for it to operate. In Case of bad weather conditions we will replace the transport by motor pirogues with larger local tenders.

SINGLE TRAVELLERS
It is not possible to share with a stranger on a Variety Cruises voyage and single travellers must pay the Single Occupancy rate.

MINIMUM AGE
Children from the age of 7 can be accommodated on these voyages. Each boat has one cabin category that will accommodate a 3rd person allowing for triple sharing. Any child under the age of 18 must share with an adult.

Essential trip information

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