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Voykit pocket guide · The Gambia

Bintang

Visit Bintang for a day only; skip overnight – bus 1 h from Brikama, lodge rooms 650–800 D, mangrove setting.

Bintang is a small riverside village with a single lodge on the Bintang Bolong. It is reachable by a 1‑hour bus from Brikama and offers basic accommodation and mangrove‑set boat trips. There are no major attractions beyond the lodge, so a day visit is sufficient.

BrikamaBrufutGunjurJanjanburehJuffurehKunta Kinteh IslandSerekundaTanjiYundumBintang50 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
The Gambia
Best months
Nov–Apr
Avoid
Jun–Oct (rainy season, high tide may limit access)
Stay
0–1 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
GMD
Money
Currency is the Gambian dalasi (GMD), about 70–75 per US$ (check). Cards work in larger hotels; most other payments are cash.
Daily spend
Budget D1,000–1,800 excl. bed (check) · Mid D1,800–3,500 excl. bed (check) · High D3,500+ excl. bed (check) (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Africell, QCell and Gamcel SIMs sold at the airport and shops; passport registration.
Emergency
Police 117 · Ambulance 116 · Fire 118
Plugs
Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · UK three-pin; power cuts happen — hotels have generators.
Tipping
Restaurant: 10% if no service charge.; Guide day: 300–500 GMD or €5–10.; Driver day: 300–500 GMD.
Water
Not drinkable from the tap; bottled water everywhere.
Toilets
Western toilets in hotels; basic elsewhere.

Get in

By air

BJL · Banjul International (Yundum)
Nearest airport, about 30 km (19 mi) west; bus or shared taxi via Brikama, roughly 1.5–2 h (check)

Typical fares

Brikama → Bintang bus
about 40 Dalasis, ~1 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

Take a direct bus from Brikama (≈1 h, ~40 Dalasis). Within the village walk to the lodge; boat trips arranged locally.

See and do

Known for

  • Bintang Bolong Lodge
  • Mangrove‑stilted setting
  • Boat trips on the Bintang Bolong

Day trips

WhereHowTime
BrikamaDirect bus from Bintang, about 1 hAbout 1 h
GunjurBus or shared taxi via Brikama, then south to the coast2–2.5 h
TanjiBus to Brikama, then west along the coast road2.5–3 h
SerekundaBus to Brikama, then a second bus or shared taxi north2.5–3 h
JanjanburehSouth-bank road east via Soma, usually with a change4–5 h
Kunta Kinteh IslandRoad west to Juffureh, then a boat3–4 h

Sleep

Bintang Bolong Lodge
Rooms 650–800 Dalasis; on stilts in mangroves, fresh‑fish meals and boat trips.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
Excuse me / SorryAfuwana-fu-wan
Thank youJerejefje-re-je-f
How much is it?Kadi a be?ka-di a be?
Where is the toilet?Koto be?ko-to be?

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Take time over hellos; avoid: Rushing into requests
  • Hands: Right hand only; avoid: Left-hand giving
  • Dress: Cover up in towns; avoid: Beachwear in Banjul
  • Bumsters: Firm, friendly no; avoid: Anger

Scams and watch-outs

  • High tide can flood low‑lying paths; check with the lodge before arrival.
  • Limited services – bring cash and supplies.

Bintang is a quiet village and the usual risks are practical, not criminal: unlit roads after dark, livestock on the road, and cash-only services. Carry small notes, keep to the lodge after dark, and treat the river as tidal water — currents and the mangrove channels are not for casual swimming.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Bintang yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Bintang Bolong Lodge
  • Mangrove‑stilted setting
  • Boat trips on the Bintang Bolong

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Bintang

Kafu n'na, baŋ

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

US consulate in Banjul (check address); other embassies in Dakar.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/bintang). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.