The green monkeys
Beside the path.
tjabeljan — CC BY 2.0 · tjabeljan — CC BY 2.0 · tjabeljan — CC BY 2.0 · Niels Elgaard Larsen - User: (WT-shared) Elgaard at wts wikivoyage — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Stefania Bertorelle — CC BY-SA 3.0
Bijilo Forest Park, often called Monkey Park, is a fenced forest on the coast just south of Kololi, about 11 km west of Banjul. Many monkeys used to visitors live here, and trails run through the forest and dunes to the sea. It is an easy outing close to the hotels. The forest was gazetted in 1952 and covers about 51 hectares. It opened to the public in 1991 and now receives over 23,000 visitors a year. It lost part of its protected status in 2018 when a conference centre was built nearby. You follow a narrow sandy path between tall Borassus palms and green bushes, the scene shifting from dense forest to coastal scrub and dunes. Green monkeys sit on branches and on the ground beside the path. A small pond serves as a watering hole for the animals, and there are benches and signs. Kololi Beach is about 1 km away in a straight line, and Serrekunda about 5.5 km. The nature trail is about 4.5 km long. Do not feed the monkeys, as they may snatch food. Carry water and a hat.
Beside the path.
Tall and straight.
To the sea.
South of Kololi on the coast, The Gambia
Not advised, as they may snatch food.
Yes, right beside the Kololi area.
