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Gambia Vibes · Destinations · Near the coast

Two wildlife sites, a short drive from the beach hotels, and very different. Abuko is a patch of real gallery forest, the country's first nature reserve, where monkeys crash through the canopy and crocodiles lie still in a green pool. Kachikally, in the middle of Bakau, is a sacred pool full of crocodiles that people have prayed to for centuries, and that tourists now pat on the head.

Abuko Nature Reserve

As far back as 1916 the colonial authorities fenced the Lamin Stream here as a water-collection point. Protected by the fence, the forest grew back and wildlife returned. In 1967 Eddie Brewer visited with his daughter Stella, recognised what the forest had become, and asked the government to protect it. In 1968 Abuko became the country's first officially designated wildlife reserve.

It is small, just 107 hectares, but inside it you are in a different world from the beach: tall trees, vines, a cool green pool, and noise everywhere. More than 270 bird species have been recorded here.

What you will see

• Monkeys: green vervets, red colobus moving high in the trees, and sometimes patas monkeys
• Crocodiles: Nile crocodiles and the rarer dwarf crocodile, often seen from the hide at the Bamboo Pool
• Birds: turacos, kingfishers, hornbills, sunbirds, herons; bring binoculars
• Others: monitor lizards, squirrels, bushbuck and duiker if you are quiet and lucky; snakes, including cobras and green mambas, live here too, so stay on the paths
• The animal orphanage: enclosures at one end of the reserve hold animals in need of care, including hyenas

This is also where The Gambia's chimpanzee story began. The orphan chimps were housed at Abuko before they moved to the River Gambia National Park.

Visiting Abuko

• Go early in the morning, when birds and monkeys are most active and the heat is low.
• Walk the circuit trail; allow two to three hours.
• Wear closed shoes and stay on the paths.
• A local bird guide makes a huge difference. Agree the fee first.
• Bring water and repellent.

Kachikally crocodile pool

In the heart of Bakau, behind walls and a gate, lies a pool surrounded by trees, and around it, crocodiles. Kachikally is one of three sacred crocodile pools in The Gambia used for fertility rituals. The others are Folonko in Kombo South and Berending on the north bank. It is owned by the Bojang family, one of the founding families of Bakau.

For generations, women who could not have children have come here to pray and to wash with the pool's water. People come for luck, for healing, for success. Behind the tourist entrance, Kachikally is still a living sacred place, and that is worth remembering when you walk in.

There are an estimated 80 crocodiles, many of them lying motionless on the banks and paths. They are fed and used to people, and visitors are allowed to approach and even touch some of them. The site also has a small museum with traditional objects, musical instruments and displays on Gambian culture.

How to get there

Kachikally is in Bakau, 10 to 15 minutes from Kololi or Kotu by taxi, and easy to combine with a visit to Banjul. Abuko is inland, on the road towards Brikama, about 20 to 30 minutes from the coast. Use a green tourist taxi or a guided half-day tour. Many tours combine Abuko with Lamin Lodge and the mangroves. See getting around The Gambia.

Sacred crocodiles across West Africa

Kachikally is not unique. Sacred crocodile ponds are found across West Africa, and Ghana has its own famous one at Paga in the Upper East Region, where crocodiles and people have lived side by side for generations, and the story of the ancestors explains why. If you have been to one, the other will feel strangely familiar.

Sources: Abuko Nature Reserve. Kachikally Museum and Crocodile Pool. The Point, "Kachikally pool: spiritual and social by nature".

Gambia Vibes · Part of the Ghana-Net network · Updated and fact-checked: 6 November 2026