Transportation

The Gambia does not have regular public transportation service in the sense of regular bus lines. To move around you will have to choose one of the following options:

1.Rental cars

We have not really used this option and honestly seeing the way people drive in The Gambia I am most certainly happy with that. Nevertheless, there is such an option and for sure this will give you the most freedom.

2. Green cabs

Green cabs are so called "touristic" taxis. They work just like regular taxis in Europe taking you from point A to B without stopping on the way with just one difference: there are no official rates. There is no device calculating the distance and no specific price per km. Remember to agree on the price before you get in the taxi. Also, keep in mind that this is the most expensive way to travel around The Gambia. We have used the green taxi once from the airport to our hostel the first night and paid 800 Dalasi which was definitely way too much. There are no official taxi places, just wave at one and it will stop.

3. Yellow cabs

These are kind of shared taxis that locals use. Much cheaper than green taxis but you will stop a few times because you are sharing the taxi with others. You may also end up holding somebody's kid which may not be an obvious thing to do in a European taxi. Again, no official rate, always agree on the price before getting on the taxi. Also again, no official taxi spots, just wave at the driver. The prices will vary somewhere between 50-100 Dalasi per person inside the city, with touristic places raising the prices to even twice or three times as much.

Here is what they look like

4. Gelegele

Mini buses that in most countries are supposed to be 9 seaters but in The Gambia they are "however many fit" seaters. The cheapest way to move around, the least comfortable and the most adventurous one! Definitely our favourite mean of transport. You can meet many locals there, talk to them and really feel the local culture. Again, you have very high chances of being tasked with holding a kid on your lap. As always, no standard prices and no official stops (apart from a few main places called garage). You will usually not see tourists using gelegele but we definitely recommend it. It was an adventure in itself and not using them we would lose out on so many great stories! Prices are really low, usually you will pay somewhere around 15-25 Dalasi per person for a longer route (i.e. Brikama to Kafuta).

To get on the gelegele you again need to wave at the driver and tell him the direction you're going when he slows down. You hop on if this is where he's going or try to catch a different one. There are dozens of them constantly so for sure you will get something. To get out just knock anywhere on the car and the driver will stop.