The Central River Division's Niamina East district is home to the River Gambia National Park, which opened its doors in 1978. It is located on the Gambia River's left bank. One main island and four smaller islands make up the 585 ha (1,450 acres) Baboon Islands archipelago, which is a part of the park. It is one of the best places to visit in Banjul. The public cannot enter the national park. Nyassang Forest Park is close to River Gambia National Park. The two parks are shown as a single region on some maps.

The country is literally a narrow strip of land to each side of the river, which is called "The Gambia". The phrase "The Gambia River is the Gambia and the Gambia is the river Gambia" is used frequently. It is a popular tourist destination and the main feature that cuts through the center of the nation. This 1,130 km (700 mi) long watercourse in West Africa rises in the Fouta Djallon plateau in Northern Guinea and flows primarily northwest into SE Senegal before turning west and cutting through The Gambia to reach the Atlantic Ocean at Banjul. The majority of the river's length can be navigated. Georgetown (Janjangbureh), located about 175 miles (280 km) upstream, is reachable by ocean-going vessels.

Entry into the islands is prohibited for the safety of the inhabitants and tourists since chimpanzees can be very hostile toward people. Exceptions can only be made with government permission. In 1998, even boat travel between the islands was significantly curtailed. Some people have tried to steal chimpanzees from the park in the past.

Location: Niamina East district of Central River Division.

Tripadvisor Rating: 4.5/5.0

The Gambia's Arch 22 is a memorial arch on the way to Banjul. It is one of the best places to visit in Banjul. It was constructed in 1996 to commemorate the military takeover of the democratically elected Gambian government of President Sir Dawda Jawara on July 22, 1994, carried out by Yahya Jammeh and his Armed Forces Interim Ruling Council. At the crossroads of Box Bar Road, Independence Drive, and Marina Parade, close to the traffic island on the Banjul-Serrekunda Highway, is the location of the arch. Towards the base of the arch is a statue of the "unknown soldier," who is depicted holding a baby in one arm while making the V-sign in the other, a rifle strapped to his back. On the reverse of the 100-dalas notes is a picture of Arch 22.

The African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, Senegal, and the Yundum International Airport in Banjul were also planned by Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby, who also created the arch. At 35 meters, the arch is one of the tallest buildings in the Gambia. The three-story structure has eight columns supporting it. There are multiple elevators and spiral staircases that provide access to the top floors. The first floor is situated halfway up the columns. A stunning view of the city can be seen from the gallery on the second level, which also offers a look down over Banjul's seaport and the mangrove woods of Tanbi Wetland Complex. A tiny textile museum is located on the upper floor.

Location: FC69+42M, Banjul, Gambia

Tripadvisor Rating: 4.1/5.0

A forest park in the Gambia called Bijilo Forest Park also referred to as Monkey Park, is located in the coastal region about 11 kilometers west of Banjul in the Kombo Saint Mary District. A walled woodland with a variety of species, the 51.3-hectare Bijilo Forest Park was gazetted in 1952 and is located on the seashore just south of Kololi in Senegambia. With a substantial concentration of Borassus aethiopum palms, the park is primarily made up of closed canopy forests. Since the park's public opening in 1991, it has seen an increase in annual attendance to over 23,000 people. During the development of the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center in 2018, the park lost some of its reserve designations.

There are many different types of insects, reptiles, and mammals in Bijilo Forest Park. There are groups of green monkeys, patas, Campbell's mona monkeys, Temminck's red colobus monkeys, and green monkeys. Visitors have fed the monkeys, which has produced problems. The park is ostensibly trying to halt this practice, but employees continue to frequently sell visitors peanuts to feed the monkeys. There is also a colony of Senegal bushbabies, which are nocturnal. The Gambian sun squirrel, African civet, genets, mongooses, and brush-tailed porcupine, among other smaller, less obvious species, are other mammal species that can be seen. A variety of colorful insects and invertebrates, such as fire ants, dragonflies, termites, butterflies, and the golden silk orb-weaver, as well as a rich reptile fauna, including agama, rainbow, and monitor lizards, call the forest home.

Location: C7H9+CCX, Serrekunda, Gambia

Tripadvisor Rating: 4.0/5.0

The Albert Market is a street market in Banjul, The Gambia, that was originally referred to as Royal Albert Market, which is one of the best places to visit in Banjul. The market, which is on Liberation Avenue, was constructed in the middle of the nineteenth century. It has the name of Albert, Prince Consort, who ruled the Gambia during the colonial era and was the spouse of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

The locals can buy anything they could possibly need at the wholesale and retail market, from clothing to hardware. The scale of the tourist market and artisan stalls, which serve the tourist sector, is astounding, and there is a wide selection. Before you have seen it all, the crowds and jostling may aggravate you, but you are only a short distance from the river or the African Heritage Centre, where you can rest for a while. The market in Banjul is a must-see attraction for tourists, but Serrekunda is just as wonderful, if not better. A complete mini-community lives on the foreshore in improvised homes as pirogues cut across the river and big ferry boats come and go.

Location: FC3H+GJC, Banjul, Gambia

Tripadvisor Rating: 4.0/5.0

In the Gambia, south of the village of Abuko, is a nature reserve known as Abuko National Park. It is a well-liked tourist destination and the first officially recognized wildlife reserve in the nation. The Lamin Stream, which runs through the reserve, was fenced to create a water gathering site in 1916, marking the first time the area received some level of protection. The number of animals and plants in the forest increased as a result of the stream's confinement.

When wildlife inspector Eddie Brewer and his daughter Stella Marsden traveled to the region in 1967, they became aware of the significance of the forest and its fauna for conservation. Brewer asked the government to put the region under protection. The reserve was home to the Department of Wildlife, which is now known as the Gambia Department of Parks and Wildlife Management.

Vervet, red colobus, and patas monkeys are the three types of monkeys. In addition to these mammals, there are also antelope, squirrels, porcupines, African palm civets, mongooses, galagos, and many rodent species, including cane rats. The monitor lizard, Nile crocodile, dwarf crocodile, spitting cobra, black cobra, python, puff adder, and green mamba are some of the reptiles found in the park. The forest is home to more than 270 different bird species. Many moths and butterflies are also present. There are many enclosures at one end of the area that house needy animals, including one that houses a pack of hyenas.

Location: FC69+42M, Banjul, Gambia

Tripadvisor Rating: 4.0/5.0