Sustainable Travel · Gambia
Eco-Friendly Hotels in Janjanbureh (Georgetown) — River Gambia 2026 | IMPT
Janjanbureh — still widely known as Georgetown, its colonial name — occupies a sandstone escarpment on MacCarthy Island in the middle of the Gambia River, about 280 kilometres upstream from the Atlantic coast. This is the Gambia that first-time visitors rarely see: a landscape of wide river channels, mangrove islands, and the vast gallery forests of River Gambia National Park, where chimpanzees introduced through a rehabilitation programme now live wild on three protected islands. Janjanbureh itself is a slow, dusty town of colonial-era architecture (the 1843 Anglican church, the 1823 slave-trade-restricted port), where life moves at the rhythm of the river: the ferry from the south bank, the weekly market, the evening call to prayer from the central mosque. For eco-travellers, this is the most rewarding inland base in The Gambia — quiet, genuinely local, and surrounded by one of West Africa's most accessible intact ecosystems. Book through IMPT, and every hotel night removes 1 tonne of CO₂ at the same price as standard booking sites.
Chimpanzee Rehabilitation on the River Islands
The single most compelling attraction near Janjanbureh is the chimpanzee rehabilitation project on the three islands of River Gambia National Park. Originally part of a rescue programme begun in the 1970s by Stella Brewer, the project now hosts over 60 chimpanzees living in semi-wild conditions across protected forested islands accessible only by boat. Visitors join a guided river tour departing from Janjanbureh's jetty, motoring 30 minutes downstream past hippo pools and crocodile-basking sandbars before entering the chimpanzee sanctuary zone. Viewing is from the boat-only — no land access — and the chimps are completely unhabituated to human presence, meaning each sighting is genuine and unpredictable. Groups of 8–20 individuals forage through the riparian forest, infants riding on mothers' backs, dominant males displaying through the canopy. The boat guides are trained by the Gambia Department of Parks and Wildlife Management and provide detailed commentary on each chimp's history — many of the older animals arrived from European zoos or bushmeat rescue operations. The tour costs 500 dalasi (€8) per person and lasts 2–3 hours.
Birdlife, River Life, and Colonial History
The Gambia River at Janjanbureh is one of West Africa's premier birding locations. Over 300 species have been recorded in the immediate area, including African fish eagles, giant kingfishers, saddle-billed storks, and blue-breasted bee-eaters. The dry season (November–May) concentrates bird populations around the shrinking waterholes and river channels, making sightings dense. A boat trip before 8 AM or after 4 PM will yield the best returns, with the canopy along the south bank particularly active for forest species.
On land, Janjanbureh's colonial heritage is concentrated in a handful of surviving buildings. The 1843 Anglican Church of St. Mary's is one of the oldest Christian buildings in mainland Gambia, its iron roof and ochre walls reflecting the architectural style brought by freed slaves from Sierra Leone. The Janjanbureh Museum, housed in the former colonial prison (1910), documents the island's role as a trading post and administrative centre. The weekly market — Saturday mornings — brings river communities from both banks, with pirogues unloading fresh fish, garden vegetables, and bundles of firewood at the jetty steps. Accommodation ranges from the government-run Janjanbureh Camp (€10–15 basic huts) to the Bird Safari Camp (€35–50 with river views).
How IMPT Makes Your Janjanbureh Stay Carbon-Negative
Here's the maths. An average hotel night produces roughly 35 kg of CO₂ — from air conditioning, laundry, lighting, and food service. When you book any Janjanbureh hotel through IMPT, we retire 1,000 kg of UN-verified carbon removal credits. That's 28 times what your stay produces. Not carbon-neutral — carbon-negative.
The cost to you? Zero. IMPT funds the removal from its booking commission. You pay the standard nightly rate — in fact, IMPT costs the same as Booking.com on the same room. The carbon credits are tokenised on Ethereum, retired against a named project, with a public retire code anyone can verify. No double-counting. No greenwashing. Just verified carbon removal, every night.
- €5 free credit when you sign up — applied to your first Janjanbureh booking
- 5% back on every stay — 3% funds carbon projects, 2% as travel credit
- 8M+ hotels worldwide, 195 countries — Janjanbureh is just the start
- Free cancellation on most rates, typically up to 48 hours before check-in
Beyond Hotels — More Ways IMPT Works in Gambia
Shop through IMPT's 25,000+ retail partners for cashback on purchases that also offset carbon. Send someone a trip credit gift to visit Janjanbureh — IMPT plants trees with named farmers, GPS-tagged and photo-verified.
For business travel, IMPT's B2B Corporate Travel platform gives you exclusive rates, automatic ESG reporting, and a single dashboard tracking every booking's carbon impact. Companies with CSRD compliance needs get automated sustainability reporting out of the box.
Interested in running IMPT in Gambia? Country Ownership offers 50% revenue share on every transaction from Gambia-registered users, with 8% APY staking yield. Book a call →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reach Janjanbureh from Banjul?
The most scenic route is by river — Gambia River tours from Banjul take 7–9 hours and cost 1,500–2,500 dalasi (€25–40) including lunch. By road, shared bush taxis from Banjul's Brikama Garage run via the South Bank Road to the Janjanbureh ferry crossing (4–5 hours, 500 dalasi/€8). The ferry across to the island runs continuously during daylight hours.
When is the best time for chimpanzee viewing?
November to May, dry season, is best. Chimpanzees are more active in the cooler mornings (7–10 AM). Boat tours run year-round but the chimp islands are less reliably visited during the June–October rainy season when river levels are high and vegetation is dense.
Is Janjanbureh accessible during the rainy season?
Yes, but with more difficulty. The South Bank Road can develop deep potholes, and the ferry crossing becomes busier with local traffic. November–February is the most comfortable window. The river itself is higher in wet season, which changes the chimpanzee viewing experience.
What else is there to do beyond the chimp sanctuary?
River Gambia National Park offers hippo-spotting boat trips, excellent birdwatching along the Baboon Islands stretch, guided walks through gallery forest, and cultural visits to Mandinka villages on the south bank where you can watch traditional tie-dye production and palm-wine tapping.
How does IMPT carbon removal work for Janjanbureh bookings?
Every hotel night in Janjanbureh booked through IMPT retires 1 tonne of UN-verified CO₂ — 28 times the 35kg an average hotel night produces. The cost is borne by IMPT's booking commission, not your rate. The credit is retired on Ethereum with a public code. Same price as Booking.com. New members get €5 free credit.
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