Sustainable Travel · Gambia
Eco-Friendly Hotels in River Gambia National Park — Your 2026 Guide to Sustainable Stays
River Gambia National Park is the Gambia's wildest secret: a chain of river islands — the Baboon Islands — in the middle reaches of the Gambia River, protected since 1979 as a sanctuary for rescued and rehabilitated chimpanzees. The park's five islands are home to around 100 chimpanzees living in semi-wild family groups, and the only way to see them is from a boat on the river, where they forage on the shoreline, build nests, and raise infants under the eyes of researchers. Around the islands, the river itself teems with hippos, manatees, crocodiles, and hundreds of bird species. It's an intimate, untouristed wildlife experience — and every IMPT booking removes 1 tonne of CO₂ at the same rate as Booking.com.
Where to Stay in River Gambia National Park
Janjanbureh (Georgetown) Lodges
Janjanbureh, the historic river island town about 280 km upriver from Banjul, is the classic base for the park. It has a handful of simple lodges and guesthouses — colonial-era buildings, river views, and the friendly atmosphere of a small town that was once the Gambia's capital. Boat trips to the Baboon Islands leave from Janjanbureh or the nearby Kuntaur landing, and local guides are superb.
Kuntaur & the North Bank Guesthouses
On the river's north bank, the town of Kuntaur is the closest practical base to the park, with simple guesthouses and the main boat landing for the islands. Staying here means short boat transfers, easy access to the Wassu stone circles (a UNESCO-listed megalithic site), and the quiet rhythms of river life. Facilities are basic — think fans, local food, and early starts.
Kiang West & the Lower River Stays
Travellers combining the river with the coast often stay at one of the lodges along the lower river or at Kiang West National Park's edge, then do the Baboon Islands as a long day trip or overnight. These lodges — a mix of eco-camps and village guesthouses — offer birdwatching walks, pirogue trips, and a genuine sense of the Gambia beyond the beach resorts.
Every River Gambia National Park-area booking on IMPT retires 1 tonne of verified carbon credits on-chain — funded from our commission, never added to your rate. Search River Gambia National Park hotels now →
The Chimpanzee Islands and the River Life Around Them
The Baboon Islands sanctuary was established in 1979 by Stella Brewer and Janis Carter, who pioneered the rehabilitation of captive chimpanzees back into the wild — a project that became one of Africa's longest-running conservation stories. Today the sanctuary, managed by the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project under the Gambian government, cares for over 100 chimpanzees in five groups across the islands, including wild-born orphans and confiscated pets. Visitors don't land on the islands (a biosecurity measure protecting the chimps from human disease) — instead, boat tours cruise the channels while chimps feed and play on the shorelines, often within a few dozen metres.
The river around the islands is its own safari. Hippos surface in the deep channels, West African manatees cruise the shallows, and Nile crocodiles bask on sandbars. The birdlife is exceptional: African fish eagles, pied kingfishers, bee-eaters, and, in season, huge flocks of migratory waders. Combine the boat trip with the nearby Wassu stone circles — mysterious megalithic tombs dating back over 1,000 years — and the town of Janjanbureh's colonial history for a full picture of the middle river. Book your Gambia hotels through IMPT and every night removes 1 tonne of CO₂ on-chain.
How IMPT Makes Your River Gambia National Park 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 River Gambia National Park 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 offers the same rate as Booking.com on the same room, with carbon removal built in. 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 River Gambia National Park booking
- 5% back on every stay — 3% funds carbon projects, 2% as travel credit
- 8M+ hotels worldwide, 195 countries — River Gambia National Park is just the start
- Free cancellation on most rates, typically up to 48 hours before check-in
Beyond Hotels — More Ways IMPT Works in River Gambia National Park
Shop through IMPT's 25,000+ retail partners for cashback on purchases that also offset carbon. Send someone a trip credit gift to visit River Gambia National Park — 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
Where is River Gambia National Park and how do I get there?
The park is on the Gambia River, about 280 km upriver from Banjul near the town of Kuntaur. From Banjul, it's a 3.5–4 hour drive on good roads, or a scenic river journey by boat (2–3 days with stops). Most visitors base at Janjanbureh or Kuntaur and take a local boat to the islands.
Can I see the chimpanzees up close?
You'll see them from the boat — often within 20–50 metres as they feed and play on the shorelines. Landing on the islands is not permitted, to protect the chimps from human diseases. Bring binoculars; morning and late afternoon trips give the best viewing and light.
When is the best time to visit the Baboon Islands?
November–April (dry season) is best: sunny days, low water that concentrates wildlife near the channels, and comfortable temperatures. The wet season (June–October) is greener and quieter but boat access can be affected by high water and wind.
What else is there to see around the park?
The Wassu stone circles (UNESCO-listed, about 20 km away) are a must — mysterious megalithic monuments over 1,000 years old. Janjanbureh town has colonial-era buildings and a museum, and the north bank's villages offer pirogue trips, birdwatching, and cultural visits. Kiang West National Park is a day trip to the south.
Is River Gambia National Park good for birdwatching?
Excellent. Over 400 bird species occur in the Gambia, and the river islands are one of the best sites: African fish eagles, kingfishers, herons, egrets, hornbills, and — in the dry season — large numbers of Palearctic migrants. A guided boat trip with a local birder can easily produce 60–80 species in a morning.
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