When to Go
The temperatures in The Gambia remain fairly constant, with the weather being the mildest along the coastline, and the amount and duration of rainfall lessens as you head inland. November to March sees the least rain and most sun, with the mercury making a small climb during the day to peak consistently around 32°C.
The best time to travel in The Gambia for most people is from November to February, when conditions are dry and relatively cool. However, around this same time of year the dry, dusty Harmattan winds blow off the Sahara desert.
During the rainy season (June to November), popular tourist areas are less crowded, though the rains can make some of the smaller dirt roads inaccessible, and diseases such as malaria are more widespread. However, The Gambia is beautifully green and lush during the rainy season and the sun still usually makes an appearance each day during this time, with the rains generally falling during the night and early mornings.
The peak tourist season lasts from October through April, which coincides with the visits of the migratory birds.
Note: During the "off" season (from about May till October), some of the hotels and restaurants in The Gambia are closed for holidays, renovations, and/or due to lack of tourists during this time.
Public and Islamic Holidays
The Islamic calendar is a full 11 days shorter than the Gregorian (Western) calendar, so many public holidays and festivals fall about 11 days earlier each year. In November for the next few years, Ras as-Sana is the Islamic celebration of the new year. Tobaksi (Tabaski also), an important two-day festival, will be in November and late October for the next few years. Eid al-Moulid (Mawlid also) celebrates the prophet Mohammed's birthday around February. Ramadan occurs during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (for 2012 it will be in July/August). Out of deference, Muslims take neither food nor water until after sunset each day. At the end of Ramadan (called Koriteh), the fasting breaks amid much celebration.
Here are the approximate dates for 2012
1 January - New Year's Day
4 February - Eid al-Moulid (Mawlid/The Prophet's birthday)
18 February - Independence Day
3 April - Good Friday
5 April - Easter Monday
1 May - Workers Day
22 July - Revolution Day/July 22nd Celebration
15 August - Assumption Day
19 August - Koriteh, end of Ramadan
26 October - Tobaski (Tabaski/Eid-al-Adha)
25 December - Christmas Day
Other holidays can be announced often as late as the day of the holiday by the President. In addition, the last Saturday of each month is Set-settal, essentially a holiday used for cleaning the area around your compound/living area. On this day you cannot be on the roads driving from about 9am to 1pm unless you hold a specific permit. Fridays are the Muslim holy days so generally work ends or stops around 1pm for the 2pm prayer. Due to many workplaces having a half day on Friday, Saturday is often also a working day till 1pm.
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