What's on in Banjul, Gambia through the year

Busy — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Birdwatching season (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)), Harmattan haze (1 Dec – 1 Mar (usually))

Busy — Independence Day, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Independence Day

  18 FebNational holidayClosuresCrowded

  The 18 February holiday is the one day the small island capital fills up: a stadium parade, schools marching, ministries and banks closed. The ferry queue to Barra is worth avoiding that morning. Source ↗

Still on: Birdwatching season (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)), Harmattan haze (1 Dec – 1 Mar (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Birdwatching season (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually)), Harmattan haze (1 Dec – 1 Mar (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in April.

Busy — Tobaski, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Tobaski

  5 May – 5 Jun · usuallyRamadan & EidClosuresCrowded

  Eid al-Adha is the year's biggest family day. Rams change hands for weeks beforehand, transport upcountry is impossible for a couple of days, and offices shut. The date moves about eleven days earlier each year. Source ↗

Busy — Tobaski, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Closure

  Green season closures

  1 Jun – 31 Oct · usually

  The coast's charter season ends with the rains, and some hotels, beach bars and tour outfits close until October or November. Plenty stay open at lower prices, so check before booking rather than assuming. Source ↗

Still on: Tobaski (5 May – 5 Jun (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Green season closures (1 Jun – 31 Oct (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Hazard

  Malaria peak

  1 Aug – 30 Nov · usuallyInsects & disease

  Transmission follows the single rainy season, and cases climb from late August to a peak around October. Prophylaxis, repellent and nets matter most in these months, including the first weeks of the dry season. Source ↗

Still on: Green season closures (1 Jun – 31 Oct (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Green season closures (1 Jun – 31 Oct (usually)), Malaria peak (1 Aug – 30 Nov (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Green season closures (1 Jun – 31 Oct (usually)), Malaria peak (1 Aug – 30 Nov (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Nature

  Birdwatching season

  1 Nov – 31 Mar · usuallyBirdlife season

  European migrants join the residents on the Tanbi mangroves and the river creeks either side of the capital from November. Guides work out of the coastal hotels; the birds are on the mud early and gone by mid-morning. Source ↗

Still on: Malaria peak (1 Aug – 30 Nov (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

• Season

  Harmattan haze

  1 Dec – 1 Mar · usuallyDust season

  Saharan dust drifts down the coast through the cool months and flattens the light for days at a time. It is the reason a dry January afternoon here can still look grey from the ferry. Source ↗

Still on: Birdwatching season (1 Nov – 31 Mar (usually))