Getting to Banjul and Around by Tourist Taxi, Denton Bridge and River Ferry

All international flights land at Banjul International Airport (BJL) at Yundum on the mainland Kombo peninsula, roughly 24 km south of St Mary's Island (Banjul) and 15 to 20 km from the Atlantic coastal resorts.

From Banjul International Airport (BJL) to the coast and island

Right outside the modern curved arrivals terminal sits the official Tourist Taxi booth. Rates are fixed by destination zone and posted clearly on a board (covering Kololi, Kotu, Fajara, Cape Point, Bakau and central Banjul Island); you pay or confirm the tariff with the dispatcher and walk straight to your assigned car, reaching the coastal hotels in 20 to 25 minutes or Banjul Island in 30 to 35 minutes via the Bertil Harding Highway and Denton Bridge.

Getting around: Green Tourist Taxis versus Yellow-and-Green Town Taxis

On the road, you will immediately notice two colour-coded taxi systems:

• Green Tourist Taxis: licensed specifically by the Gambia Tourism Board to stand outside hotels, beaches and nature reserves. Drivers speak good English, know every birdwatching creek and historical landmark, and can be hired either for a single point-to-point drop or chartered for a half-day tour (for example, combining Arch 22 and Albert Market with Bakau's Kachikally Crocodile Pool while waiting for you at each stop).
• Yellow-and-Green Town Taxis (and shared Gelly-Gelly vans): used by locals for everyday hops along the main highways. They operate either as shared route taxis (where you flag one down going in your direction and pay a tiny per-seat fare) or as a private charter ("town trip") if the car is empty and you agree on the price before boarding.

Crossing the Gambia River: the Banjul-Barra Ferry and Senegambia Bridge

At the eastern waterfront of Banjul Island, large double-ended ferries carry foot passengers and vehicles five kilometres across the mouth of the Gambia River to Barra on the North Bank (for Fort Bullen and Kunta Kinteh Island); crossing takes around 35 to 45 minutes depending on the tide. If travelling overland upriver or into Senegal without waiting for the harbour ferry, the paved Senegambia Bridge at Farafenni spans the river further east.