Experience the best of Banjul

Banjul occupies St Mary's Island at the mouth of the Gambia River, where the river meets the Atlantic, linked to the mainland by causeways and ferries. The British founded it as Bathurst in 1816, and the name lasted until 1973. Arch 22, a ceremonial gateway with a viewing platform and a small museum, rises over the main road into town, and the streets behind hold low colonial buildings and mosques.

Albert Market, in the middle of town, sells fabrics, spices, fruit and crafts. The National Museum of The Gambia tells the story of the river and its peoples. A ferry crosses to Barra on the north bank, and upriver Kunta Kinteh Island, a UNESCO site with the ruins of a fort, is linked to Alex Haley's novel Roots. Along the coast, Bakau and Kotu have beaches, and Abuko Nature Reserve has monkeys, crocodiles and birds.

Domoda, a stew of beef or chicken in a rich peanut sauce, and benachin, a one-pot dish of rice, vegetables and fish or meat, are the dishes of the country, and fresh fish from the river and ocean is grilled over charcoal. The dry season from November to May has the best weather, and the rains arrive between July and October.