Located 16 kilometres from Banjul are 80 or so crocodiles residing in
the Kachikally Crocodile Pool in the heart of Bakau. The Banjul Ferry Guesthouse located in Liberation Avenue is a cheap and
convenient accommodation at about £5 a night.
To get to Bakau there are minibuses which pass by every 10 minutes and
the actual travel time is only about 30 minutes. Once you arrive in Bakau
proceed to the Bakau Crafts Market and ask the friendly locals there how to get
to the pools. But before you go, you might want first to do some shopping
in this market for souvenirs. There are over 50 stalls here selling sand
paintings, batik and jewelry.
The entrance fee to the crocodile pools is about £1.
Infertile women travel from far and wide to be bathed in one of the pools by
women from the Bojang clan which owns the pools. Then they
are given a bottle of the sacred water with the instructions to apply these on
their body parts before going to bed and first thing in the morning. The
bathers are expected to make a cash donation in exchange, give a piece and cola
nut which is given to the elders in the clan. These Nile
crocodiles are so tame that they are allowed to roam around the area and can
even be petted. No need to fear though because their diet since they seem
to prefer fish over red meat. Still, don't take any chances.
Since you are already in the vicinity also drop by the Bakau Botanical Garden situated at the end of the craft market. The entrance fee is only about £1. Some of the shrubs and trees here are indigenous to the country and if you are lucky you may spot some exotic birds. This is a destination which you can savor as it is not so crowded because tourists usually overlook going to the gardens. Be sure to bring your binoculars with you for this trip.
