Everyone calls it Monkey Park. Officially Bijilo Forest Park, it is 51 hectares of rhun palm forest and coastal scrub squeezed between the Senegambia hotel strip and the beach — which makes it the only significant patch of protected forest in West Africa you can walk to from a resort in ten minutes.
A raised boardwalk and sand trails loop through it in about an hour. Green vervet monkeys are everywhere and completely unbothered by people; western red colobus are higher and shier; and a resident population of Callithrix monkeys works the middle canopy. Around 130 bird species have been recorded, and the sea breeze that comes through the palms makes it several degrees cooler than the road outside.
It is the easiest wildlife experience in the country and, for anyone with an hour to spare between beach and dinner, an obvious one.
Top things to do at Bijilo Forest Park
Walk the boardwalk loop
A well-made raised walkway through the densest palm sections, then sand paths out towards the dunes. Roughly 4.5 km of trail in total, easily shortened.
Watch the vervets
The green vervet troop here is entirely habituated. Do not feed them — it is prohibited, it makes them aggressive, and the park has spent years undoing the damage of visitors who did.
Find the colobus
Western red colobus feed high and move in groups. Look for shaking branches rather than animals, and go early or late.
Birding among the palms
Grey-headed bush-shrike, Senegal parrot, hornbills, sunbirds and the occasional raptor along the dune edge.
Come out onto the beach
The seaward trails end at the dunes above Bijilo beach, which is one of the least crowded stretches on the resort coast.
How to get to Bijilo Forest Park
- Bijilo Forest Park is at the southern end of the Senegambia strip in Kololi — a 10-minute walk from most Senegambia hotels.
- From Kotu or Bakau it is 10–15 minutes by taxi.
- It appears on most full-day Banjul and coastal tours under the name “Monkey Park”.
- Open daily from morning to late afternoon; a small entry fee is payable at the gate.
Insider tips
- Do not feed the monkeys, and do not carry visible food or open bags — the vervets are opportunists.
- Early morning and the last two hours before dusk are the active periods.
- The sand trails get soft; trainers beat sandals.
- Guides at the gate work for tips and know where the colobus are feeding that week.
- It is genuinely cool inside — a good option in the middle of a hot afternoon.
Best tours for Bijilo Forest Park
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Bijilo Forest Park:
Full-day tour from US$149 7 Attractions Day Tour
- Seven headline sights in one well-paced day
- Monkey Park (Bijilo Forest) and Kachikally Crocodile Pool
Full-day tour from US$122 Banjul City & Wildlife Day Tour
- Climb Arch 22 for the best view over Banjul and the river mouth
- Gambia National Museum and the bustle of Albert Market
Birdwatching from US$108 Half-Day Birdwatching
- Dawn start — the only sensible time to bird in West Africa
- Forest hides, rice fields and creek edges around Farasutu
Bijilo Forest Park FAQs
Can you walk to Monkey Park from Senegambia?
Yes — it is at the end of the strip, about a ten-minute walk from most Kololi hotels, and one of the very few attractions in The Gambia that needs no transport at all.
How much is Bijilo Forest Park?
A small entry fee in dalasi, paid in cash at the gate. Guides are optional and tip-based.
Will I definitely see monkeys?
Green vervets, essentially yes. Red colobus are likely but not guaranteed and are usually high in the canopy.
How long is the walk?
The full trail network is about 4.5 km and takes an hour to ninety minutes. Shorter loops are clearly marked.
