Medical Issues: (Always consult your doctor first.) Important Long-term Vaccinations:- Yellow Fever: Vaccination, which is valid for 10 years, is strongly advised. If you are planning to travel to neighbouring Senegal a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is essential. Hepatitis B: This is a major health risk, particularly to those working with medical patients, survey subjects or laboratory specimens in The Gambia (over 10% of the population carry the virus). Hepatitis A : Three doses of vaccine are strongly recommended before arrival in The Gambia. Tetanus Toxoid: A single booster dose is strongly recommended every 5-10 years. Human Diploid Cell Rabies vaccine: Rabies is endemic in The Gambia. Two intra-dermal doses one month apart are strongly recommended before arrival in The Gambia. A booster dose is required every three years. Diphtheria & Whooping Cough: Both commonly occur so it is therefore it is recommended that babies receive the normal course of 3 doses of triple vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough) before departure to The Gambia. BCG: This gives some protection against Tuberculosis, which is common in The Gambia. It is, therefore, advisable for children and adults to have BCG vaccination before departure for The Gambia. Cholera vaccine: This is of limited value. Typhoid: A single dose provides protection for three years when a booster is recommended. Meningococcal meningitis: Single dose It is advisable that you have the vaccination status of yourself and your family reviewed every 3 years Malaria Chemoprophylaxis: You and your family should take malaria prophylaxis routinely, particularly from July to December (the rainy season). There are several options - Mefloquine (Lariam) 2 tablets weekly; OR Chloroquine,2 tablets (300 mg) weekly AND Proguanil (Paludrine),2 tablets (200 mg) daily; OR Pyrimethamine (Daraprim) 25 mg weekly OR doxycycline 100 mg daily. These are adult doses and should be reduced appropriately for children. Anti-malarials should be started 3 days before departing for The Gambia and should be continued for 4 weeks after your departure. No prophylaxis provides complete protection against malaria. Your accommodation must have mosquito screens on all the windows; further protection is obtained by sleeping under an insecticide-soaked bed net and using DEET repellants. General advice It is recommended that you boil and filter all drinking water, particularly outside the Greater Banjul area. Avoid ice in drinks and take care when eating food in local restaurants & beach bars (especially salads). Do not swim in natural fresh-water pools or streams to avoid bilharzia. Beware of sunburn, particularly on beaches, even on hazy days. Have your eyes and teeth examined before you leave. FACILITIES IN THE GAMBIA: Banks: The banks at Fajara open from 8.30 - 11.30 am and 4.00 - 6.30 pm Monday - Friday and from 4.00 - 6.30 pm on Saturdays. If you have a Gambian bank account there are automatic cash machines outside most of the banks and petrol stations. Credit cards are becoming more widely accepted in The Gambia and can now be used in some supermarkets and restaurants. However the exchange rate is generally not very good. What are the housing conditions like? See also Property Finder Is housing predominantly apartments or houses with a garden area? Housing is predominantly houses with a garden area of varying sizes generally containing at one fruit tree: orange, mango, banana, papaya, grapefruit, avocado, or a coconut tree. Some houses have a swimming pool. Apartment-style living is not common for expats; apartments are plentiful, but are generally for holiday makers and short-term visitors. Houses for rent are fairly cheap here. It is possible to get a decent 4 bedroom bungalow with a garden and for about £260 per month. Availability and cost of domestic help? Readily available, and costing around £33 per month for a maid and the same amount for a gardener. Public Transport: Local taxis (which are usually shared) are painted yellow with a green stripe and tourist taxis, which are more expensive, are green with a white diamond. It is advisable to negotiate the price before you enter the vehicle Restaurants: Are there Any Good Restaurants? The simple answer is yes. The largest surprise you'll find over the west coast region of The Gambia is the variety and number of fine quality restaurants. Mostly Lebanese or Continental (UK) cuisine, but you can easily buy pasta, a burger or pizza, and there are over 10 superb Indian and Chinese restaurants. Schools: For children of school age there are the following schools: Marina International School, based in Bakau, which follows the British National Curriculum for children from the ages between 3 and 16 years. Then there is the Banjul American Embassy School where tuition follows the American curriculum. For children who do not speak English well they provide a special English as a foreign language class or EFL. Then there's the Ecole Francaise de Banjul where tuition is in French, follows the French national curriculum. Ages 2½ to 15. Tel: 449 54 87 Zenith Preparatory School conducts its tuition in English, follows the English system. The prep school is comprised of three-class Pre-School from Receptions 1 through 3, for children aged 3 - 5 rising 6 years old; and a Primary School starting from 1st Year (grade 1) to 6th Year (grade 6). Tel: 449 4233 Shopping Advice: There are many supermarkets in the Fajara area which are well-stocked with imported food. They normally open at 9.00 am and close at 7.30 pm Monday - Saturday although some open later. Some of the supermarkets also open from 10.00 am - 2.00 pm on Sundays and Public Holidays. Availability varies so be prepared to go to several when looking for items. What Can I Buy For Groceries? There are several well-stocked grocery store chains in Gambia carrying a variety of European and Middle Eastern products, with a small selection of well known American food brands. You can purchase meat and vegetables at markets throughout the Greater Banjul Area though, for the sake of hygiene you are best advised to buy your meats from a company called Kombo Meats or at your local supermarket. For freshness you can buy fish directly off the fishing boats at Bakau. There are many types of fish and shellfish available e.g., Red Snapper, Sole Fish, Ladyfish,  Crayfish, Grouper, Barracuda, Prawns and other types. If you have a strong urging for some American products like Pop Tarts, you can always get them from a number of well stocked supermarkets along the Kairaba Avenue or at Maroun's Supermarket in Kololi. Products are on the whole quite good, organic and therefore often much tastier than what you can buy in Europe or the US. The only issue is the lack of options. You can obtain your standard fruit and vegetables but things like celery and fresh mushrooms are hard to find and can be quite expensive as many are imported. The same issue affects fruits like grapes, apples and strawberries.

There are a number of local markets which sell locally produced food which are often seasonal in nature. The markets usually open at 8.00 am and close just before sunset. A company called GAMVEG, on Kairaba Avenue, sells imported and local fresh eggs, vegetables and the like. Sports: There is a recreational club at Fajara called the Fajara Club which has a bar, restaurant for poolside food, swimming pool, golf course, a squash court,2 tennis courts, a badminton court and facilities for table tennis. There are also a number of gyms for a good work out. Moving to Gambia A-Z of Gambia