Take this tour to learn about Gambian history and trace the origins of Kunta Kinteh, the Gambian who was taken to the Americas. Deepen your knowledge about the history of slavery through the many sites you'll visit.
You’ll depart by 07:00 am to Banjul, where you’ll catch the Banjul Barra to get to Barra. You’ll drive through the villages to Juffureh Albreda, in the north bank region of the mouth of River Gambia. Albreda used to be a French trading post during the slavery era. You’ll visit the Freedom Flag Pole, a national monument since 1970, and a slave museum. You’ll also find a church, the first of its kind to be built in West Africa by the Portuguese.
You'll continue to Juffureh – the home village of the famous slave Kunta Kinteh. Alex Haley based the story of his best-seller Roots on him, tracing the events of the transatlantic slave trade. You’ll then reach the highlight of the tour: the visit of the Kinteh clan.
You’ll stop at another museum displaying more than 400 years of slave trade, which contributed considerably to the depopulation of the continent.
You’ll then board a pirogue for a 2-mile sea cruise to Kuntah Kinteh Island (former James Island). You’ll see a dungeon, the only one remaining out of 14 which were washed away by erosion or the gunpowder explosions in the mid-XVIII century.
After gaining information on this place, you’ll cruise back to the village and have lunch in a local restaurant. You'll drive back to Barra and catch the ferry to Banjul.
