Berending Crocodile Pool

Berending on the north bank holds one of the Gambia's sacred crocodile pools, a small body of water in a village where the animals are treated as protectors and where people come to bathe and make offerings for fertility, healing and success. It is far quieter than Kachikally on the coast strip and functions as a working shrine rather than an attraction, with an attendant who explains the observances.

What you actually see

• The pool - the small sacred water the crocodiles live in.
• The observances - the bathing and offerings people come to make.
• The village setting - a shrine in an ordinary north bank village.
• The quiet - far fewer visitors than the coastal pools.

When to go

November to February is the cool dry season. The pool shrinks as the dry season advances. Visits should be made in daylight with the attendant.

Honest expectations

This is an active shrine, not a wildlife attraction, and behaviour and photography rules must be followed. Facilities are none. The crocodiles are wild animals despite the setting.

Nearby

Barra is west, and Niumi National Park is north.