Serekunda

Serekunda grew out of a group of villages into by far the largest urban area in the Gambia, several times the size of the capital, and its centre is the market: a sprawl of stalls, workshops and lock-ups selling cloth, produce, hardware and everything else, spilling into the streets around it. Tie-dye and batik workshops operate on the edges and the whole place is loud and constant. The name means Sayerr's town, after the founder of the original settlement the others grew around.

What you actually see

• The central market - the sprawl of stalls the town is built around.
• The cloth trade - tie-dye and batik workshops on the market edges.
• The scale - by far the largest urban area in the country.
• The street trade - stalls spilling well beyond the market building.

When to go

November to February is the cool dry season. Mornings are busiest and coolest. The rains from June to October make the streets difficult.

Honest expectations

It is crowded, hot and chaotic, and pickpocketing happens in the market. There is nothing arranged for visitors. Photography of people needs asking first.

Nearby

Bijilo is west, and Banjul is northeast.