Toubacouta

Toubacouta, a Mandinka village of about three thousand people, sits where the road south meets the bolongs, the tidal channels that thread the Saloum Delta, and it has become the base for exploring them: lodges along the water, pirogues going out on the tide, and the delta's bird islands within reach. The Île aux Oiseaux carries large colonies of terns, gulls and pelicans, and the mangrove channels hold herons, kingfishers and oyster beds. Shell middens built up by earlier communities stand on several of the islands.

What's there

• The bolongs - tidal mangrove channels worked by pirogue on the tide.
• The bird island - Ile aux Oiseaux, with breeding terns, gulls and pelicans.
• The shell middens - accumulated mounds on the islands from earlier settlement.
• The oyster beds - oysters growing on the mangrove roots and harvested by women's collectives.

When to go

November to May is the dry season and the peak for birds. Boat trips are set by the tide rather than the clock. The rains from July raise the water and bring insects.

Before you go

Everything runs by boat and prices are per pirogue, which makes solo travel expensive. The village itself is small with little to do on land. Mosquitoes in the mangrove are serious at dawn and dusk.

Nearby

The Saloum Delta surrounds the village, Mar Lodj is north, and the Gambian border is just south.

Key facts