Gandalf Around The World: Bandian Game Park, Senegal

2019-02-06: Bandia Game Park. Is it worth it.

The Bandia Reserve is a private reserve created a little over 28 years ago in 1990. It has some 3,500 ha of surface area. Apart from the monkeys and birds, all the animals on the reserve have been deliberately introduced. The majority from South Africa.
We will spend nearly 2.5 hours in the reserve and drive a little over 17 km. Ibrahim is a guide since its creation in 1990, he knows every nook and cranny. We will see almost all the animals present: the Kobas (horse antelopes) the animal symbol of the Niokola Koba National Park in the south of the country, ubiquitous here, the only 2 rhinos in the park (imported from South Africa ), zebras (also South African), giraffes (originally 4 introduced in 1997, they are now more than 50), impalas (which come from East Africa), ostriches (of which one comes to defend his territory by threatening us with impressive parades), Cape elands, Derby elands (threatened species program), buffaloes, warthogs, patas monkeys and vervet monkeys .... We can also observe some turtles, hyenas and crocodiles in various enclosures.

You can make the visit with your own vehicle or with a vehicle of the reserve for 40 000 CFA. We of course prefer to take ours. The excursion costs 12,000 CFA per person, 10,000 CFA for the vehicle and 6,500 CFA for the obligatory guide.