SENEGAL / GAMBIA

There's no mistaking the French influence in Senegal. You'll hear French spoken nearly everywhere in the country, and you'll see its colonial heritage in the wide boulevards and stylish elegance of downtown Dakar, its capital, which still claims a large French population, and St. Louis, the first French settlement in Africa. But the hospitality and warmth of the Senegalese are unmistakably African. Senegal's combination of comfortable climate, good food, vibrant culture and friendly people make it an ideal introduction to West Africa. Though you're not guaranteed to see big game as in the parks of East Africa, the country does claim the best wildlife park in the region. On the downside, prices are relatively steep -- this is not a destination for budget travelers. And although facilities for tourists are quite well developed, so are the tricks of hustlers and con artists that lurk in tourist areas.

The Gambia is a country in West Africa and is the smallest country on the continent of Africa. It has a North Atlantic Ocean coastline in the west and is surrounded by Senegal so that it is almost ...