Kachikally Museum and Crocodile Pool

Kachikally Museum and Crocodile Pool is a cultural and tourist site in Bakau, The Gambia, combining a small museum with a sacred freshwater pool inhabited by Nile crocodiles. The site is locally significant for traditional rituals and attracts both pilgrims and visitors.

The pool is the main attraction and allows close viewing of crocodiles from platforms and fenced areas; trained attendants typically supervise visitor interactions. The adjacent museum houses ethnographic objects and displays that explain local beliefs, the pool’s role in fertility rituals, and aspects of Gambian culture.

The pool has been regarded as a sacred site by local communities for generations and has long been associated with fertility and healing rites. In more recent decades it has also been organised as a public cultural site and tourist attraction while retaining its traditional functions.

The site sits in the coastal town of Bakau on the Atlantic shoreline, near the Gambian capital of Banjul, and is readily reached from the main road linking Bakau with Banjul and nearby towns.

• Crocodile interaction: Enclosed pool permits close approach to crocodiles with staff supervision; visitors are often allowed to touch or pose with some animals under guidance.
• Cultural significance: The site functions both as a cultural and religious place with active local rituals and should be treated respectfully during visits.

What to See #

• Crocodile pool: A freshwater pool that is home to semi-tame Nile crocodiles kept within fenced enclosures and viewing areas; the pool is central to local ritual practices and offers close-up encounters under supervision.
• Museum: A small on-site museum displaying Gambian cultural artifacts and information about the site's history and traditional uses; the museum sits adjacent to the pool and frames the cultural context for visitors.