Most of the restaurants catering for tourists have vegetarian options. Rice and bread are staple foods in The Gambia. The locally baked bread 'tapalapa' is by far the best in our opinion, and available in any of the local corner shops, or go with a local at about one in the morning and get one fresh baked from the bakery.

Our own GTS Restaurant has a section on the menu for Vegetarian food as well as a childrens menu - GTS Bar and Restaurant

Many Gambians eat a vegetarian sauce with their rice. There are bean and black potato leaf varieties, check that they don't contain smoked fish if you don't eat it.

You will find it easier with a local, just because of the language, but as Muslims they don't eat pork, so they understand food rules - no problem.

If the restaurant has piped water, the washed salad will be fine, but the local markets have a good selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, (early in the morning is best), wash salad stuff well. The piped water is fine, but many visitors buy bottled water, which is by far the cheapest from the super markets, but seldom really cold as it sells so fast.

Some hotels do not like you bringing bottled water in from the shops, as they also sell it.

The mini super markets (found close to most of the resort hotels) have a reasonable selection of everything and Marouns at the Fajara end of Bakau has an amazing range of just about everything, rather more expensive that the UK but not too bad.

Milk is a continental version of longlife and I don't think it tastes the same, but its OK. Once opened it doesn't stay fresh long, even in a thermos flask, so buy small quantities.

Mung beans grow like fury, but take dry ones with you and a suitable growing container. I haven't seen any mung beans for sale out there, but I bet you can get them somewhere.

Although we have not picked up on this one yet, all future research will include Vegetarian facilities, and the directory will contain a (Veg) symbol of some sort.