Sights in Africa
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Iziko Michaelis Collection
On the south side of Greenmarket Sq, the city’s second-oldest public space after the Grand Parade is the beautifully restored Old Townhouse, a Cape rococo building dating from 1755. It now houses the impressive art collection of Sir Max Michaelis, donated to the city in 1914. Dutch and Flemish paintings and etchings from the 16th and 17th centuries (including works by Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Anthony van Dyck) hang side by side with contemporary works – the contrasts between old and new are fascinating. The cool interior is a relief from the buzzing market outside on Greenmarket Square, while the relaxed Ivy Garden Restaurant in the courtyard behind is worth considering…
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Saint-Louis Museum
At the southern tip of the island the Saint-Louis Museum contains some fascinating old photos of Saint-Louis and other exhibits relating to northern Senegal. It also houses a contemporary art gallery.
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Pont Faidherbe
Designed by Gustav Eiffel and originally built to cross the Danube, the Pont Faidherbe , linking the mainland and island, was transferred to Saint-Louis in 1897. The bridge is a grand piece of 19th-century engineering - 507m long with a middle section that once rotated to allow ships to steam up the Senegal River. In fact it can still open, as a bated-breath public saw when the bridge was parted to facilitate the return of the Bou el Mogdad in 2005.
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Muslim cemetery
At the southern end of Guet N'Dar, a fantastically busy fishing town, is the Muslim cemetery where each fisherman's grave is covered with a fishing net.
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Musée de l'Aéropostale
In the back of the Governance building, you can also visit the Musée de l'Aéropostale showing displays about the colonial airmail service that played an important historical role in the development of Saint-Louis. This is the place to read up on the life and achievements of famous pilot Jean Mermoz, who spent plenty of nights in the Hôtel de la Poste diagonally opposite the governance.
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Hydrobase
The Hydrobase from where Jean Mermoz took off on his numerous flights, can be found at the southern end of the busy fishing town Guet N'Dar.
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Grand Mosque
The Maghreb-style building of the Grand Mosque in the north was constructed in 1847 on order of the colonial administration to appease the growing Muslim population. The oddity of an attached clock tower betrays the designers' religious affiliation.
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Governance
Right opposite the Pont Faidherbe, your view is blocked by a building usually referred to as Governance. It's built on the ruins of the 18th-century colonial fort, and a tour around the backrooms of the Syndicat d'Initiative still grants a glimpse of the ancient walls.
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Cathedral
In the south, next to the governor's palace you find the Cathedral, an 1828 building with a neoclassical facade that is one of the oldest operating churches in Senegal.
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Nature Reserve
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Guet N'Dar
This small village, on the Langue de Barbarie peninsula, is linked to St-Louis by a much more modest bridge than the Pont Faidherbe. There's a lighthouse and a beach, but you can forget about sunbathing - every morning, some 200 pirogues (canoes) are launched into the sea, returning in the afternoon to unload their fish on the sand, a spectacular sight.
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Galerie Mame Thiouth
Galerie Mame Thiouth tends to have the more interesting contemporary exhibitions, and they are beautifully displayed under the arched ceilings of a carefully restored house.
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Thermes de Cilaos
The sources thermales (thermal springs) of Cilaos were first brought to the attention of the outside world in 1815 by a goat hunter from St-Louis, Paulin Técher. A track into the Cirque was constructed in 1842, paving the way for the development of Cilaos as a health spa for rich colonials. The spring is heated by volcanic chambers far below the surface. It's said to relieve rheumatic pain, among other bone and muscular ailments.
The old thermal station was opened in 1896, but the spring became blocked in a cyclone that occurred in 1948. The project was revived in 1971, only to close in 1987 because of damage to the buildings caused by the chemicals in the spa water. The…
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Plage des Roches Noires
The attractive Plage des Roches Noires is obviously the biggest pull at St-Gilles.
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Plage de L'Hermitage
Further south of the Plage des Roches Noires, lined with casuarina trees, is another alluring place to fry in the sun. Both beaches are safe for swimming and extremely popular on weekends. Snorkelling is better at Plage de L'Hermitage.
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Médine Sugar Factory
Rather unattractively spewing out smoke into the countryside around Flic en Flac is the Médine Sugar Factory, one of the country's biggest. During the cutting season (July to early November) it's possible to take a guided one-hour tour of the factory. You can also visit the distillery, where the 'waste' molasses is turned into rum. The visit ends with a tasting session. Call ahead for details. The factory is 6km northeast of Flic en Flac. If you get stuck behind a sugar-cane trucks overburdened by harvested crops, you can bet it's heading here.
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Maison du Peuplement des Hauts
Close to Cilaos' church, the informative Maison du Peuplement des Hauts is dedicated to the escaped slaves who first settled the hostile landscape of the Cirques. The displays are imaginative and provide a much-needed monument to the unsung Creole heroes of Réunion.
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Maison des Vins du Chai de Cilaos
You can learn more about Cilaos wine at the Maison des Vins du Chai de Cilaos. A short film (in French) is followed by a guided tour of the modern vinification plant and a wine tasting. Take home a bottle from about €12.
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Maison de la Broderie
The originator of Cilaos' embroidery tradition was Angèle Mac Auliffe, the daughter of the town's first doctor of thermal medicine. Looking for a pastime to fill the long, damp days in the Cirque, Angèle established the first embroidery workshop with 20 women producing what later evolved into a distinctive Cilaos style of embroidery.
Nowadays, the Maison de la Broderie is home to an association of 30 or so local women dedicated to keeping the craft alive. They embroider and sell children's clothes, serviettes, place settings and tablecloths. It's laborious work: a single placemat takes between 12 and 15 days to complete.
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Le Jardin d'Eden
Appealing to a wider audience than just plant lovers and gardeners, Le Jardin d'Eden, across the main road from L'Hermitage, is definitely worth an hour or so for anyone interested in tropical flora. Sections of the gardens are dedicated to interesting concepts such as the sacred plants of the Hindus, medicinal plants, edible tropical plants, spices and aphrodisiac plants.
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Casela Nature & Leisure Park
This 14-hectare nature park is on the main road 1km south of the turn to Flic en Flac. The beautifully landscaped reserve is a haven for animals and offers a variety of heart-pumping 'rando fun' like zip-lines, suspension bridges, hiking, swimming spots hidden in canyons and quad-bike 'safaris' around the neighbouring 45-sq-km Yemen Reserve, where deer, wild pigs, fruit bats and monkeys can be seen in their natural habitat. Children are well catered for with a petting zoo, a playground, giant tortoises, fishing and minigolf.
The park's most popular attraction is walking with lions and cheetahs. You'll be amazed at how large and powerful these felines really are – this is…
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Aquarium de la Réunion
In the modern Port de Plaisance complex, the quite engaging Aquarium de la Réunion houses a series of excellent underwater displays, including tanks with lobsters, barracudas, groupers and small sharks.
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Addo Elephant National Park
This national park is 72km north of Port Elizabeth, near the Zuurberg Range in the Sundays River Valley. Addo now encompasses five biomes over 164,000 hectares of malaria-free wildlife viewing, and there are plans to double its size and increase the marine reserve.
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Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens were established during colonial times and are looking a little dilapidated now. However, it's still a peaceful shady place and good for spotting birds. Not far away, a road turns north off Atlantic Rd and leads down to the jetty, where fishing boats come and go while thousands of fish dry in the sun. Morning and late afternoon are the best times.
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Bijilo Forest Park
Bijilo Forest Park is a small wildlife reserve on the coast, just a short walk from Kololi. It's a beautiful place to visit, and should be supported, as it helps prevent more hotel development down the coast. A well-maintained series of trails of different lengths leads through the lush and shady vegetation, and you'll easily see monkeys and numerous birds.
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