Introducing Senegal
Couched between the arid desert lands in Northern Senegal and lush tropical forests in the south, this country boasts a stunning array of sights, sounds and flavours. The capital Dakar alone hands you the country in a capsule. Perched on the tip of a beach-lined peninsula, this dizzying city is composed elegance and street hustle all rolled into one. The busy streets, vibrant markets and glittering nightlife will easily draw you into their relentless rhythm, but the escape route is always open – be it to the meditative calm of the historical Île de Gorée or the golden sands of Yoff and N’Gor. And if Dakar’s sensory overload really gets too much, architecturally beautiful Saint-Louis, the first French settlement in West Africa, boasts a vibrant urban culture without the inner-city bustle.
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Most visitors head to Senegal for its beaches, and for good reason. North and south of Dakar, wide strips of white sand invite swimming and sunbathing, whether in the built-up resort zones, where a lazy day at the beach can be followed by a cocktail trail at night, or in one of the coast’s charming fishing villages, the beaches of which are dotted with hundreds of colourful wooden pirogues. At the deltas of the Casamance and Saloum Rivers, the coastline is broken up into a maze of thick mangroves, tiny creeks, wide lagoons and shimmering plains. A pirogue trip through these striking zones reveals hundreds of bird species, from the gleaming wings of tiny kingfishers to the proud poise of pink flamingos. Whether you want to mingle with the trendsetters of urban Africa, or be alone with your thoughts and the sounds of nature – Senegal is the place to be.
Last updated: Mar 2, 2009
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Senegal
Our Top Picks For Senegal
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1 Saint-Louis
Crumbling colonial architecture, relaxed atmosphere and a major annual jazz festival
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2 Dakar
Busy markets and a thriving nightlife - urban Africa at its best
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3 Parc Nactional Des Oiseaux Du Djoudj
One of the world's most important wetland bird sanctuaries
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4 Île De Gorée
Early European settlement, historical architecture and meditative calm
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5 Siné-Saloum Delta
Pirogue tours through mazes of mangroves and bird islets
Fast Facts about Senegal
- Time
GMT/UTC
- Population
11.1 million
- Borders
Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Mauritania; all borders open from dawn to dusk
- Seasons
Dry (December-March), hot (March-May), rainy season (June-November)
- Telephone
Country code 221; international access code 00
- ATMs
In all major towns
- Budget
US$40 to US$60 a day
- Capital
- Visa
Required by all except nationals of Canada, the EU, Ecowas (Economic Community of West African States), Israel, Japan, Norway, South Africa and the USA
- Languages
French, Wolof, Malinké, Pulaar, Diola
- Area
197, 000 sq km
- Money
West African CFA; US$1 = CFA498
Our favourite Senegal Blogs (beta)
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Unusual Journeys: Swimming to South Africa
Blog: Inside the Travel Lab - 4 June 2010
Well, I thought I was a pretty active and adventurous person, scaling ice walls and climbing mountains and even managing the staircase after a busy day in the hospital. Then I heard about Rob...
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Today’s workers are tomorrow’s leaders
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 3 April 2010
Employees of Caurie Microfinance can be characterized by three traits: they work hard, long and passionately! How come?
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Roger and me and the entrepreneurs: encouraging encounters
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 6 March 2010
When a lender looks at the profile of a borrower on kiva.org, he is fed with lots of information about this individual. The reverse is not always the case, as Taylor Akin pointed out in her great blogpost. At least with lenders who have created a personal lender-profile, it is possible to create a two way communication which fulfills Kiva’s goal of connecting people through lending.
