Senegal
is full of vibrant colour
is perched on the Atlantic
Welcome to Senegal
Though it’s one of West Africa's most stable countries, Senegal is far from dull. Perched on the tip of a peninsula, Dakar, the capital, is a dizzying, street-hustler-rich introduction to the country: elegance meets chaos, snarling traffic, vibrant markets and glittering nightlife, while nearby Île de Gorée and the beaches of Yoff and N'Gor tap to slow, lazy beats.
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Senegal activities
Half-Day Somone Lagoon and Bandia Park Safari from Dakar
Your tour guide will meet you at your Dakar hotel at 8am before driving you towards Somone lagoon located in the south of Dakar (approx 75 km from Dakar). Depending on road traffic you will arrive around 9:30 am to embark on a local boat for a 1 hour ride and enjoy the beautiful scenery of mangroves dotted with birds.Around 10am, you will proceed to Bandia park, which is very close to Somone lagoon (approx 20 min drive). You will then change vehicle and get in a pick up jeep for a 1.5 hour game drive in this reserve that covers 1000 hectares, where you will spot African wildlife in their natural habitat - such as giraffes ,buffaloes, rhinos, a variety of antelopes, zebras, monkeys, crocodiles, tortoises and more. Lunch will be served around 12:30 am at the Bandia park restaurant (included) Around 2pm, you will drive back to Dakar and arrive at around 3:30 pm at your hotel in Dakar.
Dakar City Tour and Goree Island
Start at 8:am.You will take a guided Dakar city tour as an introduction to the city. During the tour you will view some of Dakar’s colorful markets like kermel fruits markets, Sandaga, Soumbedioune art craft and fishing market. The city features beautiful contemporary buildings, combined with historical colonial houses. With a population estimated around three millions Dakar is a vibrant and bustling city with active open-air markets, cafe terraces, and delicious food. It is a shopper's paradise, where exquisite crafts can be found in markets, on the streets, and in stores throughout the city. Among the highlights you will see: The Presidential Palace, Independence square garden, Monument of African renaissance, Old French cathedral, old tren station, the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire Museum (IFAN), which is a cultural and scientific institute in the nations of the former French West Africa. Founded in Dakar, Senegal in 1938, it was headquartered in what is now the building of the IFAN Museum of African Arts. Its charge is to study the language, restore African history, and promote local cultures of the peoples ruled by French colonialism in Africa. Transfer to Dakar dock around midday and take a Ferry boat to Goree Island. Goree Island is deeply rooted in the history of the slave trade. From the beginning of the sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth century, men, women, and children were gathered on this small piece of land and locked up in cells, before being shipped away to the New World, West Indies and South America. The island was seized by the Portuguese, the Dutch, the French, and the British all of whom participated in the trade. Forts and cannons attest of the island's violent past. Most of the buildings were used as warehouses or slaves' houses, and today many have been turned into museums. You will visit the most famous museum «La Maison des Esclaves, which used to hold up to two hundred captives. You will visit the slave cells and the apartment of the slave dealers upstairs. From the "Door of no Return" countless African caught a last glimpse of their homeland before boarding the slave ships. Another museum to visit is: The historical museum. After our moving and informative tour you will get onbaord the ferry at 4:pm for Dakar and drop you off at your location. End of the excursion.
Lac Rose and Noflaye Tortoise Park
Start at 9:am.Meet and greet with your local guide.Then transfer in a a/c vehicle from Dakar hotels or port to Noflaye village where the park's guide will provide you with some insightful information on tortoise species.Then proceed to the Pink Lake known as Lac Rose that was the finishing line of the rallye Paris-Dakar.As one of Senegal wonder,this lake gets its pinkish coloration when the sun is straight, and at dusk we can see tints of purple or violet. The pink color of the lake is explained also by the presence of some algae in the water. Besides its strange color, the large salinity (380 g/liter) placed it second after the Dead Sea.You will visit the salt collectors and get on a pick up jeep for a short game drive on the sand dunes following the path of the Rally Paris-Dakar.Stop to visit a Fulani village and drive along the breathtaking beaches of the atlantic ocean back to Lac rose Restaurant for lunch.In the afternoon transfer by car or van to your location.
EXCURSION D'UNE JOURNÉE A ESSAOUIRA
Essaouira, se situe face à l’océan atlantique et compte 77 966 habitants en 2014. Dès l’Antiquité, Essaouira est habitée par les indigènes berbères, les Phéniciens puis les Romains, ce n’est qu’à partir du XVème siècle que le site est véritablement occupé par les Portugais, qui édifient en 1506 une forteresse et des remparts rapidement abandonnés devant la résistance acharnée de la population locale.Son ancienne médina s’étend sur une trentaine d’hectares, construite sur une presqu’île rocheuse dans l’océan en une suite d’îlots éparpillés sur le littoral. C’est le sultan Mohammed ben Abdellah qui ordonne sa construction à partir de 1760. Plusieurs architectes de renom y participent, tel Théodore Cornut, qui trace le plan de la ville. Essaouira et ses alentours disposent d’une faune et d’une flore exceptionnelles.Classée réserve biologique depuis 1980, l’îlot de Mogador est un site naturel et ornithologique très prisé. Il compte plusieurs espèces d’oiseaux telles que mouettes, goélands, grands cormorans, martinets pâles et grands corbeaux, mais il est surtout un lieu d’accueil pour les très rares 700 couples de faucons d’Éléonore qui viennent s’y reproduire entre avril et octobre avant de repartir pour la lointaine Madagascar. Essaouira accueille chaque année le festival de la musique gnaoua, originaire de l’empire du Soudan Occidental (Mali, Guinée, Sénégal, Ghana, Niger). Des esclaves furent ramenés de ces pays et enrôlés dans l’armée du sultan Ahmed El Mansour. Après sa mort, ces troupes furent dispersées et une partie se retrouva à Essaouira. Elles participèrent aux travaux des murailles de la ville. Son artisanat spécifique est également prisé, tel le travail du bois de thuya et ses bijoux en argent. Le marché aux poissons et des épices l’est tout autant. La région d’Essaouira a comme particularité de posséder énormément de champs d’arganiers et reste la seule région dans le monde à produire ce type d’huile. L’huile d’argan est toujours appréciée dans le monde entier pour ses qualités de soins de la peau et son goût particulier dans la cuisine. L’excursion est l’occasion idéale pour explorer pleinement le patrimoine mondial de cette ville classée par l’UNESCO depuis 2001, profiter de sa plage dorée, de ses ruelles mystérieuses et de ses belles créations artisanales.
PRIVATE TRANSFER FROM MARRAKECH TO ESSAOUIRA
Essaouira, is situated in the face of the Atlantic Ocean and the account 77 966 inhabitants in 2014. From the Antiquity, Essaouira is inhabited by the Berber natives, the Phoenician then Romain, it is that from XV ème century that the site is really occupied by the Portuguese, who build in 1506 a fortress and ramparts quickly abandoned in front of the relentless resistance of the local population.Its former medina extends over around thirty hectares, built on a rocky peninsula in the ocean in a continuation of islands scattered on the coast. It is sultan Mohammed ben Abdellah who orders his construction from 1760. Several renowned architects participate in it, such Théodore Cornut, who draws the plan of the city. Essaouira and its surroundings have a fauna and a flora exceptional.Classified biological reserve since 1980, the island of Mogador is a very appreciated natural and ornithological site. He counts several species of birds such as gulls, gulls, big cormorants, pale straps and big ravens, but it is especially a place of welcome for the very rare 700 couples of Eleanor's hawks which come to reproduce there between April and October before leaving for distant Madagascar. Thanks to all these natural, historic and cultural aspects, the island of Mogador, his port, dating VII ème century and the beaches, allowing the practice of water sports.Essaouira welcomes every year the festival of the music gnaoua, native of the empire of the Western Sudan (Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Ghana, Niger) .Des slaves were returned by these countries and enlisted in the army of sultan Ahmed El Mansour. After his death, these troops were scattered and a party found itself to Essaouira. They participated in the works of the bulwarks of the city. It is also renamed for the practice of the windsurfing and the kitesurf, thanks to the powerful winds which blow almost constantly in the bay, as well as the annual organization of a stage of the world cup of kitesurf. Its specific small business sector is also appreciated, such the work of the wood of thuja. The fish market and spices is it just as much. The region of Essaouira has for peculiarity to possess a great deal of fields of argan trees and stays the only region in the world to produce this type of oil. The argan oil is always estimated for its qualities of skincare and its particular taste in the cooking. The excursion is the ideal opportunity to explore completely the world heritage of this city classified by the UNESCO since 2001, to take advantage of its golden beach, its mysterious alleys and its beautiful home-made creations.
Classic Senegal & The Gambia
Merging cultural experiences with important histories and stunning landscapes, this 10-day tour through Senegal and The Gambia brings you to a part of Africa that's seldom explored. Learn about daily life in a local Wolof village, immerse yourself in Gambia's important slave history, and get time to relax on sandy beaches in between. Experience what West Africa has to offer before the rest of the world gets to these unique destinations.