Senegal: Colonial Route!

Arrival at Blaise Diagne International Airport, assistance from our airport staff and transfer to accommodation in the capital.

Breakfast Departure for a panoramic tour of Dakar. Situated in a large cove in the south of the Cape Verde peninsula, the westernmost point of the African continent, the capital of the Senegalese state since 1960, the architectural heritage of the colonial era is still visible. Today, with a population of around 2 million, Dakar is a large modern city where Western and traditional life mix at the same time, a city of contrasts.
We will visit the most characteristic and peculiar places, those that reflect the history of this city: Independence Square, the French buildings such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cathedral, the great Monument to African Memory, the Presidential Palace?
Then transfer to the Dakar pier and take the ferry to the island of Gorée, an enchanting delight: four kilometres off the coast of Dakar and twenty minutes by chalupa (ferry). The island has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978. Once Portuguese, Dutch and French, the island became one of the main centres for the sale of slaves from the 17th century onwards. With a past as tragic as it is luxurious, the island is home to houses with painted wooden balconies and small sandy streets leading down to the sea. A visit to the house-museum of one of the sinister "slave houses", a representation of what was once a centre for trading and storing slaves destined for the Americas. Baobabs and other trees shade the public areas, while bougainvilleas adorn the brick walls.
Return to land and set off for Lac Rose, where we'll stay by the lake.
Dinner and accommodation

Meals included: Breakfast / Dinner (Drinks not included)

Breakfast Departure to visit the lagoon by jeep. It was born from a lagoon that was closed off in the 15th century by the movement of the dunes along the sea. It is located just a few hundred metres from the ocean, in a landscape of dunes and magnificent wild beaches. Its particularity is quite exceptional: the lake is pink when the sun is at its peak, and at dusk this colour darkens to shades of mauve or purple. In addition to its colour, its salinity (300 GR/litre) makes it the second largest lake in the world after the Dead Sea. Everything floats there. This salt concentration allows women from neighbouring villages to directly extract the salt at the bottom of the lake. Thanks to this visit, you will be able to see the work carried out by these people, which provides them with the resources to support their families.
Then we enter the world of rallying. In fact, for several years Lago Rosa was the finish line for the Paris-Dakar rally as it passed through North Africa. Discover unique sensations through the sand dunes. In an all-terrain vehicle, we'll take a ballad on the sandy waves to end up on the beach of the Grande Côte du Sénégal.
Departure for Saint Louis, the former capital of Senegal and a symbol of its colonial past. On the way, we'll visit a village in the Sahel, of the Peul or Wolof ethnic group, where we'll get to know the culture and way of life of the Senegalese people and appreciate its people.
Arrival in St Louis, after crossing the Faidherbe bridge, arrival at the hotel, an old colonial house converted into a hotel.
Dinner and accommodation.

Meals included: Breakfast / Dinner (Drinks not included)

Breakfast Then it's off to the north of Saint-Louis, to the Djoudj ornithological park or the Lingua de la Barbarie park,
Djoudj ornithological park.
Created in 1971, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the third largest ornithological park in the world, the park extends over 12,000 hectares in the Senegal River delta. From November to March, three million birds flock to the park, fleeing the European cold and seeking a more favourable climate. When you arrive at the park, you will take a canoe trip that offers you a unique opportunity to appreciate this strange and extraordinary spectacle: with the engine idling, the canoe enters the Djoudj park, while a fantastic image is unleashed: flamingos flying in tight lines, huge pelicans taking off, cormorants swooping down...
*** The Djoudj park is only open from November to the beginning of May, the winter period in Europe and the northern regions of the planet, which is why the birds come here in search of warmth. We will therefore visit the Lingua de Barbarie park instead of Djoudj between May and October.
Langue de Barbarie Park
We will take a canoe trip, a traditional means of transport in the region, where we will cross the waters of the Senegal River until we reach the Langue de Barbarie nature reserve. During the migratory season, hundreds of birds take to the skies to rest before continuing their journey to the south of the continent.
After visiting the ornithological park or the Langue de Barbarie (depending on the season), we will return to Saint Louis, where we will taste the famous Thiéboudiène.
Lunch (not included) Then off for a city tour by horse-drawn carriage through the city with its multicoloured old houses reminiscent of the colonial period.
Discover this ancient city with its magnificent sites and colonial-style houses, the charm of a city built in a naturally protected enclave, an island at the mouth of the river that gives the country its name. The northern quarter of the island, a former commercial centre during the colonial period, is separated from the southern quarter by the Régouvernance and Place Faidherbe. It is also the seat of the Town Hall and the Court of Justice (first judgement in 1875), the hospital (1827), a beautiful yellow ochre building, and the Ameth Fall girls' school, housed since 1927 in a former hospital from 1840. The famous Faidherbe Bridge (500 metres long), built by Gustave Eiffel and sent to Saint Louis in 1897 after a gigantic administrative error. The overcrowded neighbourhood of Gueth-Ndar, where the fishermen live, attracts many people in the morning and at dusk, when they leave and return in their boats. It is also the site of the Muslim cemetery. The Sor market (opposite the bridge) where you can find a wide variety of products of all kinds.
Departure for our accommodation, 30 kilometres from Saint Louis, where we will enjoy a unique natural environment. Dinner and accommodation.

Meals included: Breakfast / Dinner (Drinks not included)

Breakfast After breakfast, we set off southwards, stopping in the town of Thiès to visit its local market, where we will stroll through its narrow streets where we can find all kinds of local products.
Lunch not included. We'll leave the aridity of the north for a greener landscape further south.
We will arrive in the Saloum region where we will stay in a unique natural environment
Dinner and accommodation.

Meals included: Breakfast / Dinner (Drinks not included)

Breakfast The Sine Saloum region owes its name to the two rivers that cross it.
The Saloum Delta, a World Heritage Site, is made up of saltwater channels surrounded by mangroves with numerous islands inhabited mainly by the Serere people. We'll board a motorboat, typical local transport, and cross the waters of this river. Return to accommodation and lunch (not included).
In the afternoon, a walking tour of a Serere village, which is mainly dedicated to fishing. If it's the right time, we'll be able to watch a show of the famous Senegalese wrestling.
Dinner and accommodation.

Meals included: Breakfast / Dinner (Drinks not included)

Breakfast With our vehicle, we leave the Saloum region and head towards the eastern part of Senegal. We'll get a first glimpse of the country's ethnic diversity through the villages we'll encounter during our trip. We crossed the centre of the country to Tambacounda. Before colonial times, it was a Mandiga camp of the Boundou kingdom. The name Tambacounda means "House of Tamba". It's a regular meeting point for vendors. You can also see various vestiges of the colonial era, such as the railway station. lunch (not included)
The journey continues to Mako, located near the Niokolo-Koba park along the Gambia River. Short trek to try and spot hippos. Dinner and accommodation.

Meals included: Breakfast / Dinner (Drinks not included)

Breakfast and departure in our vehicle to enter the east of Senegal, towards the gateway to Bassari Country, a region little known even to the Senegalese themselves and which ignores much of the modern world. The Bassari took refuge here to escape the Islamisation of the nomadic tribes of the north. But they are not the only inhabitants of the region: we also meet the Peul, the Malinke and, above all, the Bédik, a subgroup of the Bassari. In general, they all retain their deep-rooted traditional customs, favoured by the isolation provided by the mountains.
We'll drive to the village of Dindifelo and on to the Dindifelo waterfall. Admiring forests, lush vegetation, termite mounds up to three metres high, we'll take a short walk (half an hour) between rocky walls to its famous freshwater mountain waterfall, which drops some 115 metres into a crystal-clear green lagoon. Postcard images. We can swim in the water. Return to the village of Peul and free time to discover more of the area and socialise with the local people After the visit, transfer to your hotel in Kedougou. Dinner and accommodation.

Meals included: Breakfast / Dinner (Drinks not included)

Breakfast and early departure for the villages of Bassari. We begin a gentle ascent through virgin vegetation and surprising landscapes. The bowels of Bédick Country can only be reached on foot. At the top, Iwol, a village frozen in time.
Stone and mud houses, conical thatched roofs. Its inhabitants retain their ancestral way of life, with no sign of wanting to change it. Possibility of a picnic in Iwol.
In the afternoon, return to Kedougou and stroll through its local market, where the proximity of Mali and Guinea is reflected in its local products. Dinner and accommodation.

Meals included: Breakfast / Dinner (Drinks not included)

Breakfast Early departure north to the Kaolack region, the third most important city in the country and the peanut capital.
Arrival and check-in at our hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

Meals included: Breakfast / Dinner (Drinks not included)

Breakfast and departure for Joal and Fadiouth, on the way we will visit one of the largest Baobabs in Senegal. Arrival and discovery of this place located just 35 kilometres from Saly, the fishing village of Joal, discovered by the Portuguese in the 15th century and which they described as a "pleasant place with lots of food and palm wine" with its old mansions, between the sea and its marshes, combed by centuries-old baobabs. This village is also the birthplace of the famous poet and former president of Senegal, Léopold Sedar Senghor.
Arrival in Fadiouth, a village situated opposite Joal and built on an arm of the sea, full of mangroves and oysters. Fadiouth is actually an artificial island built with shells collected over the centuries by fishermen and connected to the coast by a wooden bridge. Visit the Catholic mission and the uniquely beautiful cemetery. You can also see the barns built over the river on wooden poles, which can only be reached by canoe.
Lunch (not included)
Departure for the Petite Cote, Mbour, to see the boats arrive at the port of Mbour, a spectacle of noise and colour, transfer to our accommodation, a beachfront hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

Meals included: Breakfast / Dinner (Drinks not included)

Breakfast, free morning to enjoy the beach or an optional excursion. Option: Stop for a visit to the Bandia animal reserve. The Bandia reserve is a small nature park located about 30 minutes from the seaside resort of Saly, a microsystem where you can see a myriad of trees and flora typical of the Sahelian region, as well as a representation of the most important fauna in West Africa (buffalo, gazelles, giraffes, rhinos, ostriches, baboons and up to twenty different species). We'll go on a mini-safari in all-terrain vehicles inside the reserve in the company of a specialised guide.
At the appointed time, transfer to the airport for your return flight.

Meals included: Breakfast