Africa Point: Senegal Travel Information
Senegal:
Nature
Looking like a caricature of some square-jawed, cackling woman with a mouthful of The Gambia, Senegal sits at the westernmost edge of the African continent. Its borders are met by Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south, Mali to the east, Mauritania to the north and the North Atlantic Ocean to the west. The independent nation of The Gambia is entirely enveloped (save where it meets the Atlantic) by Senegal's south-western region, forming the 'lips' of the giant face and separating northern Senegal from its southern region, called the Casamance. The country as a whole is slightly smaller than Great Britain or the US state of South Dakota.
Senegal's climate is pleasantly tropical, with Dakar ranking as one the coolest, breeziest spots in West Africa. The country's average daily temperatures range from 18°C (65°F) and 31°C (87°F). In the north and central parts, the rainy season lasts from July to September, while in the Casamance it's about a month longer on either end. Rainfall averages range from 300mm (12in) in the north to as much as six times that in the south; Dakar gets over 600mm (24in) annually. The dry season (December to April) is plagued by the hot, dry harmattan winds.
Senegal is washed by three rivers: the Senegal in the north, which forms the border with Mauritania; the Gambia in the middle, which is surrounded by The Gambia but for its easternmost origins; and the Casamance in the south, which lends that region its name as well as its striking fertility. Desertification throughout the north of the country is an ever-increasing problem, only partially alleviated by the Manantalli Dam on the Senegal River. The country's lowest points are its Atlantic shores, while its highest lies in the Futa Jaldon foothills, which top out around 580m (1900ft).
Senegal is the most biologically diverse country in the Sahel, the semi-arid region south of the Sahara desert, and boasts over 550 animal species. It is also important for migrating birds, particularly waterfowl, which return in large numbers each winter from Europe, stopping at the Parc National aux Oiseaux du Djoudj, one of the world's major bird reserves, north of St-Louis.
Attractions
Dakar
Dakar gets mixed reviews from travelers. To its supporters, it's a modern, spacious city with a temperate climate and many interesting distractions. Its tree-lined streets and relatively small central area make it easy to walk around, despite its population of over a million, and its clubs and cafes pick up when the daytime attractions go dark. Detractors then point out that the cost of living is very high and some of the city's hustlers won't take no for an answer. You'll have to go and see for yourself. If you don't like Dakar, it's easy enough to escape, with daily transport to all parts of the country; then again, you might just join the ever-growing ranks of resident expatriates.
Dakar's IFAN Museum on Place de Soweto houses a superb collection of masks, statues, musical instruments, stools and agricultural implements from all over West Africa. The handsome white Palais Présidentiel, five short blocks south of the Place, dates from 1906 and is surrounded by sumptuous gardens.
Dakar has two major markets. Marché Kermel, east of the Place towards the port, burnt down in 1993, so now the stalls are out in the surrounding streets, selling mainly fruit, clothing, fabrics and souvenirs. The larger Marché Sandaga has more fruit and fewer souvenirs, but for visitors the sheer choice of fabric is a real draw.
Out of the city centre is the Grande Mosquée, built in 1964, with its landmark minaret that's floodlit at night. The mosque is closed to non-Muslims, but it's worth coming here anyway to see the medina surrounding it. While not picturesque, its bustling atmosphere contrasts sharply with the sophisticated high-rise city centre.
Plage Bel-Air, a beach just north-east of the railway
station, is fenced and has a bar and sailboards for hire, although the water is not
particularly clean. Avoid the other beaches near Dakar, or you'll run a fair risk of being
robbed.
Thiès
Just 70km (40mi) east of Dakar, this is officially Senegal's
second-largest city, although it feels quite small and is not at all unpleasant. You can
come here to relax under its shade trees, eat in its cafes and cheap restaurants or simply
to wander its central area and watch the world go by, but Thiès' main attraction is its
world-famous co-operative-run tapestry factory, the Manufactures Sénégalaises des
Arts Décoratifs. The tapestries are all based on the paintings of Senegalese artists and
can range into the thousands of US dollars; they're worth a peek even if you have no
intention of buying. Visitors are allowed only into the factory's exhibition rooms, but
the most interesting part of the experience is touring the factory to see how the
tapestries are made - call a few days in advance and you may get the full tour.
St-Louis
For a glimpse of what Senegal looked like in the colonial period, head for St-Louis, the first French settlement in Africa, which dates from 1659. Today, the city straddles the mainland, an island and part of the Langue de Barbarie peninsula at the mouth of the Senegal River. You reach the island on the 500m (1640ft) Pont Faidherbe, originally built to cross the Danube but shipped here in 1897. Two smaller bridges link the island to the peninsula.
St-Louis was the capital of Senegal-Mauritania until 1958, when the two countries split up. On the island, which was the European quarter, you can see many grand old houses with their wrought-iron railings and wooden balconies and verandas. The part of St-Louis on the peninsula used to be the African quarter; today, it's a fishing community called Guet N'Dar and the liveliest section of town.
On the island, local 'guides' will take you up onto the roof of the post office for a small fee, from where you get good views of the bridge and the city. Nearby is the old governor's palace, a fort during the 18th century, now a government building and useful landmark. The cathedral nearby dates from 1828; despite its modern appearance, it's the oldest remaining church in Senegal. South of Guet N'Dar is a unique Muslim cemetery, where each grave is draped with its occupant's fishing net.
Some 20km (12mi) farther south along the peninsula, along
with some good beaches, is Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie, home to numerous
water birds, such as pink flamingos, white pelicans, cormorants, herons, egrets and ducks.
Ziguinchor
At first glance, Ziguinchor may not seem like anything special, but those who stay here grow to love it despite the influx of tourists during the winter months. The city is not big, with about 100,000 inhabitants, and you can easily cover the central area on foot. Budget travelers rejoice: it's also one of the cheapest cities in Senegal.
The Marché St-Maur is worth a visit if you're looking
for food or knickknacks. A block south is the Centre Artisanal, where numerous
venders sell a variety of area crafts, from wooden carvings to fabrics and dresses to
silver and metal work. A short daytrip south of Ziguinchor is the Ferme Animalière de
Djibelor, which has an interesting selection of tropical plants and 'wild' animals,
the larger ones in cages. Many of the area's hotels can also organise a pirogue ride to
the villages of Affiniam and Djilapao or the Île des Oiseaux.
The beaches in the Cap Skiring area are some of the finest in all Africa. Here, you'll find most of Senegal's tourist hotels and the highest concentration of foreigners in West Africa, except for in The Gambia. If you want a few days' sun and sand, this is the place, but if you're trying to see the 'real' Africa, pass on.
To escape the bustle of Cap Skiring, head for Diembéring
(JEM-bay-ring), 9km (5mi) to the north, where the beach is quiet and hassle-free. Also
nearby is Parc National de Basse Casamance, with several vegetation zones and quite
an assortment of animals.
Kaolack
Kaolack (pronounced KOH-lack) is a regional capital with over 200,000 inhabitants and is the centre of Senegal's groundnut industry. Midway between Dakar, Tambacounda and The Gambia, it's often regarded as little more than a junction, but it's a lively city - more active city than sleepy St-Louis or Ziguinchor - and is worth visiting for a day or two.
Kaolack's main attractions are its beautiful large mosque,
decorated in the Moroccan style, and covered market - the second largest in Africa
after Marrakesh - with Sudanese-style arches and arcades. Despite these attractions, few
tourists come here, so there's very little hassle. It's a great place just to wander
around and soak up the atmosphere.
Île de Gorée
Tiny Gorée Island, about 3km (2mi) east of Dakar, is a wonderfully peaceful place with about 1000 inhabitants, no asphalt roads and no cars. You'll find colonial-style houses with wrought-iron balconies, an old town hall, decent beaches and Le Castel, a rocky plateau that offers good views of the island and Dakar and is now occupied by a bunch of ganjafied drum junkies in medias squat.
At the north end of the island, the excellent IFAN Historical Museum is worth a wander. Its superb pictorial and physical exhibits portray Senegalese history up to the present. There's also the Musée Maritime between the old town hall and the post office and a tourist market near the ferry ramp that's full of souvenir-quality crafts.
But the highlight - or lowlight, depending on your degree of
sensitivity - of a visit to Gorée is a trip to the Maison des Esclaves (Slave
House), built by the Dutch in 1776 and renovated in 1990 with French assistance. Here,
slaves were stuffed into small pens, inspected and priced like animals before being
shipped to the Americas. Guides will tell you how the obstinate ones were chained to the
walls and sea water was pumped into their rooms to keep them partially submerged, how they
fought for food and how the weaker ones died and were fed to sharks while the stronger
survivors were branded with the shipping company's insignia and packed tightly into the
ships' holds for transportation. The house makes for a grim reminder of Senegal's slaving
history.
Siné-Saloum Delta
This large delta, formed where the seasonal Siné and Saloum rivers meet the tidal waters of the Atlantic, is often overlooked by visitors. You will not see large mammals here, apart from the occasional wart hog and perhaps a sea cow (manatee) in the lagoons, but the area abounds with monkeys and is particularly good for birding, especially during the November-to-April migratory season. A wild, beautiful region of mangrove swamps, lagoons, forests, dunes and sand islands, the delta is well worth a visit for the scenery alone. The ocean waters and a few points of delta land are protected as the Parc National de Delta de Saloum.
The village of Djifere on the western edge of the delta sits within the park at the tip of a narrow spit of land called the Pointe de Sangomar. Palmarin is another village a few kilometres north of Djifere. Both are good places to base yourself and arrange pirogue (open wooden boat) trips around the delta wetlands. West of the eastern gateway to the region, Kaolack, Foundiougne (pronounced FOUN-dune) is easy to reach and is another good place to arrange pirogue trips, plus fishing and bird-watching ventures, which can also be arranged from Ndangane (pronounced n-den-GAN-nee), the northernmost settlement bordering the delta.
The southern side of the park, known as the Forêt de
Fathala, is a dry, open woodland with tidal mud flats on the western edge and mangrove
swamps beyond. It's best explored from bases at Toubacouta and Missirah. Red
colobus monkeys are plentiful here but shy.
Parc National de Niokolo-Koba
Niokolo-Koba, Senegal's major park, takes up a fair chunk of the south-eastern corner of the country. Although neglected in recent years, it's still very beautiful and worth a visit if you've got the time. Its lush and varied vegetation is home to over 80 species of mammal, including elephant, lion, leopard and eland, although you can't always count on seeing them. Elephant, particularly, have been drastically reduced by poaching. You are likely, however, to see hippo, crocodile, waterbuck, bushbuck, kob, baboon, buffalo, monkey (green and hussar), warthog, roan antelope and hartebeest.
You must have a vehicle to enter the park, and walking is not
allowed anywhere; travelers without a car can visit by public transport or an organised
tour. The best time to come is between December and May (the dry season), but some park
tracks are not cleared until a month after the rains have ended, so don't take anything
for granted. For information, visit the park headquarters in Tambacounda, where you might
get lucky and catch a lift.
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