Best things to do in Senegal
When I was asked which country I wanted to visit in Africa, apart from Ethiopia, my answer was always Senegal. Maybe because it used to be a French colony or because in Paris I always see many Senegalese and their colorful dresses which I loved. I don’t know. And although I did not know whether to go or not, I ended up going in December 2018 for Christmas. And it was the best decision. I left the Parisian winter to go to the Senegalese winter, but for me it was summer. It was about 28 °C. There were two places I didn’t want to miss: Saint Louis Island and Gorée Island.
The official language is French although people also speak Wolof and the capital is Dakar with 1 million inhabitants.
St. Louis Island is located in Northwest Senegal and it was the capital of Senegal until 1902. This is where Mermoz made the first non-stop flight across the Mediterranean, linking Toulouse with Africa. In fact, the famous hotel «La Poste», was where he usually stayed.
Gorée Island was the main place where slaves stayed before being sent to America. Today there is a museum, remembering the torture they had to go through. You can get there in 20 minutes on a boat from Dakar and the ticket costs 5€.
I spent a night in the desert of Lompoul
The guesthouse
Another thing I really liked was Djoudj’s pelican reserve. It was impressive…pelicans flew over the boats
The largest monument in the world built by North Koreans and located in Dakar is the «African Renaissance Monument» in commemoration of independence of African countries
And float on Lake Rose, where the famous Paris-Dakar rally used to finish and where, due to its salt concentrations, you can float, just like in the Dead Sea
«Little coast» near Dakar was a super relaxing experience. Foreigners living in Senegal, choose this place to rest on weekends. It’s a kind of river mixed with the sea. You can do water sports such as kayak
Senegal is a nice country to visit, with friendly people, beautiful landscapes and many activities to do. If you want to do a tour there, you can contact me
