COLONIAL TOWNS AND NATURAL PARKS

Day 1 : Dakar (61 km)

Meet and greet

- Meet and greet at Blaise Diagne International Airport. 20:00 - Transfer
- Overnight : Casa Mara (Standard Room - Bed and Breakfast)

Day 2 : Dakar - Lac Rose (158 km)

Dakar City Tour and Ile de Goree (Full Day)

- Breakfast

08:00 - Embark on your guided tour aboard your car: He will accompany you all along your circuit from Dakar (Day 2) to La Somone (Day 8)

Take a day to delight in the sights of Dakar. Your tour begins with the highlights of Senegal’s capital city and includes the slightly controversial African Renaissance Monument; the Les Mamelles Lighthouse, named for the two mounded hills on which it is located that resemble a woman’s breasts; and the bustling Soumbedioune market. The tour then proceeds to the Plateau business district for views of the Presidential Palace, Independence Square and a visit to the colourful Marché Kermel market before boarding a ferry at midday.

This boat trip takes you to the island a Gorée, a car-free and historic UNESCO World Heritage Site noted for the role it once played in slave trade. Admire its narrow streets flanked by colonial buildings including the House of Slaves Museum and The Henriette Bathily Women’s Museum.

Explore the charms of Gorée. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and located just off Dakar, the lovely little island of Gorée is bound to charm you. Its car-free roads make for ideal exploration on foot while its tiny size means it is possible to view all the highlights within a relatively short space of time. Although charming and peaceful today, Gorée once played an important role in the Atlantic slave trade and among its faded colonial mansions and narrow streets visitors will find the House of Slaves an extraordinary Museum. Enjoy the island’s gentle tranquillity and slow pace of life as you mingle with the locals, browse the street vendor stalls
and get a taste of Senegalese island life.

- Lunch at own expense.
- Dinner at own expense.
- Overnight : Chez Salim (Standard Room - Bed and Breakfast)

Day 3 : Lac Rose - St Louis (212 km)

4x4 Ride dunes and beach (30 min)

- Breakfast

Gaze upon the blushing hues of Lac Rose. This pretty lake lies nestled between the sand dunes of the Atlantic Ocean and scrubby bushland and is famed for its pink-tinged salt-producing water. The lake’s colour varies from light pink to purple, depending on the weather conditions, and is tinted by the high presence of microorganisms that thrive in its soda-rich water. Its high salinity levels can be equated to that of the Dead Sea, giving those that swim in the lake a feeling of floating on the water. Lac Rose is also important to the local community who mine its salt-rich water. The lake is at its most eye-catching during the drier months when its pink hue is at its most vivid; however, a visit at any time of the year is a unique sight.

Slalom between salt mountains and sand dunes on a 4x4 drive around Lac Rose. The spectacular contrast of white salt, golden dunes, and the pink glow of Lac Rose is easy on the eyes and a sight that is rather rare, as divergent landscapes meld into one, offset by a rosy glow. Watch local villagers standing knee-deep in the pink-tinged lake as they scrape the bottom with baskets and pour salt into their fishing boats, while piles of salt that has already been taken to shore glisten like white diamonds on the water’s edge. Casting your eyes in the opposite direction, the sweeping dunes of the Atlantic coastline greet your gaze with the turquoise ocean in the background. From the tops of the dunes, a never-ending sea awaits flanked by an endless shoreline where the cool, damp air of the ocean offers welcome relief from the salty heat of the lake.

- Lunch at own expense.

Take a step back in time in enchanting St Louis. It’s impossible not to be bowled over by the charm and beauty of friendly St Louis where bougainvilleas climb wildly across crumbling colonial buildings and traditional fishing boats bob on the blue ocean. Built at the mouth of the Senegal River, the city is the former capital of the country and a UNESCO World Heritage Site first founded in the 17th century as a French colonial settlement.

Originally built on an island, St Louis’s urban centre now lies on the mainland while a narrow strip of sand known as the Langue de Barbarie runs down the coast from Mauritania. Wander past fading 19th century French colonial villas and some interesting Art Deco houses before strolling over the Faidherbe Bridge, a graceful series of arches spanning the mainland and the island. Finally explore the fishing district of Guet Ndar.

- Dinner at own expense.
- Overnight : Siki Hotel (Standard Room - Bed and Breakfast)

Day 4 : St Louis

Boat Safari in Djoudj Bird Park • Heritage Tour of Saint-Louis in a Caléche (2hrs)

- Breakfast

Walk with water birds on a boat safari at the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary. This blooming wetland forms part of the Senegal River where a life-giving delta offers food and safety to thousands of migratory birds. The 16 000 hectare park is a designated World Heritage Site and vital stopover point for birds travelling from north to south. Driving to Djoudj takes approximately an hour along a dirt track after which visitors board a dugout canoe to explore the wetlands with an experienced guide.

The high density of birdlife makes for a thrilling water safari as you slowly move through a sea of birds that includes whistling ducks, white pelicans and flamingos.

From the safety of your canoe watch crocodiles wading through the river streams as well as other interesting wildlife such as warthogs and reptiles. Djoudj is a haven for birds throughout the year and always well worth a visit.

- Lunch at own expense.

Trot into the heart of Senegal on a carriage tour of St Louis. This stunning little island holds an astounding wealth of history and culture while its picturesque streets are decorated with tumbling bougainvillea plants and ochre-tinged houses. Rated as the most beautiful colonial city in the country, St Louis is lapped on both sides by the Senegal River and ranks as a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the very essence of French West Africa can be felt.

Each street in the city pulsates with intriguing history and at night the thick-walled ochre buildings glow as they radiate heat from the day. Your carriage tour will take you past the Governor’s Palace as well as a beautiful neoclassical cathedral before continuing on to the fishing village of Guet Ndar. Here the Senegal River meets the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean and fishermen require good navigational skills to steer their vessels back to port.

- Dinner at own expense.
- Overnight : Siki Hotel (Standard Room - Bed and Breakfast)

Day 5 : St Louis - Lompoul (92 km)

Visit of Guelakh village. • Traditional Lunch at Guelakh Village • Camel ride in the dunes

- Breakfast

Immerse yourself in village life in Guelakh. Located in the transitional Sahel region of Senegal, the development of this now thriving village began as a small ecological farming project, concentrating on reforestation and the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices. Thanks to efforts from the community, Guelakh is now a true example of co-operative development where each household cultivates vegetables on one hectare of land following ecologically sound farming techniques.

With the support of NGOs and patrons the village has also established a primary school and health centre for the surrounding community, as well as a training centre to help curb the exodus of young people from the region. Scholars are mentored in sustainable methods of farming livestock and crops as well as taught weaving and Batik dyeing techniques. Accompanied by a guide you will have an opportunity to meet the villagers and visit the school.

- Traditional Lunch at Guelakh Village

Wander across the dunes of the Lompoul Desert. Tucked away in between Dakar and Saint-Louis, the Lompoul Desert is small yet stunning, where orange dunes pop out against a clear blue African sky and sand shimmers sharply in the sunlight. Extending over approximately 18 square kilometres, the beauty of Lompoul is impressive and the area ranks as one of Senegal’s most popular tourist attractions, giving visitors a taste of what it’s like to be a nomad.

Relish the feeling of total escape amidst this landscape of nothingness that brushes the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and is mostly void of vegetation. Some of Lompoul’s sand dunes reach heights in excess of 50 metres, and those that take the time to climb them will be rewarded with spectacular views of the surrounding terrain, especially around sunset when the desert’s orange glow intensifies to images of near perfection.

Travel through the desert the traditional way on a camel ride in Lompoul. This small yet strikingly beautiful desert is best known for its sea of sand dunes that glow golden in the sun. Often compared to the much larger Sahara Desert, Lompoul is a popular tourist attraction where visitors can soak up the desert’s quiet tranquillity and emptiness. Be sure to dress appropriately and protect yourself against the sun as your ‘desert ship’ slowly ferries you across the shimmering, sandy dunes.

- Dinner : Camp du Désert
- Overnight at the Camp : Camp du Désert (Classic Tent - Dinner Bed and Breakfast)

Day 6 : Lompoul - Palmarin (264 km)

Palmarin

- Breakfast
- Travel to Palmarin

Experience pure nature in the Sine-Saloum. Located between Gambia and Petite Cote, Sine-Saloum covers approximately 180 000 hectares of lush, green landscape boasting incredible biodiversity and intense natural beauty. It is home to the Saloum Delta National Park, a fragile UNESCO World Heritage Site where mangrove swamps and baobab trees thrive in abundance and the delta water provides a fertile breeding ground for a vast variety of birds. The selection of wildlife is also varied and includes warthogs, many species of monkeys, hyenas and more. Emerald-green vistas stretch as far as the eye can see, and a patchwork of traditions and cultures mingle together. Meet up with the Serer fishermen who handcraft their own nets and the traditional Peulh sheep breeders who rely on their livestock for food and income. One of the best ways to explore the delta is in a traditional canoe, a unique experience for any visitor to Senegal.

- Lunch at own expense.

Trot along in a horse-drawn carriage and explore the Palmarin Community Nature Reserve. This abundant and ecologically important delta area consists of a patchwork of mangrove channels, salt flats, grasslands and forest where a unique combination of habitats supports a wide assortment of plant and animal life. Among the animals that can be spotted here include hyenas, jackals, and a wide range of resident and migrant birds that thrive in the verdant swamps, as well as ancient baobabs and many sites of historical and archaeological significance. Your horse-drawn carriage tour will begin at the salt collection pools. These odd looking, multicoloured circles dot the landscape and are used by the locals for harvesting salt during the dry season.

Conclude your excursion by heading off to the open grassy plains to seek out hyena that begin their hunting at dusk.

- Dinner : Ecolodge Palmarin
- Overnight at the Lodge : Ecolodge Palmarin (Bungalow - Dinner Bed Breakfast + 1 AM Act)

Day 7 : Palmarin

Morning Activity • Sine Saloum Island Experience • Lunch on Siné Saloum Island

- Morning Activity
- Breakfast

Depart with your local guide in a traditional motorized pirogue through the mangroves to Bird Island. Stroll around the island in search of pelicans, grey herons, spoonbills, flamingos, curlews, cormorants, kingfishers, green bee-eaters, black and white egrets, etc. You will then set course for Mar Lodj Island. Stroll through the village, where three religions (Catholic, Muslim and Animist) live side by side. Visit the Intertwined Sacred Trees, a maraboutic cure center. Explanation of the world of spirits and jinnés.

Discovery of the telephone tam tam, a means of communication between villages. The journey continues to the aptly named island of
No Stress island, famous for its white sandy beach. Lunch of grilled meats on the beach, then free time for a siesta nap under the palm trees or swim in the clear, warm waters. You will then set off by pirogue to Djiffer, one of Senegal's largest fishing ports. This is your chance to witness the spectacle of the arrival of the fishermen and the haggling that goes on around the catches.

Return to Ndangane at the end of the day.

- Lunch on an island, in the Siné Saloum.
- Dinner : Ecolodge Palmarin
- Overnight at the Lodge : Ecolodge Palmarin (Bungalow - Dinner Bed Breakfast + 1 AM Act)

Day 8 : Palmarin - Somone (89 km)

Morning Activity • Joal Fadiouth

- Morning Activity
- Breakfast

Visit the birthplace of the first president of Senegal at Joal-Fadiouth. This scenic fishing village comprises two parts with the area of Joal lying on the mainland and Fadiouth, linked by a bridge, lying on an island of clam shells. During your visit you can explore the expansive stretch of beach dotted with colourful fishing boats and the shell craft market before crossing over a wooden bridge to reach the island Fadiouth. Here you will find granaries built on stilts above the island of shells and a pretty Catholic cemetery with graves decorated with seashells. The millions of shells that make up the island of Fadiouth also feature in the local architecture, lending the village a distinctive and charming feel. Once you have taken in the highlights we recommend concluding your visit with refreshments at the Fisherman’s Tavern, located at the end of the bridge.

- Lunch at own expense.

Soak up the natural beauty of La Somone. Lying north of the Sine-Saloum Delta and located on the famous Petite Côte, the small resort village of La Somone offers endless hours of natural indulgence. Its idyllic setting beside a lagoon makes the area a bird watcher’s paradise while adrenalin enthusiasts can partake in a host of exciting water sports ranging from water skiing and wind surfing to kayaking and fishing. Gorgeous beaches feature crystal-clear water that meanders over the sandbanks with the tide, and the calm lagoon is favoured by pelicans, flamingos and herons. The Somone Lagoon is bounded by a beautiful baobab forest on one side and falls within a natural reserve covering approximately 7 000 hectares. Free-roaming wildlife that could be spotted includes zebra, ostrich, antelope and bush pig. (n)

- Dinner : Hotel Africa Queen
- Overnight : Hotel Africa Queen (Superior Room - Dinner Bed and Breakfast)

Day 9 : Somone

Day at Leisure • Privately Guided Bandia Game Reserve Half Day(o)

- Breakfast
- Day at leisure.

Private tour: departure to join the private animal reserve of Bandia, a very beautiful ecological success story that has allowed the reintroduction of large African mammals to Senegal. Both close to the Senegalese capital and the beaches of the seaside resorts of the Petite Côte, Bandia covers some 3,500 hectares. In these vast spaces, one crosses landscapes of plains dotted with baobabs and acacias.

For a successful safari, it is preferable to privilege the coolest hours of the day. You will thus as of your arrival to take seat on board a 4x4 vehicle and leave in company of a professional ranger of the reserve for a safari. In Bandia, it is quite easy to get close to wildlife and you should be able to observe white rhinos, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, oryx, warthogs, monkeys, crocodiles, ... Bird lovers will be delighted to know that the reserve is home to more than 120 species of birds. After these beautiful scenes of animal life it will be time for you to leave the sanctuary (Optional rates Safari en 4x4 réserve de Bandia)

- Dinner : Hotel Africa Queen
- Overnight : Hotel Africa Queen (Superior Room - Dinner Bed and Breakfast)

Day 10 : Somone

Day at Leisure

- Breakfast
- Day at leisure.
- Lunch at own expense.
- Dinner : Hotel Africa Queen
- Overnight : Hotel Africa Queen (Superior Room - Dinner Bed and Breakfast)

Day 11 : Somone - Dakar (43 km)

- Breakfast
- Transfer from La Somone to Dakar

End of our services

(n): All tours and visits followed by (n) are general presentation, introduction or suggestion of visits. They do not correspond to any service included nor any cost. They are present in the itinerary for information purposes.