10-Day Tour of Senegal

10-Day Tour of Senegal

Day 1: Pink Lake

Welcome to Senegal! When you land at Blaise Diagne International Airport, we'll be waiting for you so that we can pick you up and drive over to the Lac Rose, one of the most stunning places on the Petite-Côte of Senegal.

Nearby is the hotel where we'll stay the first night. It's time to rest and gather strength before we set out to explore the jaw-dropping beauty of the area the following day.

Day 2: Lac Rose - Faoye

We'll start the day with breakfast at the hotel and head to the famous Pink Lake, known by the locals as Retba. We'll admire this spring and explain why it has this unique pinkish color. We'll also see how people work in the salt pans of this lake and, if you want, you can take a dip in its waters. 

Finally, we'll take you to the village of Faoye, located very close to the mouth of the Salum River. Did you know that this area marks the end of the so-called Petite-Côte sénégalaise? We'll have dinner and rest at a camp, tomorrow there'll be even more fun!

Day 3: Faoye - Ziguinchor

The third day will be dedicated to travel between Faoye and Ziguinchor. We'll leave the Petite-Côte of Senegal behind and head towards the Casamance region by crossing the Gambia River. Along the way, we'll admire mangroves and marshes and stop to visit a Serer village, one of the oldest ethnic groups in the country. 

We'll end the day with dinner and rest at the hotel in Ziguinchor. 

Day 4: Ziguinchor - Oussouye 

After breakfast, we'll visit Ziguinchor, the capital of the Casamance region. The city is one of the most cosmopolitan in the whole country and Muslims, Christians and other religions live together in perfect harmony. We'll talk about the Portuguese and French past of this town and see how this has influenced the architecture of many of its buildings.

Before the end of the day, we'll head to Oussouye, also belonging to Casamance. There we'll replenish our strength with a delicious dinner and rest until the next day.

Day 5: Oussouye - Mlomp - Carabane

Once we have had breakfast, we'll start exploring Oussouye, known for its strong Diola tradition, the majority ethnic group in Senegal. We'll walk through its forests and meet the different clans that live there. We'll talk about their beliefs, rituals, and lifestyles.

After touring Oussouye, we'll stay in the Diola territory to visit the village of Mlomp, and then we'll head to Carabane Island, a place where time seems to stand still. Located at the mouth of the Casamance River, this island surprises visitors with its quiet spirit and white sandy beaches.

We'll end the day with dinner and rest at the hotel in Carabane.

Day 6: Carabane - Seleki

With our batteries recharged, we'll start exploring Carabane admiring the unique vegetation of southern Senegal. We'll marvel at the colonial architecture of the island and enjoy a boat ride to see the rice fields.

We'll end the day arriving in Seleki.

Day 7: Seleki - Kaolack 

We'll wake up in Seleki ready to visit this traditional village of the Casamanza region. We'll learn a ton about the Diola architecture while contemplating the houses of the village. After a short visit, we'll spend the rest of the day traveling to Kaolack, one of the most important commercial hubs in Senegal. Once at our destination, we'll have dinner and rest until the next day.

Day 8: Kaolack - Salum - Faoye

The day will start with breakfast at the hotel in Kaolack and then we'll start touring this city that has one of the largest markets in West Africa. We'll visit this trading hub while we learn about the boom that the city reached thanks to the export of peanuts.

Afterwards, we'll approach the village of Toubacouta, located on the banks of the Salum Delta. We'll explore the mangroves that extend along the river and we'll conclude the eighth day resting at the camp in Faoye.

Day 9: Faoye - Fundiougne - Marlodi

On the ninth day, we'll continue exploring the famous Salum Delta from Faoye. We'll take some time to appreciate the breathtaking Senegalese scenic landscapes before heading to Fundiougne, one of the many islands in this enclave. Here we'll pay a visit to the Niominka people, belonging to the Serer ethnic group.

After visiting some markets and seeing how they fish in the river, we'll head to Marlodi, where we'll have dinner and rest.

Day 10: Marlodi - Joal-Fadiouth - Dakar

To end our adventure through Senegal, we'll enjoy the peace and quiet of the nature in Marlodi and then return to the Petite-Côte. 

We'll arrive in Joal-Fadiouth, formed by two villages linked by a wooden bridge in the middle of the Salum Delta, an area with more than 200 islands! You'll also be struck by the architecture of this place – its buildings are decorated with shells!

Finally, we'll take you to Blaise Diagne International Airport in time for your flight back home.

Accommodation

The tour includes 9 nights of accommodation with half board in the following hotels:

• Lac Rose (1 night): 3-star Chez Salim Hotel or similar
• Faoye (1 night): Solidarity Camp or similar
• Ziguinchor (1 night): 3-star Hotel Kadiandoumagne or similar
• Oussouye (1 night): 2-star Emanaye Camp or similar
• Carabane (1 night): 3-star Carabane Hotel or similar
• Seleki (1 night): Seleki Solidarity Camp or similar
• Kaolack (1 night): 3-star Relais Kaolack Hotel or similar
• Faoye (1 night): 2-star camp in Faoye or similar
• Marlodi (1 night): 3-star Bazouk Hotel or similar