Description
Day 1: Dakar - Lac Rose
When you land at Blaise Diagne airport, we'll be waiting for you to take you to the Lac Rose hotel where we'll have dinner and spend the first night of this 10-day tour - welcome to Senegal!
Day 2: Lac Rose - Saint-Louis
After breakfast to recharge our batteries, we'll head towards the Lac Rose, famous for its waters that vary in colour depending on the weather conditions. We'll be able to observe its wide lakeside beaches and its filaos forests, as well as watch a demonstration of salt extraction.
If you wish, you can take the opportunity to bathe in the Pink Lake, where the high concentration of salt prevents the body from sinking. We'll then visit the village of Retba, located on the shores of the lake, and travel some 300 kilometres north to Saint-Louis. Here we'll return to colonial times and learn about the most characteristic aspects of its history and culture.
We'll end the day resting in a hotel in St-Louis.
Day 3: Saint-Louis or Djoudi Park
On the third day of the trip we'll stay in St-Louis if you're on the tour from April to October. We'll take the opportunity to walk along the bridge and watch the fishing activity in the area.
If you tour between November and March, we'll leave St-Louis for Djoudi Park, a haven for birds that come here to take refuge from the cold of other areas. This ornithological reserve is home to hundreds of species of birds, as well as mammals and reptiles that we'll be able to observe during the tour.
We'll board a raft to sail on the Senegal River, and then return to Saint-Louis. Before resting at the hotel, we'll take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city to see its most representative monuments.
Day 4: Saint-Louis - Langue de Barbarie
We'll say goodbye to Saint-Louis and cross the Faidherbe bridge, which is over 500 metres long, to head towards our next destination: the Langue de Barbarie. This is a national park located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Senegal River. Here we'll spend the rest of the day and stay in a local hotel.
Day 5: Langue de Barbarie
We'll take advantage of the full day in the Langue de Barbarie to explore this area of the Senegal River delta and observe the great biodiversity that inhabits its extensive beaches. We'll see pelicans, sea turtles and many other species.
We'll rest until the next day at the Langue de Barbarie hotel where we slept the night before.
Day 6: Langue de Barbarie - Lompoul Desert
We leave the Langue de Barbarie and head for the Lompoul Desert, one of the smallest deserts in the world. Did you know that it's only 18 square kilometres in size? There, we'll hop into a 4x4 vehicle to go deep into the sand dunes and reach the haima camp where we'll stay. Here you'll enjoy lunch on your own.
In the evening, we'll gather around a bonfire and enjoy a dinner with a show of traditional Senegalese music and dances, an evening you won't forget!
Day 7: Lompoul desert - Ndangane - Mar Fafako
After spending a fascinating day on the sands of the Lompoul desert, we'll head towards the centre of Senegal to discover its more traditional side. First, we'll visit Ndangane, cradle of the Serer people. Here you can have lunch on your own. Then we'll go to the village of Mar Fafako, where after a horse-drawn carriage ride to discover its streets and most iconic places, we'll go on a kayak tour of the Salum Delta.
Day 8: Mar Fafako - Saloum Delta - Mar Fafako
We'll have breakfast and depart for the impressive mangrove swamps found on the islands of the Salum River. It's a labyrinth of vegetation, water and sand. We'll cruise through the waters of the Salum Delta enjoying the beauty and the endemic fauna of its shores. Here you can have lunch at your leisure. In the afternoon, we'll return to Mar Fafako to rest.
Day 9: Mar Fafako - Bandia Reserve - Somone
After leaving behind the islands of the Salum Delta, we'll arrive at the Bandia Reserve, a few kilometres off the coast of Saly. In this incredible place, we'll go on safari to see the wildlife of the African savannah in all its splendour. Along the way, you'll see animals such as white rhinos, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, roan antelopes and kobs.
We'll also have the opportunity to see monkeys hanging from the acacia trees or crocodiles and giant tortoises bathing in the lagoons and ponds of Bandia. After lunch on your own, we'll drive to a hotel in Somone to rest until the next day.
Day 10: Somone - Dakar
On the last day, we'll have breakfast and visit the lagoon of Somone, where we'll observe the seafood fisherwomen among the mangroves. We'll also take a break to have lunch on our own.
Afterwards, we'll start our journey to Blaise Diagne airport in time for your return flight.
Accommodation
The tour includes 9 nights' accommodation with breakfast and dinner in the following 2 and 3-star hotels:
- Lac Rose (1 night): Hotel Chez Salim or similar
- Saint-Louis (2 nights): Hotel Diamarek or similar
- Langue de Barbarie (2 nights): Ocean & Savane Hotel or similar
- Lompoul (1 night): Camp du Desert or similar
- Fafako Sea (2 nights): Hotel Essemaye or similar
- Somone (1 night): Hotel Les Pieds dans l'Eau or similar
