Senegal is the perfect year-round escape with its exceptional climate and its diverse landscapes. From the desert in the north to the tropical forest in the south, you will pass through Sahelian zones, dotted with emblematic baobabs, bordered by the infinite wild beaches of the Grande Côte and by the mangrove delta of Saloum.

Visit numerous sites that bear witness to Senegal's history: from its capital of Dakar to Saint-Louis, the first capital of the French West Indies. Come across the old trading posts along the Senegal River and make your way to the island of Gorée where you will learn about its tragic past. There is so much rich culture, history and must-see landmarks in this country, including seven major sites that are classified by UNESCO as World Cultural or Natural Heritage.

But the greatest wealth of a trip to Senegal lies in meeting and exchanging with the locals, composed of an incredible mosaic of different societies such as the Wolofs, Peuls, Sereres, Toucouleurs, Diolas, Mandingues, Bédiks or Bassaris.

Are you ready for this adventure?

Your itinerary:

Day 1 (Saturday): Arrival in Senegal - Pink Lake (Lake Retba)

Day 2 (Sunday): Pink Lake (Lake Retba)

Day 3 (Monday): Bonaba School - Meeting with Kayar fishermen - Beach in 4x4 - Lompoul Desert

Day 4 (Tuesday): Lompoul Desert - Foundiougne - Sokone

Day 5 (Wednesday): Authentic African day

Day 6 (Thursday): The islands and the Bolong du Saloum

Day 7 (Friday): Free morning / optional activities - Kaolack - Gorée

Day 8 (Saturday): Gorée - Dakar - End of the tour

Please note that the order of the activities can be changed without affecting the interest of the programme.

Receive a warm welcome at the Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) and then, take a transfer to the Pink Lake (also known as the Lac Rose or Lake Retba).

Get settled in your camp, the Gite du Lac, in a charming hut (individual bathroom, solar lighting and hot water), on a dune overlooking the Pink Lake and a banana plantation.

Enjoy a dinner (excluding drinks) of a Senegalese speciality and night in this beautiful natural setting.

SUNDAY - PINK LAKE

The Pink Lake, also known as the Lac Rose or Lake Retba, is world renowned due to its gorgeous pinkish-mauve colour. In addition to its colour, its incredible salinity (300 gr/litre) places it at the level of the Dead Sea.

Travel across the lake in a salt canoe and meet the salt collectors who tirelessly extract this natural resource. Your local guide will give you an in-depth explanation on the origin of the lake and its economic functioning.

You will be able to experience the impressive experience of floating in the lake. Have lunch (excluding drinks) in a bamboo restaurant on a shell hill, offering the most beautiful view of the lake.

Our suggestion for your free afternoon: relax on the beach or in the garden, and why not go swimming in the ocean?

Several activities are proposed as an option and with an extra charge (at the next stage of the booking page) such as numerous rides (horse, e-bike, quad) or to visit the turtle village of Sangalkam.

At the end of the afternoon, enjoy African percussions as you watch the sunset.

The evening will close with a full African immersion: listen to Fulani tales and songs to the rhythm of traditional instruments with participative dance around a campfire, accompanied by 3 Senegalese teas under the stars.

Tasting of a Senegalese speciality based on fonio, a local micro-cereal, for dinner (excluding drinks). Overnight stay on the shores of Pink Lake.

Learn to make goat cheese (free workshop)

In the early morning, you will participate in cheese making, starting with milking the goats. You will work with an eco-friendly farm that works with the valorisation of traditional breeding by preserving the environment and with respects to the ancestral Fulani culture. After your workshop, you will have the pleasure of tasting the cheese that you produced.

Next visit, you will head to a local school during breaktime. You will have the chance to bring the young children school supplies in partnership with the local charities and associations. After, you will cross the dune line to finally reach a grand deserted beach.

A fish barbecue is offered on the beach, under the shade of a straw hut with a Robinson Crusoe feel. You will have the rest of the time to swim in the ocean and relax on the beach.

Depart for a walk to reach the immense deserted beach of the Grande Côte, a stretch of sand that extends to the north of Mauritania. You will be accompanied by donkeys to carry the necessary equipment for the day. You will walk along a brackish water lagoon frequented by many birds and used by the villagers for market gardening.

Then, prepare yourself for a real African Adventure in a 4x4 vehicle on the tracks of the mythical "Paris-Dakar", by the beach and the dunes. You will arrive at the largest artisanal fishing centre in Senegal, Kayar.  Learn about how the fisherman work: unloading buckets, removing the pirogues (small fishing boats) from the water, negotiating fish sales, loading the fish into carts as well as salting, smoking and drying of the fish, all under the market hall.

Finally, you will reach the Lompoul desert for an unforgettable Saharan experience, in an oasis in the middle of the great ochre sand dunes.

At sunset, you will enjoy a short camel ride in the heart of the desert. Take in the beautiful panorama of the desert and the coastline. This magical site allows all the "big kids" to rediscover the joys of rolling in the sand!

Settle in the charming khaimas, Mauritanian tents comfortably equipped with 2 single beds (3rd bed possible), a small living room and a bush bathroom (sink, toilet and shower with cold running water). The evening starts with a cocktail and continues with a Méchouia soup, a Senegalese couscous and a dessert. Tasting of the 3 Senegalese teas around a campfire to the rhythm of the djembes.

TUESDAY - LOMPOUL DESERT - FOUNDIOUGNE - SOKONE (230KM/4H)

After breakfast, depart to the village by 4x4 truck. You will take the cart tracks, passing by the dunes in a typical Sahelian landscape dotted with acacia trees. The guide will explain the agricultural techniques that allow the production of vegetables in the hollows of the dunes and the raising of goats and sheep.

You will visit the village nursery that we support as part of a reforestation programme. Each participant will be able to take part in the replanting process to fight against the advancing desert, which has been accentuated since the great droughts of the 1970s: prepare the bags of soil, plant young shoots, prepare the new beds for sowing, and water.

Hit the road towards the Saloum via Mékhé, "capital of Senegalese shoes"; visit of artisanal workshops. We take a beautiful laterite track in the heart of the Baol kingdom to reach Baba Garage. The track takes us to Fatick and its salt marshes then to Foundiougne, a former colonial prefecture, where we take a ferry to cross the Saloum river.

You will have lunch under the shade of a straw hut by the river. Then continue to Sokone, the gateway to the Saloum Delta Natural Park.

Settle in at the Barracudas, an ecolodge built on an island of shells, offering an extraordinary view of the mangrove. The energy used for this lodge is produced by a local hybrid solar power plant, composed mainly of panels and batteries, reinforced by a generator.

Sleep in a comfortable hut, situated in a lovely park among trees. They are all equipped with a double bed and two single beds, a separate toilet and a bathroom with hot water. Lighting and a 24-hour connected charging point are also included.

Enjoy a late afternoon, free to swim in the pool overlooking the mangrove or sunbathe on the beach terrace by the bolong. A welcome drink is offered on the panoramic terrace, followed by a dinner prepared by Lamine, the chef.

Overnight stay at this lodge.

We propose you to live a 100% Authentic African day, at the rhythm of a village family of Bambougar. After the customary Salam Alikoum, your host will suggest that you accompany them to the local market; there you will buy the necessary ingredients to prepare the traditional meal, Thieb bou Yap, a Senegalese dish that you will help cook and taste for a late lunch (excluding drinks).

Next, you will reach the village of Sokone by pirogue, where one of the most important traditional weekly markets (Luma) of the region is located. This is a great opportunity to soak up the colourful, fragrant and warm African atmosphere.

Every Wednesday in Sokone, merchants, farmers, market gardeners and fishermen from the region meet in the village to sell their products and their harvest. You will find all sorts of products, in a chaotic atmosphere that strikes your eye: fabrics, food, magic powders and more!

After you've shopped, you will return to Bambougar in a local cart where we can either go with the local women to make a traditional meal, or with the men who explain how they farm the zebus and goats.

You will end this authentic African day by contributing to the development of the village garden market, an eco-solidarity programme carried out with the women's group of the village with the technical assistance of the Nebeday Association. Each traveller will be able to help with the agricultural work of the moment: planting, watering, organic treatments, harvesting...

You will share a Senegalese meal with the villagers, on a mat on the ground, served in common trays. This memorable moment is prolonged with the 3 teas ceremony in the shade of a tree, with discussions with the villagers about their daily life, their habits and customs...

Head back to the Barracudas for a late afternoon of relaxation and swimming. After dinner (drinks not included), an animation by the villagers closes this day of immersion.

THURSDAY - ISLANDS AND BOLONGS OF SALOUM (2H PIROGUE)

Board a pirogue for a day of nature and discovery in the Saloum National Park, classified as a World Biosphere Reserve. Embark through a labyrinth of bolongs lined with mangroves. You may meet oyster gatherers or fishermen on canoes at the bend in the river. You will be able to observe the many birds living in the mangrove.

Enjoy a Robinson Crusoe barbecue on a deserted beach. Relax in the shade listening to the birds and swim in the bolong or go for a walk in search of fiddler crabs.

Return to the Barracudas in the middle of the afternoon; we may be lucky enough to encounter a pod of humpback dolphins, a species typical of brackish environments. At the end of the day, take a walk or a horse-drawn carriage ride through the surrounding nature with a local guide, or relax in the pool.

For your last evening, Lamine has concocted a refined meal for you. The evening will be prolonged around 3 Senegalese teas, to exchange impressions of this extraordinary trip.

For your last day, we propose a free morning where you can relax in the pool, or choose one of the many optional activities:

Enjoy the quietness and beauty of the place, take advantage of the swimming pool overlooking the mangrove, sunbathe on the beach along the bolong or fish directly from the pontoon.

Go for a 2-hour walk or carriage ride in the surrounding nature with a local guide in the early morning or late afternoon.

Join the women of the village to collect cockles from the sandbanks or oysters from the mangrove roots (at low tide and depending on the period).

Walk in a small bolong at low tide to look for mongoose or hyena tracks and possibly see small monkeys.

Some excursions are with a supplement charge like the Safari Reserve of Fathala, a walk with the lions, a stroll in kayak, a morning with the palangrotte or a morning bush ride in 4x4.

Have lunch (excluding drinks) at Barracudas. Next, reach the Petite Côte by road via Kaolack, a former Senegalese groundnut port on the Saloum River, now a crossroads town between the southern road axes to Gambia, Casamance and the Guineas and the eastern road axes to eastern Senegal and Mali. Far from any tourist concern, it is, with more than 150 000 inhabitants, a large and true African city of today, crushed by the heat all year long.

Arrive in Dakar at the end of the afternoon, where you will embark at the port on the 6:30 pm boat to the island of Gorée. A superb panorama of this volcanic island will appear as you approach: cliffs, colonial houses, the flowery alleys of the historic town, the church.

Settle in your colonial inn, La Porte du Retour (or Hotel Madou according to availability). Have dinner at a restaurant on the island and overnight stay.

SATURDAY - GOREE - DAKAR - DEPARTURE (55KM/1H)

Free morning on the historical island to visit at your own pace.

You will visit where many slaves were housed. Learn the tragic history with the help of a curator.

Have lunch at a restaurant on the island. Take a 2pm boat trip back to Dakar.

You will have a commented city tour (Independence Square, old administrative buildings, city hall and train station from the colonial era; cathedral, Presidential Palace, Kermel market). Then, continue by the corniche offering a beautiful view of the Madeleine islands at sunset, then the Ouakam Mosque to finish at the monument of the African Renaissance. If you are up for the challenge, you may climb the 200 steps to reach the base of the 52-metre bronze statue.

We invite you to share a last drink at the Ngor restaurant with your feet in the water at sunset on the Pointe des Almadies, the most eastern point of the African continent. You have the possibility of dinner as an option (not included).

It is in this original place that your Senegalese trip ends before your transfer to the airport, 2 hours before your flight takes off. Assistance for the last formalities.

During your stay in Senegal, you will be accommodated in Double Rooms at 3 exclusive eco-friendly hotels:

Lake Retba: Le Gite du Lac (or similar)

Sokone: Le Barracuda (or similar)

Lompoul: Le Camp du Désert (or similar)

In case of unavailability of the hotels listed above, you will be accommodated in hotels of similar category.

Take a ride along the lagoon to the beach and back through the dunes (1.5 hours) by horse.

Take a ride through the bush (3 hours) by horse.

Ride around the lake by the tracks on an e-bike (1h30).

Discover of the old lake bed as you ride along the dune line to the baobabs of Kaniak by e-bike (3h).

Wake up very early to experience an African safari. Drive to the Fathala Forest on the Gambian border and board a 4x4 open safari vehicle with a 360° view. The Fathala Private Game Reserve, managed by a South African company, is home to animals endemic to Senegal as well as some imported from the south of the continent: among others, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, horse antelopes (Koba), fassa cobs, buffalo cobs, forest buffalos, harnessed guibs, Cape eland, derby eland, duiker, warthogs, palm rats, civets.

Enjoy a unique experience, only proposed in 5 sites in the world! For 40 minutes, accompanied by two specialized guides, you will walk with lions in the bush, in total freedom. You will accompany them in their natural habitat with several photographic breaks to immortalise this unforgettable moment in the company of the King of the Jungle, the most emblematic animal of Africa.

Go on an hour and half quad ride along the seashell tracks, dunes and Dakar beach.

Go on an hour quad ride along the seashell tracks, dunes and Dakar beach (3 tracks possible).

Go on a three-hour quad ride along the seashell tracks, dunes and Dakar beach (3 tracks possible).

Drive to the Pink Lake and visit the turtle village, a protection centre for the endangered Sulcata turtles. You will be impressed by some specimens weighing almost 100 kg and captivated by the babies born in recent months.

If you choose the extension, you will go on a 7-night tour (shared or private) and will stay at the Africa Queen for your choice of 3, 5 or 7 nights.

Africa Queen Hotel:

Nestled on the edge of Somone, a town located south of Dakar, the Africa Queen hotel will entice you with its authenticity and natural setting. The hotel is different from the big hotel complexes and offers you a stay between idleness and softness of life. The staff will do their utmost to help you discover the Teranga, the typical hospitality so dear to the hearts of the Senegalese.

Put your bags down in this haven, entirely renovated in 2017, and set off to discover Somone, its village, its fishermen and its rich culture.

The Deluxe Room has a typical traditional decoration and is equipped with a coffee/tea maker, hairdryer and beach towel.

This offer is based on a Half Board stay (breakfast and evening meal served in the main restaurant - excludes drinks). 
 

Please note: some dining outlets/menu items and premium, branded and international drinks may not be included in your board basis and may incur a surcharge payable locally. Meals, snacks and drinks may be available at selected times only.

For an even more indulging holiday, upgrade to Full Board basis (breakfast, lunch and evening meal served in the main restaurant - excludes drinks) at the next stage of the booking process.

Head for the outdoor pool, where you can cool off and have fun at the same time. Don't hesitate to sign up for the morning aquagym classes and start your day in a tonic way.

Children will not be left out thanks to the paddling pool where they can play under your watchful eye, in complete safety.

Beach, sun, relaxation... Why not take a little break in the sun? The straw huts will welcome you! Afterwards, don't hesitate to complete your days with a game of table tennis, pétanque or volleyball, or join in the evening entertainment planned in high season. You will have plenty of reasons to have fun!