Cruise Senegal

Guy Lankester

email guy@fromhere2timbuktu.com

Tel: +44 (0)7970 050549

2

Cruise Senegal

Description

Dakar - Senegal’s proud capital city

• wander the vibrant markets
• swimming and barbecued fish on the Isle of N’Gor
• great food and top class live-music in fine restaurants.

Saint Louis - the former capital of French West Africa.

• Colonial architecture mixes with Muslim and Christian tradition
• ochre, orange and maroon buildings decorate the lazy streets
• vibrancy and bustle of the fishing community on the Langue de Barberie.

Cruise - 6 days of relaxation in West African Style plus:

• Tukolor, Wolof and Maure villages
• Parc d'Oiseaux de Djoudj, the third most important breeding grounds for migrating birds
• Old French Forts, forgotten follies and other places of interest.

You will be taken on a journey through present day Senegalese and Mauritanian culture and back in time along France's main route into the interior of Africa.

The cruiser is a beautifully refurbished old colonial ferry which has been charting this route for 50 years and has “a mythical status to the communities of the region” as it provides an important link with Saint Louis. Your guide on the cruise is an energetic and enthusiastic English speaking Senegalese man. He will lead you through the history of the region, both colonial and tribal.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1 All to have arrived in Dakar. We may as well hit the ground running and have an evening in one of their good restaurants with live music - all the Senegalese greats like Youssou N’Dour play at these venues when they are in town.

Day 2 am: transfer from Dakar to Saint Louis.

pm: lunch and relax on the Langue de Barberie – a large spit of sand between the Senegal river and the Atlantic for swimming and birding. Transfer to a hotel in Saint Louis.

Day 3: am: explore the historic and pleasant town of Saint Louis, the former capital of French West Africa.

pm: Transfer to Podor, one of the jewels of the River Senegal to begin the cruise

Dine and sleep on the cruiser.

Day 4: Breakfast on board. Visit Podor. This former colonial customs town dealt with much of the Saharan trade coming west.. We see the Faidherbe fort and wander the streets, before setting off down river. We stop off to visit a Maure village before getting in smaller craft to ride up a tributary river to a Tukolor village.

Dine and sleep on the cruiser

Day 5: A beautiful morning’s cruise through the Tukolor kingdom, palm trees lining our route and colourful village life punctuating ourlazy morning’s cruise. At lunchtime we arrive at Dagana, a Wolof town and another former customs town. Visit the daily market.

Dine and sleep on the crusier

Day 6: On to Richard Toll, or “the garden of Richard” named after the park of the Chateau of Baron Roger. We visit this old colonial town by horse and cart, stopping off at its sugar cane factory and “La folie de Baron Roger”

Dine and sleep on the cruiser

Day 7: Passing by Rosso, a border town with people, animals and goods crossing the river in pirogues. Before we stop off at the Parc d’Oiseaux de Djoudj. . We will enter the park in the afternoon and get in motorised pirogues for a few hours twitching! Flamingos, pelicans, cormorants, herons.. they’re all here.

Dine and sleep on the cruiser

Day 8 And on past the Diama dam which signals the beginning of Saline water and our approach to Saint Louis.

pm: Horse and cart tour of Saint Louis.

Dine and sleep on the cruiser.

Day 9 Disembark the in the morning and transfer to Dakar.

Day 10 End of tour.

Notes:

Added days in Dakar = €100 per day.

Depending on the week you choose, the cruise part of this itinerary may be in reverse.

The 8 day unguided trip goes from Day 2 to Day 9

Price:

10 day small group trips: €1650,