Hi everyone!
It's been a while since I had an adventure to tell and it seems that the world is gradually reopening (God make it go on like this!).
If you don't follow me on IG, your girl got married :) last August in Dakar.
My in-laws did not know Senegal, so I took the opportunity myself to rediscover my dear country with them!
We were able to have beautiful adventures during those 2 weeks and I will try to share little glimpses with you.
I'm going to start with one of the most exotic one: the Loumpoul Desert
I must admit that I was really curious to experience a night in the desert.
I have long seen images here and there of a lodge located in Loumpoul and this time I decided to experience it. A reservation a week before on their website, and we were good to go! Their communication was quick and efficient to make sure everything was ready to welcome us!
At approximately 3:30 am from Dakar with the toll highway, we went to Loumpoul Village where the Lodge took care of picking us up with a 4x4 more suitable for the sandy roads that lead to the lodge.
Located 4 km from the sea, the Loumpoul Ecolodge gives the impression of being in the heart of an oasis, a few trees which give us a little greenery between the sand dunes.
We are greeted upon arrival by the super friendly manager at the Bar-Restaurant area which offers a breathtaking view of the desert, with large tents that serve as a dining room.
I was really wondering how they were able to set up full accommodation in the middle of the desert and admit I was a little stressed especially for the bathrooms lol.
Different is the word! Tents serve us as rooms with beds with mosquito nets, a small corner for chairs and a small table, furniture for towels, and separated by a partition a bathroom with shower and all. Large mats serve as a floor for the ground.
Strangely, the sand is not at all bothersome as it is thin. On the contrary, I almost preferred to walk barefoot, it was so much more pleasant.
It had rained the day before so we were able to have a nice breeze the night we arrived.
On the other hand the next day ... It was August so we could not complain about the heat.
We just put our phones down to fully enjoy this immersion, with the silence, the feeling of immensity that surrounded us and the presence of loved ones.
Our full board allowed us to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with a starter / main course / dessert at 36,000 cfa / person (without the cost of activities and extra drinks). After 3h30 on the road, we did not have to be asked to go to eat. Our meals were local, based on fresh products and organic vegetables from the area.
Several activities were offered to us:
- camel rides
- quad bike tour of the dunes
- snowboard slides on the dunes
- lunch on the beach with grilled meats and freshly caught shellfish (prawns, lobsters, crabs, etc.)
- campfire and djembe show under the stars ...
We did not have time to do everything but the camel ride and the djembe show made me become a child again.
The only thing that was annoying was the heat in the tents especially during the day, a real sauna. But we went to a desert so can't really complain lol.
On the other hand, for the toilets if you are shy ... 0 privacy lol but it is a bit the principle of a tent, hence the authenticity of the site.
We were able to enjoy a beautiful sunset and a delicious dinner before dancing to the sound of the tam tam.
The feeling of fullness and gratitude that we felt at night under the Milky Way in the middle of the sand dunes, it was just relaxing!
We left the next day after breakfast to return to Dakar, before the heat reached its peak for the day.
In short, basically I loved the experience and I will go back there to enjoy it more, especially when it will be cooler at the end of the year.
You can reach them directly via their website:
https://www.ecolodge-lompoul.com
