As promised, here is part 2 of the little summary of a busy stay in Senegal!
If you have to do a few days in Senegal, this program is perfect to fully enjoy the country in a short time!
Two must-see Islands!
Dakar, only offers plenty of little corners to experience the Dolce Vita, with the island of Ngor right next to it or even the island of Gorée which is a must. The Senegalese Téranga * allows you to never be lost, moreover, local guides, there are everywhere. A whole day is the minimum you need to plan to make a complete visit of Gorée and fully enjoy it.
Gorée Island
The island of Gorée no longer needs to be presented, a memory of Africa's tragic past, it is also an island full of charm with its inhabitants, its colonial houses, its restaurants by the sea and a magnificent view ! We got to see the sand painting technique and took a few with us! I can't wait to repeat the experience for a night in the Bed & Breakfasts you see along the island.
Island of Goree, House of the Slaves
A really sad visit, the story breaks my heart every time: /
Gorée and Ngor require a boat crossing (20 min for Gorée, 5 to 10 min for Ngor). Ngor is a charming little piece of quiet land with super nice locals who take us around the island, local restaurants and beaches to spend a lazy day without going far.
Ngor Island
The Mamelles Lighthouse
For a gourmet and fun evening, the "Phare des Mamelles" is a must! Located on one of the two volcanic hills of Les Mamelles overlooking Dakar, at an altitude of 105m, the lighthouse was built in 1864. Right next to it, the African Renaissance Monument also overlooks it from the twin hill.
Also known for its brunches, the lighthouse restaurant offers a breathtaking view of Dakar, with a Rooftop Garden and a souvenir shop to discover local artists. The restaurant menu is mouth watering and they have different entertainment every evening from Tuesday to Sunday (live concert, clubbing, show, etc ...).
We had a wonderful evening with a quick and easy dinner in mind, we found ourselves in front of a dance show, followed by a live concert, and ending with a DJ who didn't want to let us go home! lol
In short, we loved it!
A word of advice: it's still better to book in advance in case there may be a shortage of space on the weekends.
Pink Lake, worth seeing
Located about 1h30 from Dakar, Lake Retba owes its fame to the original and changing color of its water, but also to the Paris-Dakar rally of which the last stage is mentioned.
Be careful, it's not always pink, it has shades ranging from fuchsia pink to purple red depending on the brightness. Its pink color is due to the presence of a microorganism which develops a red pigment to resist the salt concentration. So I advise you to check the weather: for it to be as pink as possible, you need the sun!
The pink lake is one of the saltiest in the world. The quantity of salt is 10 times greater than that of the sea: 380 grams per liter! And I can say that you don't want to taste it: /
I have not yet tried swimming but it's safe. The water being extremely salty, one floats there like on the Dead Sea. To protect yourself from the aggressiveness of the salt on the skin, you should coat your body with shea butter, and swimming is recommended for 15 min. We were still able to make an excursion all afternoon with local guides with several activities offered:
- Visit of the lake by canoe
- Quad ride to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean with a beautiful beach right next door, where we were able to swim a little
- Camel ride
Finally, not having seen the time pass, we were not able to eat in a restaurant there or go to the turtle village which is nearby, but we were able to take some nice souvenirs at the craft village.
In short, a busy week with our head full of memories and a fullness that we don't feel as often nowadays, let's take the time to disconnect more often to live real experiences!
Until next time, for the last part with the details of our adventures between lions and rhinos :)
* Senegalese hospitality
Comments