Tour Itinerary
Day One:
Arrive in Senegal – Dakar
On arrival in Senegal you will transfer to your Dakar hotel (Hotel Djollof or similar). Depending on your time of arrival, you will visit the Mamelles lighthouse for a panoramic view of the nearby island of Dakar, and to discover the mosque of Ouakam.
Day Two:
Dakar – Lac Rose – Kayar – Lompoul Desert
You will set off from Dakar after breakfast to discover the Pink Lake (Lake Retba), the strange lake saturated in salt, which is extracted by the salt collectors. Mamadou, the young guide will explain everything to you. After taking care to deflate the tyres on the 4x4, you approach the sand dunes, following in the tracks of the last leg of the Paris Dakar Rally.
The morning ends with a horse trek, which is accessible to all. You’ll meander along paths between gardens and typical Peul villages. On the return, the more experienced riders can gallop along the sand at the water’s edge. Lunch will be by the lake.
You continue on to Kayar, the biggest centre for hand fishing in Senegal. Malick, your town guide will explain the process as the fishermen arrive with their catch.
You continue your journey along the dunes passing through several Peul villages, home to breeders of zebu cattle and goats, in the sub-saharan landscape. Arriving at Lompoul, Abdou, your local host will meet you. The African night takes place in the middle of the dunes in the Lompoul Desert where you will camp out in traditional ‘khaïmas’, tents woven from camel hair. The desert campsite is made up of 24 sleeping areas divided up into 4 large tents with 6 beds in each. Communal ‘bush’ showers and toilets are available.
The evening starts with an aperitif, continuing with a meal of couscous then an evening spent around the fire under the starry sky.
Day Three
Saint-Louis – Langue de Barbarie
In the early morning, we suggest an unforgettable ride on a camel or, to be more exact, a dromedary. Each person in turn can take advantage of the swaying gait of the animals, whilst the remainder of the group accompany the camel safari on foot. From the top of the large, ochre sand dunes, you can enjoy a splendid panoramic view towards the coast. This magical place allows all the "big children" to rediscover the joys of rolling down the sand dunes!
Continuing on your way to Saint-Louis, you arrive via the famous Faidherbe Bridge in this ancient, colonial, capital, classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Your meal of local specialities will be in a restaurant on the island.
In the afternoon you will do a tour of the island and the fishermen quarter in a horse-drawn carriage with a Saint-Louisienne guide who will impress you with his historical knowledge. This visit finishes with refreshments at the Hotel Post.
You will head by pirogue to a village camp on the Langue de Barbarie, a peninsular between river and ocean. Accommodation for the night is under canvas along the riverbanks. A communal wash block is available with cold water.
Meals are served in a large Mauritanian tent. The evening will end with the ‘ritual of the three teas’.
Day Four
Djoudj Park or the bush
- Djoudj Park (December to April). You depart early in a 4x4 to explore by pirogue the third largest bird reserve in the world and to discover numerous species of migratory birds (ducks, herons, pelicans) and reptiles (lizards and crocodiles). You will lunch in an old colonial ranch on the banks of the Senegal River and will relax with an afternoon spent around the pool.
- Langue de Barbarie (all year). You depart for the Gandiol lighthouse and board a pirogue to go down the river towards the mouth of the river through the Langue de Barbarie National Park. You can explore the Island of the Birds where many species nest and will picnic on a deserted beach in the shade of the palm trees, before returning to Dakar in the mid-afternoon
PLEASE NOTE
THE ITINERARY MAY VARY SLIGHTLY DEPENDING ON WEATHER, TIME OF YEAR ETC.
