11 June 2009 - The Senegal Experience - Press Office
The Senegal Experience releases its new November 2009 – October 2010 brochure this week. Since its first season of operation (Winter 08/09), the tour operator reports that bookings and passenger numbers have exceeded expectations, and it is pleased to now present an expanded brochure with many new features.
Highlights include:
Increased Programme to meet demand
The Senegal Experience has added three new hotels to its programme, meaning that the specialist now offers twelve hotels in total, split between the regions of Saly & La Somone and the Sine Saloum Delta.
The resort of Saly is located on the ‘Petite Côte’ approximately 50 miles south of Dakar and 40 miles north of the Sine Saloum Delta. As well as being one of the most important fishing ports in Senegal, it also constitutes an ideal beach holiday destination. The smaller resort of La Somone is only a short drive from Saly and enjoys an idyllic location beside a stunning lagoon, home to the Réserve de la Somone, a birdwatcher’s paradise.
Formed where two rivers converge on the Atlantic Ocean, the Sine Saloum Delta (180,000-hectares) is a region of great diversity consisting of rivers, glorious beaches, mangrove swamps, sand islands and ever-shifting dunes.
New Hotels
La Somone: 4-grade Royal Decameron Baobab Resort
Operating on an all-inclusive board basis, this newly refurbished hotel is perfectly positioned between a sandy beach and the La Somone lagoon (home to the Réserve de la Somone) and is rich in the facilities and activities that one would expect from the Decameron brand.
Saly: 4-grade Hotel Neptune
Set amongst tropical gardens, the hub of which is the 400m2 fresh water swimming pool (largest in Saly), highlights of Hotel Neptune include its relaxed, tranquil atmosphere and excellent cuisine. Pétanque and badminton can be played, and canoes and surfboards are freely available for guests’ use, as well as other payable water sports on the hotel’s private beach.
Sine Saloum Delta: 4-grade Delta Niominka
Delta Niominka is uniquely located on the island of Dionewar, just a short boat ride from the mainland at the mouth of the Sine Saloum Delta, itself an area of natural beauty and a UNESCO heritage site. A stay at Delta Niominka offers a contrast of landscapes from sand beaches to the rivers and bolongs of the Delta.
New: Tours
A choice of three or seven night private Tours is also new to the 2009/2010 brochure.
The itineraries encourage further exploration, and cover areas north of Dakar, as well as the Sine Saloum Delta, Eastern Senegal and The Gambia. The Senegal Experience suggests booking a Tour as part of a longer beach / resort holiday. Sample Tours include the three night ‘Grand Coast Adventure Tour’, which incorporates Dakar, the Lompoul Desert, Saint Louis, Djoudj Park, the Pink Lake and Kayar. A discount of £100pp on seven night Tours and £50pp on three night Tours is valid for departures 01 November – 16 December 2009.
Choice of UK Departures on Scheduled Flights
The Senegal Experience offers scheduled flights with Brussels Airlines (via Brussels) from London Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester as part of its holiday packages. These UK departures operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with business class upgrades available.
Senegal & The Gambia Twin-Centre Holidays
The Senegal Experience welcomes twin-centre bookings within Senegal or with The Gambia. With sister company, The Gambia Experience, offering charter flights into Banjul from a range of UK airports, twin-centres between Senegal and The Gambia can be easily arranged. {The tour operator suggests flying into Dakar and out of Banjul to avoid supplement costs}.
Responsible Tourism
The Senegal Experience is now accredited with 5-star AITO (Association of Independent Tour Operators) Responsible Tourism status - the highest level possible. The tour operator matches donations made by clients, and donates £10 for every 100 holiday questionnaires received. The money is fed into The Gambia Experience’s School Development Fund, which this year will be donating 145,000 dalasi to help four Gambian schools with essential building work.
Early Booking Offers
A number of Early Booking Offers are available, valid for holidays booked by 17 July 2009. These include ‘14 nights for the price of 11’ offers, resulting in savings of up to £196 per person.
The Senegal Experience offers 7-night holidays in Saly from £849 per person. This price is based on half-board accommodation at the 3½ -grade Hotel Royam and includes return flights from Gatwick to Dakar (via Brussels), transfers and taxes (valid for departures 27 November – 11 December 09). For more information and uptodate offers, please visit The Senegal Experience website www.senegal.co.uk The website offers a wealth of information on Senegal and also includes virtual tours of selected hotels. Alternatively, please call The Senegal Experience Reservations Department on 0845 338 8706.
