Dakar Dakar
raises different impressions in travelers. To his supporters is a modern city and airy with a temperate climate and lots of things: with its tree-lined avenues and a central area relatively wide, is visited on foot, despite having a population of over one million inhabitants, and its clubs and cafes animate only at sunset. Critics argue that the cost of living is very high and that some sellers are not willing to accept a rejection response. You just have to go and judge for yourself: If you do not like the capital, you can quite easily get away with one of the vehicles that leave every day to other parts of the country, otherwise you could be part of the increasingly large group of foreigners who have decided to live here.
The Museum of IFAN Place de Soweto exhibits an excellent collection of masks, statues, musical instruments, agricultural tools and equipment from all over West Africa. The beautiful white in 1906, located five blocks south of Place, home to the Palais Présidentiel and is surrounded by lush gardens.
Dakar has two large markets. The Marché Kermel, east of Place in the direction of the port was damaged by fire in 1993 and the stalls are currently available in the surrounding streets you will find for sale in this market in particular fruit, clothes, fabrics and souvenirs. The Marché Sandaga is larger and has a greater assortment of souvenirs, but less fruit, though the wide variety of fabrics that offer is in itself an irresistible attraction for tourists.
Dakar also offers the best internet services in the area, including an internet cafe open 24 hours on 24.
Outside the center you will find the Great Mosque, built in 1964, with its distinctive minaret that is illuminated at night. Access to the mosque is forbidden to non Muslims, but in any case it is worth visiting the surrounding area (Medina), which, although it is not particularly picturesque, lively atmosphere was in sharp contrast to the sophisticated buildings of the center.
Plage Bel-Air, the beach just north-east of the railway station, is fenced and has a bar and surfboards for hire: the water, however, is not particularly clean. Avoid the other beaches near Dakar, because of the risk of being robbed.
Thiès
Located 70 km east of Dakar, Thies and officially regarded as the second largest city of Senegal, although it appears rather small and is not at all unpleasant. You can visit to relax under the shade of leafy trees, or to eat in the cafes and eateries, or just hanging out at the center and watch the world go by; Thiès the main attraction, however, is its co-production tapestries, called Sénégalaises Manufactures des Arts Decoratifs, famous around the world. The tapestries are all based on paintings by artists from Senegal and can cost thousands of dollars worth a look even if you're not going to shop. Visitors only have access to the exhibition halls, but the experience is more interesting is the visit of the factory, where you can watch the production of tapestries phone calls a few days in advance and may be able to participate in a full tour.
Saint-Louis
To give you an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat was to be the colony of Senegal then head to Saint-Louis, the first French settlement in Africa, dating back to 1659. The city now extends to the mainland on an island and on the part of the Langue de Barbarie peninsula at the mouth of the Senegal River. The island is reached via the Pont Faidherbe, a 500 m long bridge, originally built to cross the Danube in Europe, but later transported here by ship in 1897. Two small bridges connecting the island to themselves with the mainland.
Saint-Louis was the capital of Senegal-Mauritania until 1958, when the two countries were divided. On the island, already resident district where the Europeans, you can see some old buildings with wrought-iron railings, wooden balconies and verandas. The neighborhood is situated on a peninsula, the so-called African quarter, now home to a fishing community called N'Dar Guet, and is the liveliest area of \u200b\u200bthe città.
Le 'guide' locali dell'isola vi condurranno per una piccola somma di denaro sul tetto dell'ufficio postale, dove potrete ammirare il bel panorama sul ponte e sulla città. Nei pressi è situato l'antico Palazzo del Governatore, che fu un forte nel XVIII secolo ed è oggi sede di uffici amministrativi, nonché uno dei monumenti più caratteristici della città. La vicina cattedrale risale al 1828 e, nonostante l'aspetto moderno, è la più antica chiesa del Senegal. A sud di Guet N'Dar si trova un originale cimitero musulmano, dove su ciascuna tomba è drappeggiata la rete da pesca di colui che la occupa.
Si segnala che a Saint-Louis è ora possibile accedere a internet grazie alla recente apertura a couple of internet cafes that apply reasonable rates.
Twenty miles to the south along the peninsula and close to some beaches, you will find the Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie, which houses several species of water birds, including flamingos, white pelicans, cormorants, herons, egrets and ducks.
Ziguinchor Ziguinchor
At first glance may not seem like anything special, but those who stay learn to love it despite the large influx of tourists who visit during the winter months. The city, with its 211,500 inhabitants, is small: in fact, its center can be visited on foot. Budget travelers will be pleased to know that Ziguinchor è una delle città meno care del Senegal.
Il Marché Saint-Maur merita una visita, se siete alla ricerca di prodotti alimentari o chincaglierie. Un isolato a sud del mercato si trova il Centre Artisanal, dove numerose bancarelle vendono diversi articoli artigianali della zona, dalle sculture in legno alle stoffe, ai vestiti e agli oggetti in argento e altri metalli. Con una breve gita di un giorno a sud di Ziguinchor si raggiunge la Ferme Animalière de Djibelor, che offre un'interessante selezione di piante tropicali e animali 'selvatici', i più grandi dei quali sono chiusi in gabbia. Molti alberghi della zona organizzano anche delle escursioni in piroga ai villaggi di Affiniam e Djilapao, o all'île des Oiseaux.
Cap Skiring
Le spiagge della zona di Cap Skiring sono tra le più belle di tutto il continente africano. Qui troverete anche la maggior parte degli alberghi turistici del Senegal e la più fitta concentrazione di stranieri dell'Africa occidentale, Gambia esclusa. Se volete trascorrere qualche giorno al mare, questo è il posto giusto, ma se desiderate invece vedere la 'vera' Africa passate oltre senza rimpianti.
Per sfuggire all'animazione di Cap Skiring dirigetevi a Diembéring, 9 Km più a nord, dove la spiaggia è tranquilla e nessuno vi disturberà. Nelle vicinanze si trova anche il Parc National de Basse Casamance, che ospita diversi habitat e un repertorio abbastanza vasto di animali.
Kaolack
Kaolack is the regional capital: this city of 233,300 inhabitants is the main center of the Senegalese groundnut. Located halfway between Dakar, Tambacounda and Gambia, is often seen as little more than a crossroads, but it is a busy resort - the most active or sleepy Saint-Louis Ziguinchor - and well worth visiting for a day or two.
's main attractions are its beautiful and Kaolack large mosque with Moroccan decor and the indoor market - is the second in Africa after the amplitude of Marrakesh - with bows and arches of Sudanese style. Despite these attractions, few tourists go from here: so you will not be bothered by anyone. Kaolack is an ideal place to stroll and soak up the atmosphere locally. Île de Gorée
The tiny island of Gorée, located about 3 km east of Dakar, is remarkably quiet: it has about a thousand inhabitants and dirt roads where cars are moving. You'll discover colonial houses with wrought-iron balconies, the Old Town Hall, The Castle and discrete beaches, a rocky plateau that offers a beautiful view of the island and Dakar and is currently occupied illegally by a group of drug addicts.
the northern end of the island, the excellent IFAN Historical Museum is worth a visit: its splendid exhibition of paintings and other objects reconstruct the history of Senegal to this day. There is also a Maritime Museum, a Musée de la Femme and a tourist market near the ferry pier, full of souvenir crafts. But the real attraction
Île de Gorée - or its most deplorable feature, depending on your sensitivity - is a visit to the Maison des Esclaves (House of Slaves), built in 1786 and renovated in 1990 by French contribution. Here the slaves, according to the account of the local guides, were crammed into small cells for examination, then gave them a price, as for animals, before embarking for the Americas. The museum's curators will explain how the most stubborn were chained to walls, and then as you pump the sea water in cells to keep them partially submerged, we also learn that the weak die and the data were fed to the sharks, while the survivors were marked with the symbol of the owner and in crowded slave ships. While wandering about these underground dark experience is extremely useful to recall the horrors of the slave trade (especially after visiting the museum), today historians consider that unlikely in this house were actually imprisoned many people, as well as those who belonged to the owner and perhaps a few others for sale. While eager to distance themselves from the charge of revisionism that has been their move, scholars ritengono comunque che la promozione della Maison des Esclaves come sito di grande importanza storica non sia altro che un'operazione puramente commerciale, basata su una distorta interpretazione dei fatti. A parte gli sforzi dei promotori e i dubbi degli storici, questo edificio e le sue vicissitudini offrono comunque una macabra testimonianza del coinvolgimento del Senegal in quell'odioso commercio.
Delta del Siné-Saloum
Questo ampio delta, formatosi nel punto di confluenza dei fiumi stagionali Siné e Saloum con le maree dell'Atlantico, è spesso trascurato dai turisti. Tranne qualche facocero e magari dei lamantini, non si vedono mammiferi di grandi dimensioni; in questa zona vivono però moltissime scimmie e the habitat is ideal for bird watching, especially during the migration season, from November to April. Beautiful wild region with mangrove swamps, lagoons, forests, dunes and small islands of sand, the delta of the Sine-Saloum also worth a visit just for the scenery. The ocean waters and some areas of the delta are protected reserves, such as the Parc National du Delta de Saloum.
Dijfere The village is located inside the park at the western end of the delta and on top of a narrow strip of land known as Pointe de Sangomar. Palmarin a few kilometers north of Djifere and both villages are a good base for visiting the area, where you can organize excursions by canoe in the swamps of the delta. To the west to the eastern region, represented by the town of Kaolack, is Foundiougne, easily accessible and much good starting point for canoe trips, fishing and bird watching. These activities can also be organized starting from Ndangane, the northernmost town on the edge of the delta.
The area south of the park, called the Forêt de Fathala, consists of a large forest, dry lapped to the west by the tidal mudflats and flanked by mangrove swamps. To explore this park you should stay in and Toubacouta Missirah. In this area live a lot of red colobus, but unfortunately they hide to avoid being seen.
Parc National du Niokolo-Koba
Questo parco, il più grande del Senegal, occupa una vasta porzione dell'angolo sudorientale del paese e, nonostante sia stato molto trascurato negli ultimi anni, è ancora splendido e degno di una visita. La sua ricca e lussureggiante vegetazione ospita più di ottanta specie diverse di mammiferi, compresi elefanti, leoni, leopardi e antilopi giganti, non sempre visibili; gli elefanti, in modo particolare, sono stati drasticamente ridotti dal bracconaggio, ma avvisterete probabilmente ippopotami, coccodrilli, alcefali sudafricani, cobi, babbuini, bufali, scimmie, facoceri e antilopi roane.
Per avere accesso al parco dovrete disporre di un veicolo: non è infatti consentito spostarsi everywhere on foot, in any case you can use public transport, or you can join an organized tour. The best time to visit is from December to May (ie the dry season), but some trails through the park will not be upgraded to a month after the end of the rains, and then do not give anything for granted. For more information please go to the park headquarters in Tambacounda where, if you're lucky, maybe you will be able to find a ride.
(Source: Lonely Planet)
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