An Unforgettable Visit to Senegal
This blog took way too long to get up but life has been life’ing. I visited Senegal in May for 10 days and it exceeded my expectations. I had a such an authentic experience with a few bumps along the way which made me appreciate the journey even more. I even managed to squeeze in another country (The Gambia) while here getting myself two stamps in one trip. Here are all of the deets:
Entry Requirements:
No visa required for US citizens.
If you are vaccinated against Covid-19, bring your vaccine card to show at the airport.
If you are not vaccinated against Covid-19, negative PCR test 72 hours prior to departure. Print your results.
Getting Here:
I arrived in Dakar via Virgin Atlantic airways operated by Delta. My flight to Dakar from JFK was 45k points which is equivalent to $450.
Language:
The primary language of Senegal is French. I strongly suggest you do one of the following to avoid difficulty with language barriers:
Travel with someone who speaks / understands French
Hire a guide/driver who is bi lingual. Our driver was a life saver and his info is linked at the end of this blog.
Learn French on your own.
I’m giving these suggestions because not many people spoke English and the ones that did spoke very little. So to avoid any communication issues I strongly suggest doing one of the above. Our Airbnb host spoke English and so did our driver who we hired towards the end of the trip. Prior to that, it was difficult finding someone who spoke English.
Currency:
Dakar is a city where cash is king. The local currency is CFA (pronounced see-fa) Be sure to go to an ATM and take out what you’ll need. Many establishments do accept visa and MasterCards however sometimes the machine are down so I think it’s better to have cash just in case.
Dress Code:
There is no official dress code for Senegal, but it is a rather modest country when it comes to how women dress. This doesn’t mean be completely covered up. But keep in mind when packing to dress a little more on the modest side.
Getting Around:
Taxi’s: Negotiate your price to your destination before hand. Or download the ride share app called Heetch.
Hire a driver: They can be a bit pricey but will be less of a hassle if you don’t want to wait for a taxi. I did a bit of both.
Where I Stayed:
There are tons of hotel options in Dakar for all budgets. However because there were 4 of us on this trip, we decided to go with an airbnb to avoid any space issues. Our 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom apartment was perfect for only $108 per night. It was centrally located, easy to find and had good wifi. Check it out here .
DISCLAIMER: It has been brought to my attention by one of my followers that the above AirBnb listing has had many issues since I visited there in 2022. This was not my experience however if you plan to check this place out please proceed with caution.
Where to Eat:
Melo’s : A 7 minute walk from the African Renaissance monument, is an affordable and delicious French style brunch. I had the avocado toast with smoked salmon and loved it. Brunch for two came to $37
Cosmos - This is more of a night life spot. Come here on the late night (after 9pm) and have a drink , light bites and enjoy the
music.
Le Cabanon: - Stumbled on this place which was a very pleasant surprise. It has an upscale feel with an appreciation for colorful art. The food was American / French style and we picked off of each others plate. Some items we had were the seafood pasta, grilled fish, the burger and fried calamari.
Shady’s Bar and Grill: I didn’t eat inside this place, however we ordered takeout from here twice and it did not disappoint. We ordered the whole chicken with salad, pita bread and hummus. A generous amount of food at very affordable prices.
La Terrassee : A beautiful restaurant located inside Hotel Terrou-Bi. I kept my dinner light and had a Caesar salad and pizza. My friends had the steak which they both enjoyed.
Boma Hotel: A boho chic hotel to stay in that also has a pretty good restaurant at the pool area. We came here for lunch and had the shrimp Tacos and the burger. If you can’t afford the room rate ($160+ per night) then I would recommend having lunch or dinner at the restaurant.
Things to Do:
Goree Island: With its dark past linked to slavery, I was hesitant on visiting here but I’m glad I did. My day trip to Goree was not a typical tourist visit. Most people hire a tour guide to show them the history behind the island and how captured Africans were separated from their families based on the ‘houses’ they were placed in. I decided to stroll around the island and see the locals who currently live there. I met a very welcoming family who invited us in their home for lunch which was easily one of the best meals I ever had. We drank wine outside of their home and chatted about our every day lives. This may be considered ‘boring’ to someone else but it was the perfect day for me because I was able to visit a place linked with turmoil without leaving full of sadness.
Getting to Goree island is pretty easy. Ferry’s leave from Dakar around every hour. We took a taxi to the ferry and bought our tickets at the terminal. For US citizens your ticket will be around $5. Bring cash to avoid any issues. Additionally, the ferry lines can get long and be pretty chaotic so don’t expect a “seamless” process.
Ngor Island: Come here for a day of chill vibes in the sun with locals. Head to the beach in Dakar and take a 5 minute boat to the island where surfers show off their skills, dancers put on shows and the food is authentic and quite frankly to die for. Fell free to walk around the island (it’s pretty small) and support local artists selling paintings and other trinkets.
Lake Retba: Also known as the pink lake, is a 45 minute drive from Dakar. It’s free to enter (note: scammers will try to stop you and tell you there’s a fee. There isn’t) and depending on the season and time of day, the lake will be completely pink. The best time to see the lake in its glory is from April to August between 12 noon and 3pm. Avoid visiting the lake when it rains or the day after rains as It will not appear to be pink.
Get Your Hair Braided: Ladies this is the ultimate travel hack. I couldn’t get my hair done back home due to scheduling so I ended up at a braiding shop in Dakar and got small knee length knotless braids (hair wash included), a manicure and pedicure all for less than $40! The shop owner Jessica was so sweet and helpful. My hair braiders name was Kenza and she finished my hair in under 5 hours. For those who get their hair braided you know this is record time. I highly recommend stopping in Biche Brune for your hair braiding needs when in Dakar. Check out the shop link here.
Street Markets / Shopping: Shopping is always a huge thing for me when I travel because I love to support local businesses. There a few markets in the downtown area to checkout as well as local stores like Diarra B where I bought this gorgeous two piece skirt set for about $40. There are also some vendors in Goree Island selling trinkets, clothes, etc.
African Renaissance Monument: The tallest monument in Africa showcasing a Black family is an absolute must. There are quite a few stairs so be prepared. You can also go inside the statue and take the elevator to the mans crown and take in the panoramic views of Dakar.
Saly Beach: A visit to Saly Beach is a must if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Dakar. It’s about an hour’s drive from the city and definitely worth the trip. The beach has some cute restaurants and served good drinks. Upon driving to Saly you will need to take a small boat to the beach itself (the ride is less than 5 minutes) and it’s free to visit. We had lunch at place called Chez Rasta which had all of the Caribbean vibes. Particularly I didn’t like my food (too salty for my liking) however everyone else enjoyed theirs.
Les Paleteuviers: On our journey to The Gambia we stayed here for one night. It’s a great affordable luxury getaway that’s about 4 hours driving from Dakar. All of the rooms are designed like modern day tree houses. It was a great change of pace from the apartment in Dakar and I would high recommend a stay here if you have the time. Rooms will run between $100-$160 per night.
The Gambia
A visit to The Gambia from Senegal is not for the faint hearted if you’re driving. You MUST have a guide with you or you will be extremely frustrated. Hiring our guide Assan was the best thing we did the entire trip. His contact info will be linked below.
The Gambia is a 6 hour drive from Dakar, Senegal so don’t try to make this a day trip. Plan to stay at least one night in The Gambia. When crossing the border by car, you will need to enter the immigration office.
Note, you can also fly to The Gambia from Dakar for about $300 round trip depending on season. The flight is less than two hours.
For U.S. citizens you will need a visa to enter The Gambia at the border. The cost is $50 and payments are accepted in cash only. Senegal CFA , US dollars and Gambian currency are accepted.
Upon getting your visa, you will need to take the ferry to get to Banjul. The tickets are extremely cheap (around $3 one way) and the ferry ride is about 30 minutes. It is best to bring your luggage on the ferry with you and travel by foot instead of having the driver bring the car on the ferry. You will be waiting for HOURS. Our driver stayed in Barra (where the ferry picks you up) with the car and we took our luggage on the boat with us.
Once the ferry docks in Banjul, stay on point with your luggage because it’s chaos getting off and there are loads of pick pocket’s around. We hired a local guide on the Banjul side to hail a taxi for us. From here we went to our hotel and relaxed from a very chaotic day.
We stayed on Tamala Beach at a hotel called Sunprime and it was gorgeous. Nothing short of paradise. Our room was around $200 per night and was very spacious. The hotel is right on the beach and we had a balcony facing the water. I would highly recommend a visit here. We also got to experience some of the Gambian night life with our guide. Looking back I would have definitely planned to spend more time in The Gambia.
My trip to Senegal was one to remember and Dakar is definitely a city I would return to. Getting to see The Gambia and getting two stamps in one trip made it that much better.
As promised, our driver / life saver Assane’s info is linked here