Dakar

The place de l'independence  is in the beating heart of the city, home to majestic colonial buildings including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which was the (court of French West Africa) the Governance (office of the French governor) and the Chambre de Commerce. 

Marche Kermel

The Kermel Market is a colonial-style building recognized as a UNESCO  world heritage site , very beautiful building from 1860 which was destroyed by fire in 1994, and rebuilt identically in 1997. The Kermel Market is still excellently preserved.  You can see lots of bright colors inside and outside the building.  The market provides beautiful fresh products, typical of Senegal.  Market gardeners, grocers, butchers and fishmongers are at the heart of the building, surrounded by decoration vendors, artists and artisans.

The Presidential Palace is immaculate white, large, spacious and attractive with its greenery and peacocks, its red carpet unrolled from the portal to the corridor.  Since Senegal’s independence, the Palais  de la République has been the residence of the Head of State, a historic residence located in the Plateau district of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, and was occupied as such by the Presidents of Senegal. Built in 1902, the Palace was the official residence of the Governor General of French West Africa (AOF).

Cathedrale du Souvenir Africain de Dakar

Cathedral of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires or Cathedral of  Africain souvenir  is the largest church in Dakar and the seat of the archbishops.  It is located on Boulevard de la République in the Dakar-Plateau district Built in the 1930s and consecrated in 1936, the Cathedral of Africain souvenir stands out in the landscape of Dakar with its impeccable  white color.  The materials chosen were imported from different countries (Sudan, Gabon, Tunisia, Benin, France) for a rather astonishing result with various influences.  Erected on a former "Lebou"(the largest community in Dakar at that time)cemetery, it was originally a tribute to African soldiers, it which was once nicknamed the Pantheon of Africa.A building of formidable architecture with an extraordinary interior painting of the vault.The cathedral welcomed Pope John Paul II in 1992. If you intend to enter, remember that it is forbidden to wear a hat, mini skirts or shorts.

Le Monument de la Renaissance Africaine

the monument of african renaissance inaugurated in 2010,This gigantic 52 m High bronze statue accessible through a 198 steps stairway,the statut  offers a beautiful view of the peninsula. it is Africa emerging from the bowels of the earth, leaving obscurantism to go towards the light,the man, woman and their child will face the sun, symbolizing the opening of the continent to the rest of the world.it's largest statue in the world that can be climbed inside. On the ground floor, a slide show describing the history of the construction of the monument and a fresco retracing the history of Africa and its great figures. On the 3rd floor, a small temporary exhibition room. On the 4th floor, the main lounge .On the 15th floor, you are in the head of the man and enjoy a breathtaking view of Dakar and the peninsula.

Dakar train station is one of the most beautiful masterpieces of colonial architecture, its facade is of admirable beauty.  The Dakar station was built in 1885 and linked the city of Dakar to St Louis, also served Dakar-Niger, which made it possible to reach Bamako (Mali) in 36 hours, twice a week. Tens of thousands of sharpshooters from Sudan, Dahomey or haute Volta (current Burkina Faso )passed through this station to be embarked on the European fronts.(the sharpshooters were a military corps  belonging to the colonial troops formed within the French colonial empire in 1857. main elements of the black force or the black army and dissolved in the early 1960s ) the station quickly became the most important railway center in all of West Africa;  hub of city activity;  transit point for peanuts, arabic gum,coton, cola, postal mail and thousands of travelers. Located Place Dakar-Niger, renamed Place des Tirailleurs on August 23, 2004, it was rehabilitated by Eiffage Senegal.

Opened in December 6 th 2018, it was an idea carried in 1966 during the first World Festival of Negro Arts to Dakar by Léopold Sédar Senghor, Senegal's first president, to create a museum that would represent the contemporary histories and cultures of the black world. The museum  consists of a round building inspired by the impluvium huts of Casamance has a total area of ​​15,000 m² on 4 levels, of which nearly 5,000 m² of exhibition space is devoted to African civilizations.  A place of civilizational meeting and dialogue between cultures. The Museum of Black Civilizations is an emblematic mark of civilization, identity and the promotion of African memory. The museum has requested the repatriation of African artworks, given that up to 95 percent of Africa's cultural heritage is held outside Africa by major museums.

Island of Goree

The island of Goree is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a world symbol of the slave trade, a visit to the island of Goree is essential, it is 20 minutes by boat from Dakar.  For 3 centuries, Africans were shipped from the island of Gorée to America.  The famous House of Slaves is one of the most visited museums in Senegal, housing all the harrowing reality of this aspect of world history.  Its picturesque architecture invites you to go back in time through the ocher plastered facades of the houses.  This island holds a special charm and an extraordinary fascination for visitors who feel a special emotion.  Lunch on the island near the ocean is possible. Return to Daķar, exploring the pink lake.

Lake Retba ,better known as pink lake is renowned for its color that changes from pink to purple based on the intensity of the sun rays ,the lake is separated from the atlantic ocean by a large dune,the lake and environs provide a good terrain for crossing the dunes. Many people through salt collection for several decades by the inhabitants of the surrounding village as well as guineans and malians with water to the waist , they tear at the salt crust deposited at the bottom with a picket called 《djodj》before transferring shovelfuls of salt into canoes then women offload and pile the salt into the lake side to dry and bleach in the sun for activities you will have : tour around the lake ,surrounding fulani villages and beach  by Quad bike or dune truck or for strolls on camels boat riding to observe the salt seekers. One can bath in the lake to enjoy the floating sensation due to the salt which happens to be a wonderful experience.  Possible to have joy lunch.

Departure from Dakar airport to ziguinchor airport (1 hour) flight time. City tour in Ziguinchor :visit of the Escale district: this is the central and historic district of Ziguinchor, almost all the colonial buildings were built there. Old buildings of the same architecture often renovated.  Buildings that bear witness to history and ancient times. Former stronghold of the settlers, the Escale district of Ziguinchor has become, over time, a center of commerce par excellence.

We will visit one of the largest market in Ziguinchor with all the amenities and necessary. You will find all varieties of green Casamance and many items (local) from the capital and the neighboring countries in Casamance.

Enampore is about twenty kilometers southeast of Ziguinchor, Enampore is located in the heart of the kingdom of Mof Awi, whose environment has been particularly well preserved, the impluvium huts in this typical village are worth a detour. Visiting Enampore is also an opportunity to immerse yourself in the environment and the living culture of Casamance: Bolongs, rice fields, sacred woods, ancestral knowledge such as the construction of traditional huts, the cultivation of rice in "kadiandou", the cultivation of palm wine... this village camp offer modest confort but remain unique for exchanging and sharing outside of the usual tourist zones,where visitors are in direct touch with rural life. A unique opportunity to discover the real life of the Casamance villages. Walks in the village and surroundings, visit the traditional mud and straw village, very old impluvium huts,kapok tree, rôniers and baobabs, rice granaries, sacred wood (royal site), fetish tree.

Les iles de la basse casamance

After breakfast, departure for Eloubaline isolated on an islet to explore the luxuriant nature and the peaceful waters of Casamance,more than 600 inhabitants live on this small piece of island. They arrived there in the late 1800s, following a tribal war that prompted them to flee their land to settle on the island of Eloubaline. This exodus finally turned into a real opportunity since they discovered that the land there was very fertile.It is also the village where there would be the most impluvium huts. In one of them, live 7 families, more than 60 people. Note that polygamy is very common in the Diola culture, and that in these 7 families, two husbands have 7 wives.In the heart of the village, you can discover the different traditions, the different ways of weaving, pounding rice, learning more about the education and functioning of the village, local fishing, oyster harvest, rice fields .After the visit, departure for Edioungou near Oussouye, 1 hour by canoe.

Edioungou is a magnificent village 1 km from Oussouye built in a land with orange highlights.  This village of basse Casamance, is famous for its pottery, in each house of the village, you will find a potter and a small workshop area in the courtyard.  This tradition, which is passed down from mother to daughter, still has a bright future ahead of it, using local materials, daily utensils, here everything is done in the traditional way.

Oussouye, is a small village surrounded by majestic kapok and mango trees, the cradle of culture in basse Casamance, and its traditional ceremonies. Built in the heart of the densest forest in Senegal, Oussouye is mysterious, surrounded by animist "sacred woods", heir to a rich history closely linked to that of the Diola kingdom. Because Oussouye is the capital of Kassa, led by the king of the Floups, Sibiloumbaye Diédhiou who has a great influence on seventeen villages in the region. The initiation ceremonies are particularly famous there.It is possible to request an audience with the king, if you wish to speak to him about a subject  which concerns to him or the village, near by the royal house the king will meet you in front of the sacred wood depending on its availability. Visit the local fruit processing workshop in Oussouye after we will continue to the port of Elinkine to embark on the canoe which will take you to the island of Carabane.

L'ile de Carabane

It is a land bank of 57 km2 meadows covered with dense mangroves with lush vegetation populated by prestigious species such as kapok tree, baobab trees, palm trees and cocotiers.Carabane was also the first administrative capital of Casamance, until 1904, date on which it was replaced by Ziguinchor.one of attractions of Carabane is ... a grave! Yes, a tomb, that of Captain Protet, the one who founded the city of Dakar. He is buried in Carabane but above all buried upright, his eyes fixed on the shore as the latter had requested in the event of his death. "The special school" is in fact a former prison for young offenders. Visit the village of Karabane and its history. We will take the canoe back to the fishing village of Elinkine, then drive to the village of Mlomp.

Mlomp - Musee De La Culture Traditionnelle Diola

The "village of multi-storey huts" as it is nicknamed in the region, is an architectural nugget, with its Casamance "doorsteps" with earth colonnades and ocher walls.    Place de Mlomp is majestic, with its two-storey huts and its huge kapok tree with their roots spreading like tentacles around them. Located in the middle of imposing kapok tree on the main road between Elinkine and Oussouye, a remarkable impluvium hut shelter an exhibition dedicated to the Diola culture, then head towards Pointe St Georges.

Pointe-Saint-Georges

Visit of the village of Pointe St Georges, climbing the panoramic platform on a huge century-old kapok tree, 35 meters high offers a magnificent view of all the surroundings. Observation of manatees when they come to drink on the shore at low tide and the regular passage dolphins not far from the terrace. Installation at Camp Le Lamantin for lunch. After visiting the village of Diembering

visit the traditional village of Djimbering, with its giant kapok trees, its deserted beach and known for its annual rice paddy festival.   At the entrance to the village is a large kapok tree, it is the meeting place for some small vendors and young people from the village. The village is mainly made up of farmers, with large rice fields all around the village, then road to  the seaside resort of Cap Skiring located on one of the most beautiful beaches in Senegal.

Cap Skiring

Cap skirring and its magnificent white sand beaches, lined with coconut palms, its unique climate in winter and spring guarantee a successful holiday in Senegal for all those looking for sun and swimming in all seasons. Many activities, both sporting and cultural, will occupy your days, swimming, tanning, jogging on the beach, fishing in the bolongs, access to the golf course by the ocean. After breakfast, free morning at the hotel, relaxation at the beach. After lunch, transfer to Ziguinchor airport. Flight to Diass airport.

Reserve De Bandia

This visit to the Bandia reserve will give you the opportunity to observe wildlife close up in an friendly environmentally  nature. Up on arrived we will take a 4×4 WD used specialy for safari, this park of 3,500 ha is home to many animals, some of which were reintroduced to Senegal after having disappeared there for a long time, such as: rhinoceros, giraffes, large antelopes, dama gazelles, Derby elks, buffalos, patas monkeys, vervets, warthogs, hippotragues, jackals...

Great Mosque Of Touba

Touba, holy city of Mouridism and fef of one of the most influential brotherhoods in Senegal. Today, the Great Mosque of Touba is one of the wonders of Senegal and the jewel of the Mouride brotherhood. Covering an area of ​​8790m2, the mosque, inspired by Arab architecture, is now composed of 7 minarets: 4 minarets 66m high; 2 60m minarets and an 86.80 meter high minaret named Lamp Fall. In the mosque is the mausoleum of Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba, founder of the Mouride brotherhood and those of his sons and various caliphs. After departure to Saloum Delta national park.

in the morning  exploring Marlodj village,the savannah and villages surrounding by horse carriage tour. Located in the Saloum delta, a site included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In Mar Lodj, three different trees stand out from the ordinary. An imposing kapok tree, a palm tree and a caïlcedrat intertwine their trunks from a distant past. This seemingly natural phenomenon finds an explanation rooted in the tradition and beliefs of the Serer inhabitants of this city. It symbolizes the harmony between the three religions practiced on the island: Islam, Christianity and animism. After we are heading  for joal-fadiouth.

Joal Fadiouth

Departure for the twin village of Joal and Fadiouth, on the way Visit one of the largest baobab trees in West Africa. Joal is the one located on the mainland, birthplace of the first president Léopold Senghor. Fadiouth is on a small island reached by a long wooden bridge made entirely of shells: these shell middens are actually the remains of the molluscs eaten here by humans since ancient times and a quiet shell graveyard, which has been deposited over the centuries, hosting both Muslim and Christian tombs. It is possible to take the bridge but also to take a canoe to connect Joal to Fadiouth. after the visit of Joal-Fadiouth departure to the airport or to Dakar. End of service