Extending the British Air in Senegal

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One of West Africa’s most stable countries is definitely not dull: The capital, Dakar, is a dizzying, street-hustler rich introduction to the country. Perched on the tip of a peninsula, elegance meets chaos, noise, vibrant markets and glittering nightlife while nearby Ile de Goree and the beaches of Yoff and N’Gor tap to slow, lazy beats.

In northern Senegal, the enigmatic capital of Saint-Louis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, tempts with colonial architecture and proximity to luscious national parks.

Along the Petite Cote and Cap Skiring, wide strips of beaches beckon and the wide deltas of the Casamance River reveals hundreds of bird species, from the gleaming wings of tiny kingfishers to the proud poise of pink flamingos. Whether you want to mingle with the trendsetters of urban Africa or be alone with your thoughts and the sounds of nature, you’ll find your place in Senegal.

Location

Senegal is located on the west of the African continent. It lies between latitudes 12° and 17°N, and longitudes 11° and 18°W.

Senegal is externally bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south; internally it almost completely surrounds The Gambia, namely on the north, east and south, except for Gambia’s short Atlantic coastline.

The Senegalese landscape consists mainly of the rolling sandy plains of the western Sahel which rise to foothills in the southeast. Here is also found Senegal’s highest point, an otherwise unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha at 584 m (1,916 ft). The northern border is formed by the Senegal River; other rivers include the Gambia and Casamance Rivers. The capital Dakar lies on the Cap-Vert peninsula, the westernmost point of continental Africa.

Climate

Senegal’s climate could generally be described as tropical. However, the weather does vary in different parts of the country, broadly falling into three main zones:

(a) the coastal region: the Atlantic coastal strip is cooler than inland, partly due to brisk onshore winds. Winter temperatures range from 18-26°C in January. In summer; maximum temperatures average around 31°C. Rains arrive in July, peak in August and tail off by October, bringing around 550 millimeters of rainfall annually

(b) the northern half of the country falls within the ‘Sahel belt’, a region of semi-arid land which spans across the African continent. Here, temperatures can be cool at night (dropping to around 14°C), but often reach 40°C by day. Rainfall is below 400 millimeters and

(c) the Southern region: the southern half of the country is hot and humid, with average maximum temperatures above 30°C throughout the year. Rainfall is usually over 1,500 millimeters to the far south.

Transportation

Taxis leave regularly from Tambacounda to Kidira (CFA5500, three hours), where you cross the border to Diboli in Mali, from where long-distance buses run to Kayes and Bamako.

If you’re brave, you can do Dakar–Bamako by long-distance bus (CFA24, 000); buses leave from Gare Routiere Pompiers in Dakar.

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Most traffic is by from Diaoube (Senegal), via Koundara (Guinea), where you may have to change, and some goes via Kedougou (Senegal). The very rough ride costs CFA22, 000 and takes up to 48 hours.

Taxis run regularly from Dakar to the main border point at Rosso (CFA7000, six hours, 384 kilometers), a crowded, hassle some place, where four daily ferries (CFA2500/3500 per passenger/car) cross to Rosso-Mauritania.

If you have your own wheels, you can cross at the Maka Diama dam, 97km southwest of Rosso and just north of Saint-Louis, where the border crossing is swift.

From Dakar there are taxis south to Karang (CFA6800, six hours) at the Gambian border, where you connect to Barra and then via ferry to Banjul. From southern Senegal, taxis run regularly between Ziguinchor and Serekunda (CFA4900, five hours), and between Kafountine and Brikama (CFA3500, two hours). In Eastern Senegal, taxis go from Tambacounda to Vélingara (CFA1800, three hours), and from there to Basse Santa Su (CFA1400, 45 minutes, 27 kilometers).

Dakar’s Leopold Sedar Senghor International Airport is one of Africa’s transport hubs, with links across Africa, Europe and America.

What to See

Pont Faidherbe

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Transferred to Saint-Louis in 1897, the metal arches of this bridge designed by Gustav Eiffel and originally built to cross the Danube, the Pont Faidherbe is the city’s most significant landmark. You’ll cross its steel planks when driving into town; it links the mainland and island.

The bridge is a grand piece of 19th-century engineering – 507m long with a noteworthy middle swing span that rotates to allow ships to steam up the Senegal River. The entire bridge was rehabilitated in stages between 2008 and 2012, with sections of the original bridge’s crumbling metal spans replaced piece by piece with steel replicas of the original design.

Place Faidherbe

With its statue of the French governor who led the colonial expansion eastwards and initiated many ambitious infrastructural projects, this square sits adjacent to several intact 19th-century houses, including the Governor’s Palace and the 1837 Rognat Casernes on its north and south.

Next to the governor’s palace, you’ll find a lovely 1828 cathedral with a neoclassical facade worth admiring. This central space is where Saint-Louis splits into its southern part (Sindone) and northern part (Lodo); the former the old Christian town, the latter the original home to the Muslim population.

Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie

This park includes the far southern tip of the Langue de Barbarie peninsula, the estuary of the Senegal River (which contains two small islands) and a section of the mainland on the other side of the estuary.

The park covers a total area of 2000 hectares, and is home to numerous water birds, swelled from November to April by migrant birds from Europe.

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If you choose to come to the park independently, you must first go to the park office at Mouit to pay your entrance fee. At the river you can hire a pirogue (traditional canoe).

Cap Skiring

The beaches in the Cap Skiring area are among West Africa’s finest. Unsurprisingly, a thriving tourist industry has developed around it, though it remains pleasantly low-key.

And just a short drive away from the bustle of the Cap, the tourist bustle gives way to small villages, and the golden beaches are calmer.

Layen Mausoleum

In Yoff village, take a look at the Layen Mausoleum, a shrine to the founder of the Layen Muslim brotherhood.

Residents of Yoff are noted for their strong Islamic culture: smoking and drinking are not allowed and visitors should be appropriately dressed (meaning long skirts or trousers). It’s right on the beach and its floors are made of sand.

Village des Arts

An arts tour around Dakar is simply not complete with a visit to this famous art complex, where more some of Senegal’s most promising and established photographers, painters and sculptors create, shape and display their works in a large garden space.

The on-site gallery shows a selection of their work and it’s easy to grab a drink and chat to the friendly artists at the nearby restaurants.

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Images:

(1) www.unesco.org
(2) www.bestsellingcarsblog.com
(3) www.ndarinfo.com
(4) www.nordpasdecalais.fr
(5) www.panoramio.com

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