Senegal Travel Guide
Whether you’re after a lazy poolside holiday or a pirogue adventure through lagoons and creeks, Senegal is the place for you. If you can pull yourself away from the pulsating live music clubs and busy markets of capital Dakar, there’s plenty to see elsewhere.
Both the Park National des Oiseaux du Djoudj and the Siné-Saloum Delta are bursting with wildlife: kingfishers and flamingos can both be crossed off your list. Île de Gorée, once a famous hub for the slave trade, is now a car-free island of narrow lanes and colonial buildings covered with bougainvillea. Head south to Toubab Dialao to avoid the resort hotels of Saly and enjoy safe swimming and a more local feel.
When to go
Summer (June-October) is the hottest and wettest period; fewer tourists visit at this time. There is considerably less rain in the north, on the fringes of the Sahel.
Winter (November-May) is cooler and drier and the peak time for visitors. January and February are coolest when evening temperatures on the coast can drop below 20° C. It tends to be warmer inland.
International airports
Dakar (DKR) 5km from the city.
Getting around
Senegal’s main cities are connected by well-maintained roads plied with reasonably good buses, pricier petit car minibuses, and sept-place seven-seater shared Peugeot 504s.
A 4WD with a driver is quite costly, but the only practical way to reach many destinations in Senegal. Self-drive car hire is possible, but usually more expensive than with a driver because of insurance implications.
The rail network, including the Dakar/Saint-Louis line, is now defunct. The only exceptions are a few lines to the Dakar suburbs and the very hit-and-miss service from Dakar to Bamako in Mali.