Holidays to Senegal

Posted on September 22, 2010 by admin

Senegal Holidays

Those looking for a get-away-from-it-all winter holiday destination should definitely consider Senegal holidays. With a consistently warm climate throughout the year (average temperatures between 26° and 30° C) and just a short rainy season between the months of June and October, you can enjoy long lazy days on the beautiful sandy beaches. There are over 350 miles of sandy beaches in Senegal and the beaches of Casamance particularly, are considered the best in West Africa, many hotels have their own private beaches for holidaymakers to use. Watersports enthusiasts should head to Saly which has several excellent watersports centres providing holiday activities such as jet-skiing, water-skiing, catamarans, kayaks and windsurfing.

Nightlife in Senegal is relaxed and evenings are mainly spent having a delicious meal and drinks in the bar. For the more adventurous you can find discos and nightclubs if staying in the Saly region during your holiday. Music in Senegal is everywhere, from gentle folk music to the sounds of the Senegalese drums, you will never be far away from the sounds of the Senegal music scene.

The Gambia, a separate country, is almost entirely enclosed within Senegal. The official language of Senegal is France, due to it being a former French colony, but English is becoming more widely spoken in the main resorts. Wolof Malinké, Mandinka and Fula are local tribe languages. You will find the Senegalese people friendly and welcoming, the culture interesting and the long and often sad history intriguing.

Food & Drink in Senegal

Senegal cuisine has a reputation for being deliciously tasty and inexpensive. National specialities in Senegal include Thieboudienne (a marinated fish dish cooked with tomato paste and vegetables) and Yassa (chicken or fish simmered in onion with a garlic, mustard and lemon sauce). Local dishes are based around staples such as rice with the addition of meat or fish and vegetables. Groundnuts or peanuts are one of Senegal’s largest exports and you will find peanuts widely used in cooking sauces and other recipes. Many of the hotel chefs in Senegal are French so you can be assured of superb quality cuisine while on holiday which reflects the country’s French roots.

Drinks to try during Senegal holidays are Toufam (yoghurt thinned with sugared water) and mint tea. Fresh juices are made from bissap, ginger, mango, and other fruits which grow locally. Senegal is predominantly a muslim country so you won’t generally find pork on the menu but alcohol is available.

Senegal holiday activities

Goree Island

A place you must visit during your Senegal holiday is the island of Goree. Deeply rooted in history, today the island is tranquil which is in sharp contrast to its dark past. From the start of the sixteenth century and continuing until the mid-nineteenth century, Goree Island was a slave trading station. Men, women and children were locked away here in cells before being sent on slave ships to the New World. “Las Maison des Esclaves” is now a museum, it used to hold up to two hundred slaves and you can visit the cells where the slaves were kept before leaving their homeland behind.

Also on the island you will find a Fort and cannons, and there is a museum of history where you can discover more about the effects of the Second World War on Senegal.

Cayar & The Pink Lake

Watch the local fishermen return from a night out at sea in their brightly-coloured dugout canoes, they bring a mass of lobster, shrimp and other fish, and are greeted at the shore by buyers, families and their children. This hive of activity gives an insight into Senagalese life that should not be missed. Nearby you can visit the Pink Lake, its naturally pink waters are shallow, warm and surrounded by white foam. A thick crust of salt lies at the bottom of the lake which is crushed, gathered and sold by the locals. The Lac Rose (Pink Lake) is Senegal’s very own “Dead Sea”.

National Parks & Nature Reserves

Wildlife lovers will appreciate seeing typical African savannah animals in The Bandia Nature Reserve such as giraffe, zebra, white rhino and more. Crocodiles, lions, monkeys, elephants are just some examples of animals which can be seen at Niokolo Koba (Senegal’s largest National Park). At Djoudj National Park you will find a bird lovers paradise with wetlands which attract around 3 million birds during the winter months.

Dakar

Dakar is the capital of Senegal and is a vibrant city with its colourful markets, shops, pavement cafes and delicious food. Here you will find museums, art galleries and studios, as well as many beautiful buildings and historic colonial houses.

Saint-Louis

During your holiday, pay a visit to Saint-Louis which was previously the capital of Senegal and has an intriguing history. Famous for its cast iron bridge, a reflection of its French colonial past, Saint-Louis’s narrow streets were once home to another major slave depot.

Sports

Various sporting activities are available in Senegal such as deep-sea fishing, horse-riding, watersports, golf and more. 18-hole Saly Golf Course is considered one of the most beautiful courses in Africa.

Find Senegal Holidays

Holiday destination highlights: Year round sunshine, Beaches, Culture, Friendly

Flight time from the UK to Senegal: Approx. 6 hours

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