Following on from my last note, can anyone recommend places to stay, to visit and literally anything of interest??
[There are 2 posts - the latest was added on Wed 26 May, 11:16]
Use the form at the end of this page to add your own post.
Topics
| Thorn Tree
| Home
First of all, try to pick up the brand new Lonely Planet
guide to Gambia and Senegal. I didn't actually like the
guide much, but it is by far the most detailed.
I was just there in March.
In Dakar I quite liked the Hotel St. Louis Sun. At first I
didn't, then I spent a few hours looking at some of the
other places and decided I had the best area and best deal.
It's not the cheapest, but is still on the lower end
(double 20000cfa). Good restaurants and clubs in the
neighborhood.
Going for the music is a great thing. You will surely be
happy. You will obviously go to Thiosanne, which will be a
cab ride from the center, but this is never very expensive.
Restaurant "?" is my favorite cheap place - a few blocks
from the St. Louis Sun - all in the Lonely Planet.
Outside of Dakar I went to "La Ferme de Saly" (Just North of
the town of Mbour), where a Frenchman rents out huts on the
beach in a very natural setting, two miles down from all the
cheesy resorts and their hustlers. They have horses to
ride, and Jean-Paul arranges a few excursions. Make sure
to send my best to his pet baboon, Cirillo.
I also visited the Sine Saloum Delta region, which is a
river delta/mangrove area. I stayed at a resort like place
called Les Paletuviers in Toubacouta, which I found
riduclously poor value for money (as with much of toruist
Senegal). There are other places in the delta I would try
first. Jean Paul arranges Delta trips from Mbour and you
would be better off with him. If you do wind up at Les
Pal., make sure NOT to take their delta/beach tour, as at
the end you will be forced to go on a "tour" of a village
which has sadly been made dependent on tourist handouts by
incessant "look and see" visits by Gambian and Senegalese
tour operators.
Dakar has a great emerging hip hop scene. I don't know if
this is your bag, but if so, look for the established
Positive Black Soul and the up and coming Daara J.
In Dakar I met some locals and stayed with them but I was told that the Campement Pougalou at Yoff beach is cheap and a hang for travellers. The owner will pick you up from the airport if you ring him. The number is in the lonely planet I think. It costs about 5000 per night. That's $10. Go to Ile de Goree. If you have a chance to travel in the far north...to the Futar region..it's very beautiful, villages, desert, baobabs. It's not easy to get there though...