Senegal (ex Casamance)

Guinean visa in Dakar; can be multiple entry if you ask for it - I forget how much it was (at the embassy in Dakar at least), single entry was 30€ and i think that multiple entry was 45€ although don't quote me on it...

HOTELS IN DAKAR –15,000CFA for 3. . Chez Vieira is 2 flights of stairs up although there are also 2 other places on these stairs, one on the 1st floor and 1 on the same floor as chez vieira. not sure of their prices but i doubt they'd be much different. I don't have the exact address but it's easy to find. if you get a taxi to the intersection of rue Pompidou and rue Mousse Diop, it's in the adjacent block on the left hand side as you walk away from Place de L’Independence. There’s a shopping arcade called the passage ALNEHME, and you go up a flight of stairs just inside the entrance on the right hand side

Dakar is a fairly expensive place so don't expect much for less than about $20-$25 USD. I like Le Relais near the University but it is a brothel.....

You can try Chez Antonio Veira in 25 Pompidou Avenue tel 8229847 managed by a Cape Verdean Family, is in the downtown area near Place de L'independance, is not a real hotel but a sort of private house. I was there 5 years ago and it cost 10000 cfa per night, but check this info because they need an update

A good hotel is Oceanic, they have a website also. It has a very nice bar/restaurant with lot's of interesting people sitting around all day and night.

Hotel Nina - a good, comfortable, clean hotel in the centre of town, just off the main square and a 10 minute walk to the ferry for Isle de Goree. 25000 CFA per night inc breakfast, approx. 30 minute taxi ride from the airport, no problems arriving in the small hours, great if you've just come in from the bush and you're looking for comfort, hot water and no bugs ! Contact details 43, Rue St. Michel, Tel: 8890120, email hotelnina@sentoo.sn.

Try to get an internet price for Hotel de l'Independance. When I stayed there it was about US$30 per night, which is a great deal especially as they have a pool. It is very comfortable if impersonal, and a nice break from the usual.

I'd say if you're alone you'll be over that, there aren't many dorm style places like there are in Mauritania - in Dakar especially (don't miss it though, fantastic place!!!)

BARS ETC IN DAKAR - Le Siren is near the port and is for sailors and prostitutes and is only crowded when all the disco techs close (say 4-8AM). It is definitely not recommended. Not because of danger but only because it sucks. However it's also been said: "La Sirene" is a different place, very disreputable but offers opportunity for a chat with French expats. It is almost opposite to the harbour gate where you go for the Goree ferry, badly lit area at night...If you are out at 4AM and still don't want to go home then this is an OK place to go. Take serious care for pickpockets here and don't go here alone at this hour unless you know what you are doing. Rest of the places I mention are safe, secure and are wonderful places to have a few drinks. Best western type bars would be Le Viking or Grenelle (in the hotel Gondolle). This is where to go anytime until around 1AM For a more tropical type experience there is a bar on the corniche west facing the sea (there is only one so no confusion). When you go there eat dibiterie. Pronounced jibi. Just say 1 kilo mutton. For nightclub type activities in places that are pretty safe, you have Bar Texas, Bar Alexandra and La Scala (midnight-4AM) There are many other places but they are only happening sometimes. If Youssou N'Dour is in town you absolutely must go to his club Thoissan (chossan) - this is a 1AM-5AM ordeal. There is an outdoor club in the Point E section called just for you. If the taxi doesn't know it, it is about a mile past the Score Sam in Medina. Outdoor tables, live African band, cheap beers and more wholesome for the family then your corner bar. Senegalese beer is pretty good, nothing to write home about. There is a restaurant next to La Galette on Ponty that has a fine selection of Belgian beers but apart from that all you will find are the local beers (Star, Castel, Gazelle) and Heineken. Abovementioned Bar Goree has been closed for about 2 years. It was a shithole.

Went to "Just 4 you" or something like that. There's a few tourists there, but good live music

Also remember Senegal is a Muslim country so nobody on the street will have any idea where is a good place to have a beer. Have fun.

I was surprised to find out that there is less hassle from touts and souvenir vendors than a few years ago. Also, the central area around Place Indpendance and Av Sarraut has new bright street lights and there are lots of new modern buildings going up. It seems safer than before, even at night time. Still, you see a lot of unemployed people loitering, and homeless sleeping on the sidewalks.

Best place for breakfast: French cultural center, Rue Gomis, with their nice garden courtyard. Best place for lunch: at the swimming pool of Hotel Teranga. Tasty pizzas for around 5000 CFA. non-guests can use the pool for 4000 CFA.

If you are craving some reading, check out Librairie Clairafrique just off Place Independance . They have French and African literature, and a small selection of English books.

Ile de Goree: I dont remember what time the ferry starts, but I got the second one of the day at about 10:30. The ferries dont run around lunchtime (to make sure you spend some money for food on the island I guess), but as long as you know what time you need to be back at the airport, you should be fine. I spent 4 hours on the island, saw everything I wanted to, and think it was well worth the effort. The taxi ride back to the airport during daylight hours will take twice as long, so plan for that.

TRANSPORT SOUTH - Dakar - Bissau you can probably do in 2 days with a bit of luck (start mega early, maybe get to Ziguinchor for the night or otherwise in Banjul, maybe you'd have to do both), it's comfortable all the way. Transportation in Bissau isn't too bad either, only 9 passengers per car generally so it's a bit more of a squeeze but still ok. Guinea requires a bit more zen...

You can fly between Dakar & Cap Skiring, cost 39500 CFA one way in Feb 2006. Takes less than an hour.

There's also a new ferry runs between Dakar & Ziguinchor twice a week, the Willis.

Dakar - Bamako Express Train: I heard in Dakar the train is still running but only once a week! But I suppose it has the potential to change at any minute...

I took the train in Feb 2006, as far as 70km west of Tambacounda, where it ground to a halt due to broken rails. The condition of the carriages in 2nd class was dire, working lights only in some compartments, all the ceiling fans ripped out (and some of the toilets), stuffing hanging out of many seats - but the dining car and bar had a continuous supply of hot food & cold beer, which made the 32 hours it took us to get that far bearable (just). I hope this Canadian company do improve it, but until they do, if you want to catch the train, I'd suggest doing what around 3/4 of the passengers on my trip did: leave the train at the Senegalese border at Kidira and take road transport from there.I was there in February 2006. The train was almost over, running just one per week without fixed schedules.

There isn't much transport from Tamba to Kedougou, I strongly recommend you to go in a "7-places", buses and vans are much slower. All of them leave when they're full, but in Kedougou for instance, we saw an almost full van, they told us "only four more", so we bought two tickets... and had to wait two hours until it left. 7 places are a bit more expensive but much faster. To go to the Casamance you have to go back to Tamba, and if you do the same day that you arrive from the Bassari-Land, you won't get to Ziguinchor, just stay overnight in Kolda and go on next day. There isn't much transport West of Kedougou, on Mondays there is a market, I think, but you don't have so much time. The best thing is to find someone locally who will arrange everything to bring you to Bassari-Land, and try to be five or six, so that it is cheaper. Ask in your hotel or campement how to find more people for the excursion, we were only two and ended travelling with four more.

I’m pretty sure there's a crossing south of Kolda. The roads in Guinea-Bissau are (maybe surprisingly) very good. Don't wear nice clothes cos you'll have to go wading through rivers at the ferry crossings...

One thing you might want to consider when you make your decision is that if you choose to go to Dakar, you'll have a lot more uncomfortable bus/car trips to do, as you have to make your way from there to Guinea and back (instead of arriving straight to where you want to go). Then again, cars are not as uncomfortable in Senegal as in Guinea (where roads are terrible and 'sept places' actually means up to ten people (plus little children) stuffed inside a Peugeot 504 + various people hanging outside the car).

Any recommendations/comments from others about cheap charter flights out of Dakar one way to France?? I had a good look around cos i was unsure where i was flying from, air algerie offered one way to lyon or paris (probably other french towns too) for 200.000cfa. nouvelles frontieres had tickets for 140.000 but obviously they were snapped up like hot cakes ! in the end i came back from bamako with afriqiyah (189.000cfa !!!! but the woman issued us the wrong ticket by mistake so you won't be able to get the same fare unless you're lucky..)

St. Louis: sure it's worth a stopover - very impressive place, the hassle is constant and these people are very persistent. It's still worth it though, probably has the best colonial architecture in the whole of West Africa.very pretty but very touristy and it's worse than Dakar in terms of "hassle" now.. "no" doesn't seem to be part of the vocabulary of the local crap salesmen in any language. There’s a cheap place to stay on rue de france on the island, paid 2000cfa each for the 3 of us. It’s called "chez bouba" and it's unmarked - afraid I can't remember the address!!! But it's got a green gate, its 400-something rue de france nord, and the guy who runs it is called boubacar n'diaye. Maybe people know him, not sure! Not the kind of place you'd spend a week in though. At least not if you're me...

Nice town but lots of hassle - we are staying with Aziz, you could get a good deal negotiating (paying in advance for several days) - behind the Belgium Consulate

La Lac Rose

Lac Rose, or the Pink Lake in Senegal I found to be worthwhile sidetrip...I was told that it is the 'dead sea of africa'- in certain light it has a brilliant pink color and so much salt that you float. there are lots of different options for staying around there that are relatively inexpensive, I believe I paid 4500 cfa per night to stay in a hut with two great beds and bathroom...I don't recall electricity or fans so it was slightly rustic but a very enjoyable place to stay. You can arrange prices to be taken across/around the lake in a pirogue. The lake is surrounded by sand dunes, just a short way from the ocean and while it was slightly more than my budget at the time, I think horseback riding as well as 4-wheeling can be arranged. I traveled to the lake from Dakar and back for 500 cfa...less than $1 US. It wasn't hard to access using public transportation- a combo of advice from the LP book and just asking along the way.

Foundjoune : There's a wonderful little village called Foundjoune in Senegal where the Sine and Saloum rivers meet. There are buses that go there, although I took one from Dakar, so I'm not sure what the trip would be like from the Gambia. It's a big enough village where you can find a little hotel or room to stay. There is some peace corps influence there, but not much else, the country side is nice, especially near the water. There are lots of beaches you can find along the rivers to hang out at and swim.

Kolda about 3 weeks ago. The crossing that you are looking for is east of there. There is no crossing south of Kolda. Head for the village of "Wassadou". This is where the main road that goes from Senegal into Guinea-Bissau "T's" off of the main route into Kolda, it head east and west. From there you will head to GB and through the border crossing of "Pirada". It’s fairly easy and everyone knows it. There are a lot of bush taxis that will run from there to Gabu in GB. Once you get to Gabu you will have to get a taxi to Bissau, if that is where you’re looking to head to. The trip from Kolda to Wassadou is about 1-2 hour (depending on vehicle and driver) from Wassadou on to the border and then onto Gabu will take about 2 hours (thanks to the border patrols), Gabu to Bissau will take about 3 1/2-5 hours (again depending on the driver and conditions). Let me know how things are going for you. I have the names of some villages that you will pass along the way if you would like them, just so that you know your heading the correct direction. I used to live in GB. also, if you need to use the phone or internet do it before you cross the border into GB, the phone is a hell of a lot cheaper and it is a way better connection, Wassadou has several telecenters but no internet, Kolda has both. Have fun and stay safe!

Tambacounda: I went to Gare routiere Pompiers in Dakar around 8am and took a 7-place to Tambacounda, which got me there by nightfall. For an extra 1-2000 CFA, the driver will give you the front seat which is the most comfortable. The road has long bad sections with many potholes, but it is a beautiful drive between Kaolack and Tamba, well worth doing at daytime.

Kedougou: From Tamba, a few of the 7-places leave each morning between 6:30 and 8:30 am to Kedougou. It is a smooth fast drive on an excellent road, with unspoiled landscape and villages along the way. You will arrive at noon.

I heard the road from guinea direct to Senegal (I think the place is called Kedougou ??) is abysmal, probably not possible in the wet season but I’m sure in December it would be worth a crack

I'm staying at Relais de Kedougou; the best hotel in town (with swimming pool). Their low season prices until Dec 1st are between 11-13000 CFA per room. You can walk there from the gare. Continue on the main road into town, for some 200m. At the main intersection next to Black n White Disco, turn right, then you will see large signs pointing you to the relais, in total it is maybe a 600m walk. There are other cheaper options, I checked Campement Diao and Campement Moise (turn left at the main intersection) and they both seemed nice.

Bandafassi: Half way to Djindjifelo; Bandafassi is another nice town worth spending time. There is a good campement with food and accomodation. It is possible to get there by bicycle; it is less than 15km from Kedougou on a reasonable dirt road.

Djindifelo: At 6am each Sunday, there is a public bus to Djindjifelo, a nice village to the south, near the guinea border. The bus returns at 3pm the same day. It is an exhausting 3 hour drive on a shockingly bad road :-) You will be rewarded by a friendly village, colorful market and you can walk 20min to an impressive waterfall with a refreshingly cool natural pool. From the bus stop, walk onward on the road for some 300m to the village Campement, they will find you a young boy who can guide you. They also have food, drinks and accommodation. If you have the time, it is well worth staying here for several days. You can hike up to the Fouta-Diallon plateau, which starts 1km south of the village, and the border police seems to allow foreigners to cross on footpaths into Guinea if you are with a local guide and intend to stay only in the immediate border area for a few days. The camp manager can set you up with a guide, who will be able to find you accommodation in villages on the plateau. There are occasional cars from NGOs or expats stopping by the campement; so you may get rides out, even on days other than Monday.

Bassari country: Now is a good time to visit. The rains have ended 4 weeks ago. The landscape is very green. It is harvest season for peanuts and watermelon. You will also see lots of well-feed livestock. All roads are dry now, none of the dreaded mud holes anymore. Temperatures are cooling down, it is very agreeable in the morning and evening, it can get as low as 25 C at night :-)

MONEY

Also depends on where you are, e.g. Dakar and Bissau = expensive Ziguinchor = quite a bit cheaper. Senegal is quite expensive but so is G-B. I was amazed how much I had to spend on accommodation there (G-B). I think it has to do with that they're both in CFA (I found all CFA-countries - in African terms - a bit expensive). Guinea, on the other hand, is probably the cheapest of the countries in this area. I could manage even under 10 euros a day there (rock bottom travelling).

Best way to exchange money: turn left when exiting the arrival hall. Re-enter the building at the next door into the departure hall, and go upstairs to the souvenir shops. They will exchange 650 CFA for 1 Euro, and maybe ask for a small commission (1-2 Euros will do).Avoid exchanging downstairs because a small crowd will form around you. Supposedly there is no crime at the airport, but I don’t want a dozen onlookers when handling money...Going downtown: turn right from the arrivals hall. You will see a clearly visible taxi sign, and a row of cars parked next to it. Approach the first cars and they will assign you to the car that is next in line. Ignore anyone talking to you or trying to drag you in a different direction. The official price downtown has been 4000 CFA for the last 7 years or so, but I happily paid 5000 because I know that fuel prices have gone up considerably. Downtown Dakar Best place to change money: Bureau de Change du Plateau, Rue Blanchot near Felix Faure (3 blocks south from the Av Ponty, past the mosque). They give you 655 CFA for 1 Euro, no commission.