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Top Tips for Senegal and The Gambia
I just returned from 2 weeks in Senegal and The Gambia. The countries are fairly similar, logistically entwined and both are friendly and safe. I didn’t have high expectations, but I found enough to enjoy and the WHS of Djoudj, the Saloum Delta and the Bassari Country will appeal to anyone. Herewith are some tips for travelling to Senegambia as a WH Traveller.
Don't be put off by the scarce resources in English
There is frustrating little info in English available for an individual traveller to get around these countries. Recommended sources like the iOverlander app or the West-Africa Facebook group will only make you sad and I have deleted them already. The people active there seem only interested in road conditions and the peculiarities of border crossings, not in the countries themselves, and often display very questionable travel ethics. At least visiting the 8 WHS will give you a good overview of Senegal and The Gambia as they are nicely spread out and touch upon different topics.
No need to prebook
There is no need to book any transport or activities in advance (except for The Difficult Two, see below) – everything can be arranged on the spot by just asking around. The only issue is that the cost level of tours/transport will be the same as your accommodation – so as I choose upper-midbudget hotels (around 70 EUR), you will pay more for tours etc than at the budget places of course.
Be satisfied with a short visit
One of the reasons that Senegambia did not appeal to me much is that there aren’t tons of things to see and do. It certainly lacks traditional sights, but it is worth it to visit a market (such as those at Farafenni or Serrekunda in The Gambia) or do a village walk with a guide or go fishing or any other activity close to the daily life of the local people. So rather make it a short visit (2 weeks max for both countries combined) than no visit at all.
Choose a strategy for The Difficult Two
Niokolo Koba and Bassari Country lie in East Senegal, far from anywhere else. Whatever approach you use, it’s a long way there, it will be hot and dusty and amenities aren’t at the same level as in the North of Senegal. Options are:
- Outsource the problem by letting a Gambian tour company organize the trip for you. This is the one I choose, see my itinerary for more info.
- Contact the luxury NiokoLodge inside the park and arrange a stay, private transfers from/to Dakar and a 1 or 2-day tour to Bassari Country from there.
- Self-drive from Dakar. The roads are good, and the traffic behaviour isn’t crazy (goats and donkeys may cross the road though), but you have to be prepared for numerous checkpoints (some will demand money if you’re a toubab) and the possibility of a breakdown of the car, so I’d advise being with 2 people at least. Also, driving inside the park is tough and needs high clearance (and a full fuel tank).
- Public transport from Dakar. Cities in the East such as Tambacounda and Kedougou are easily reached by bus, but both WHS need additional private transport to reach & explore, and especially Niokolo Koba is expensive.
You need basic French for Senegal
At my hotels, they usually spoke some English and you will get from A to B. The main issue you’ll have without basic French will be enjoying the tours (and you will have many boat tours!), as the local guides anywhere in Senegal only can speak French (which already is the second or third language for them).
Els - 26 January 2025
Salamanca
2Flow2 United States - 08-Jan-25
A beautiful old city! Others here have already done a good job explaining what is best to see in the town so I will keep this review fairly brief as not much has not changed since then to here in Jan 2025. My wife and I spent a day here with my cousin, who had come to Salamanca a few days before us to spend time with her graduate school friend who is a native of the city. The friend who had grown up there (a "Salamantina") somewhat cheekily put the things to see in Salamanca into three categories:
Read OnUxmal
Carlo Sarion Philippines | New Zealand - 06-Jan-25
I visited this site in January 2025, my first for the new year. I had initially planned to check out Labna, Sayil, and Kabah as well, but after all the holiday travel, I decided to focus on Uxmal and make it a laid-back day trip from Merida.
Touring the site
I arrived at the site well after lunch and spent about three hours exploring. The weather was perfect, and the crowd was much smaller than I remembered from my visit to Chichen Itza two years ago. This was consistent with what I had read in various blogs about Uxmal, though I had anticipated a more crowded experience, especially considering it was peak holiday season. The main structure in this site, many of which depict the rain god Chaac, are as follows:
Read OnKitanglad and Kalatungan Mountain Ranges (T)
GabLabCebu Philippines - 05-Jan-25
I listed the Kitanglad Range under my proposed WHS years ago, and to my surprise, it has now come up on the tentative list. I visited back in February 2019 through Dahilayan Adventure Park, Manolo Fortich; this is a few hours from Cagayan de Oro City. The adventure park is located just inside of the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park with wonderful views of the mountain range. This is probably the easiest way to visit this site, along with driving the nearby countryside roads that also reach the edge of the natural park (which we also did). However, the best way to experience it would be to climb Mt. Dulang-dulang (2941masl., 2nd highest in the country) and/or Mt. Kitanglad (2899masl., 4th highest), or Mt Kalatungan (2860masl., 5th highest) in the neighboring Mt
Read OnCity of York (T)
Andrew_Kerr UK - 03-Jan-25
York is a great little place for a weekend break. It's a compact old city that has everything, Roman and Viking remains, a Cathedral, intact city walls, river excursions and some great museums.The Shambles is one of the best preserved medieval areas in the UK with interesting narrow streets lined with half timbered buildings.York Minster, the Cathedral (picture), is an impressive building dating mainly from the 13th and 14th centuries and is built in the early English Gothic style. It is the second highest ranked cathedral in the country and the seat of the Archbishop of York.In 1984 a fire destroyed much of the cathedral but quick thinking actions by the fire brigade saw them deliberately collapsing the roof which saved the rest from certain destruction
Read OnSalines de Pedra de Lume (T)
Svein Elias Norway - 05-Jan-25
Sal Island, part of Cape Verde’s Barlavento group, was discovered by the Portuguese in 1460 but remained uninhabited until the late 18th century due to extreme drought. The island’s salt industry began in the late 1700s at Pedra de Lume, a volcanic crater 39 meters above sea level and 1.5 km from the sea. This crater, once connected to the ocean, holds over 50 million tons of natural salt formed through seawater evaporation.
The salt industry flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries, exporting up to 30,000 tons annually. However, economic disparities between workers and management were prominent. While the industry declined after Brazil banned foreign salt imports in 1887, it experienced a revival in the 20th century under the French company Salins du Cabo Verde.
Read On