dakar
Dakar is the capital of Senegal. It is a rather rough city where it is difficult to find a nice neighborhood to casually explore.
However, a fun excursion would be a visit to Ile de Gorée which is just off of the coast of the city. Boats leave the port in that direction quite regularly.
SENEGAL
dakar - Ile de Gorée - yene - thies - st. louis - toubacouta
SENEGAL
dakar - Ile de Gorée - yene - thies - st. louis - toubacouta
ILE DE GOREE
The boat ride to the island takes no more than 20 minutes. The island has a very pleasant and charming atmosphere.
Within a few hours you get to know the island and its rich history. There are several nice restaurants and shops, as well as some galleries and museums.
YENE
We left Dakar and went to Yene, a fishing village some 50km south of Dakar.
It is a village where few tourists go. We traveled here to photograph Erik Pol’s home. He is a Dutch man who has lived in Senegal for 17 years and has built a home just outside of the village
hotel Espace Sobo Badé
in Toubab Dialao
We stayed in a hotel right on the beach. The hotel consisted of fanciful buildings, where the sea breeze provides natural cooling
guesthouse Sobo Bade
Route de Toubab Dialaw, Toubab Dialao
SENEGAL
dakar - Ile de Gorée - yene - thies - st. louis - toubacouta
Erik Pol
Erik’s house lies slightly farther away from the coast. It is a very simple house, it has two floors and is surrounded by a large garden.
If you want to see more pictures of Erik’s house, click here
At the end of the day, in the beach in front of our hotel, people of all ages come together to sport.
SENEGAL
dakar - Ile de Gorée - yene - thies - st. louis - toubacouta
Aissa Dione Tissus
Erik Pol is our guide, showing us places you would not find on your own. We went to a market in Thies with him and later to a textile factory in the village next door.
SENEGAL
dakar - Ile de Gorée - yene - thies - st. louis - toubacouta
st louis
Siki Hotel
We stayed in a small hotel called the Siki Hotel. It is right in the middle of this friendly town where you can explore little streets for hours.
Music is a large part of Senegalese culture. St Louis in northern Senegal is famous for its annual international jazz festival which is organized here.
Fishing Village
The fishermen of the town and their families live across the river. It is a village in itself with a specific and industrious atmosphere. It is as if you step into a movie where you can’t take everything in because its moving so quickly.
toubacouta
We continued further south to the village of Toubacouta in the Saloum Delta region. An area famous for its mangroves and many species of birds.
There is a small local market in Toubacouta. Where vegetables, fish and other goods are traded.
dakar - Ile de Gorée - yene - thies - st. louis - toubacouta
SENEGAL
The trek to get anywhere is almost always an experience in itself. The landscape, the villages and the people that pass before your eyes often give a surprising impression of the country which you are travelling through.
Les Paletuviers
We were guests of Les Paletuviers, belonging to the Belgian Pieters family. The following text from their websites gives good insight into what brought them here.
The story of Les Paletuviers is a love story, a family and a country, and especially a region: The Saloum Delta.
It was in 1995 that the Belgian Jean Pierre Pieters discovered Senegal as a tourist. He immediately fell in love with the beauty of the landscape, its nature and warm people. He decided to take over a camp and to achieve a dream.
In 2010 Karolien, his eldest daughter, gave up her life in Belgium and moved to Les Paletuviers to continue her father’s dream.
Het Strand
If you want, you could decide to spend the night on a private beach in a small hut. You spend the afternoon sailing through the Saloum Delta to the island. The fish is locally caught and prepared, allowing guests to dine under the stars.
