Senegal in West Africa is a popular winter sun and beach destination for holidaymakers especially for French holidaymakers. It is a country surrounded by tiny Gambia and has a variety of experiences for those willing to reach this nation. Senegal is not very well known or popular in the English-speaking world probably because it is in Africa. There are five UNESCO listed World Heritage Sites in Senegal and it offers world-class places of interest. It has the Djoudj National Park, the third largest bird sanctuary in the world, and the islands of Goree and Saint-Louis, which are rich in colonial history. There are all types of activities in Senegal; one will have to choose from beach holidays, adventure holidays, cultural tours, and river cruising, bird watching and wildlife safaris. The holidays are as diverse as the beauty of this country.
Top Tourist Attractions in Senegal
Dakar is the capital city and the main language spoken here is French. Dakar has a thriving nightlife and one has to visit the nightclubs and check out the live music to believe it. There are many nightclubs and music venues which play mbalakh – the local contemporary music. One will find cinema halls showing the latest French films. The artist in you can be enthralled at the Daniel Sorano National Theatre in the Boulevard de la Republique. It is a popular venue for theatre, concerts and other arts performances. During the weekend you can even enjoy the traditional Senegalese wrestling matches.
Best Tours in Senegal
There are quite a few wonderful hotels in Senegal like the Novotel Dakar hotel, the Sofitel Teranga Dakar hotel and the Le Meridien President Dakar hotel. The cuisine of Senegal is one of the finest cuisines found in West Africa but it has an unmistakable influence from French cookery. One can try dishes like the Chicken au yassa, the Tiebou dienne, the Maffé, the Avocat au Crevettes and the Dem à la St Louis. The distinctive taste of peanut in most of the dishes whether fish or chicken gives local flavor to the dishes.
In Senegal a visit to the colorful market is a must; they are full of goods from food to handmade crafts and electronics. These markets keep goods like wooden carvings, traditional fabric, embroidery, and pottery, necklaces of clay beads and costume jewelry of wood or various seeds. In the markets there are craftsmen who work, you can order goods of your choice or buy what they are making at that very point of time.
UNESCO
For sightseeing purposes there are many attractive sites to visit in Senegal like the Ïle de Gorée, the Fadiout Cemetery, the Old Fort, the Popenguine Beach, The Pink Lake, the La Questura!, the Musée des femmes, the Poste, the Rose Lake, the Stade Leopold and the Sendar Senghor. For the nature lover there are two parks one is the Djoudj National Park in the north, while the other is Niokolo-Koba National Park in the southeast part of the country. The best time to visit this country will be between the months of November and February. During this time, the climate is dry and cool, and the perfect season for bird watching and wildlife spotting. So plan and visit this gem of Africa.