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| Women carrying harvested rice home from their fields in the Casamance. |
Some say that Dakar is not Senegal, that to really experience Senegal one must leave the city and explore the rural countryside, where villages dot the landscape, and cultural traditions thrive.
Come explore the cultural and geographic richness, from the lush, green tropical forests in the south, to the hills and savannah woodlands of the southeast, to the baobab forests and dry sahal of the north and central region.
Mix with the people: the Diolas of the south in Casamance; the Bassari and Bedick tribes of the southeast; the Pulaars of the north; and the Wolof of the central region. Experience their warmth and generosity.
Here's a region by region overview:
The southern region of Senegal, south of Gambia, is known as the Casamance. It is home to the Diola (pronounced Jola) People. The Diola are predominately animist, and the presence of bois sacre and fetishes around villages and in homes is common. The Diola can be seen fishing from traditional dugout canoes in the mazes of channels cutting through thick mangrove, cultivating rice in a vast patchwork of family plots, and tapping palm trees for wine, widely used both for drinking and in ceremonies.
Many villages have community-sponsored campements, offering both lodging and food in a village setting. The campement is an excellent way to dodge the tourist traffic, and experience village life, while supporting a rural community.
By example, the village of Seleki, located about 30 minutes from the ferry dock in Zinguinchor, offers comfortable accomodations in the heart of an exceptionally charming village, where you'll be welcome to visit the Diola residents in their homes.
Things to do and see in the Seleki area include: take a pirogue trip to the animist island of Eloubalene, where you can tour the village and visit a number of traditional impluvium-style homes; visit a village cooperative growing, harvesting and processing cashews; see a demonstration by a local potter using traditional methods to produce both functional and decorative ceramics; have an audience with the King of Oussouye, an important spiritual authority in the practice of animism; walk the beaches of the popular resort town of Cap Skirring.
Relax and enjoy the tranquility and gracious hospitality of the Casamance.
The Southeast: Kedougou, Nikolo Koba, Bassari/Bedick Villages
Southeastern Senegal is a world apart. It is home to the country’s largest national park, Niokolo Koba. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning about 9000 square kilometers. The Gambia River and its tributaries meander through this vast wilderness, inhabited by 80 species of mammals and 350 species of birds, including an estimated (as of 2006) 11,000 buffalo, 6,000 hippos, 50 elephants, 120 lions, 150 chimpanzees, and even a few rare leopards.
Nestled in the hills to the south of Niokolo Koba, you’ll find the relatively remote villages belonging to the Bedick and the Bassari Peoples, reknown for their adherence to traditional customs, and colorful initiation ceremonies in the spring.
The hub for southeastern Senegal is Kedougou, a town of about 20,000 residents. A variety of ecotourism opportunities are possible out of Kedougou, including visits to the popular waterfalls at Dindefelo, and guided treks among the villages of Pays Bassari.
A variety of accommodations are available in southeastern Senegal, from several comfortable campements overlooking the Gambia River, to the quaint Le Bedick Hotel in Kedougou.
The North: St. Louis and Djoudj National Park Bird Sanctuary
St. Louis was the French colonial capital of Senegal from 1673 until the country’s independence in 1963. The city continues to attract many tourists for it’s rich history and colonial architecture, international music festivals, and easy access to natural sites, including the estuary of the Senegal River (Langue de Barbarie National Park).
Situated in the Senegal River delta 60 kilometers north of St. Louis lies Djoudj National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Djoudj is a fragile sanctuary occupying about 120 square kilometers of lake and marshland, providing wetland habitat for over 400 species of migrating birds numbering in the millions. A variety of wildlife can also be seen, including warthogs, pythons, monkeys, tortoises, gazelle, manatee, jackal and crocodile.
Central Region: The Holy City of Touba The holy city of Touba, sacred to the Mouride Sufi Brotherhood, lies 170 kilometers east of Dakar. Touba was founded by Saint Cheikh Amadou Bamba in 1887, where he is entombed within the Great Mosque, one of the largest in Africa. The city uniquely constitutes an administratively autonomous zone, controlled exclusively by the Mourides. Millions of pilgrims annually make their way to the holy city for the Grand Magal, a religious festival of piety and faith.
Being a Baye Fall in the Mouride Brotherhood, Almamy is in a unique position to guide you through the city of Touba, to visit the Grand Mosque, and the adjacent mausolea, where the sons of Amadou Bamba are buried, along with his discipline Ibrahima Fall, founder of the Baye Fall movement.
