Hey friends! Welcome to my series “Steph Goes Solo” where I discuss all things solo travel and recount my solo travel experiences!

I am back in Africa, surprise surprise, but here solo and this time visiting the beautiful country of Senegal! With every solo adventure I embark on, there’s a note drafted on my specific experience, feelings, people I’ve met and so on. I started the journal section on this blog to capture what goes on beyond the itineraries and nuances of trip details, and focus on the quirky specifics, friendly connections and emotions that happen along the way. I’ve always been a journal girl, and I love documenting my life during a certain time or trip. I’ll be making separate blog posts on the specifics of my trip and tips on planning your own, so stay tuned. But for now, enjoy my views and advice on solo traveling to Senegal.

Lonely

Periods of loneliness hit me more than ever this trip and I know it was partly due to the language barrier. I was initially staying in an Airbnb apartment in Yoff and that fueled my loneliness. I had to get out of there! I canceled the remainder of my reservation and booked a room at Boma Lifestyle Hotel in Les Almadies and that was the exact move I needed. I needed some interaction with other people, and more English speakers.

take time to self reflect

It’s worth it. I brought my journal and every few days, I took the time to reflect on my trip, life and how I was feeling in the moment. It was healing. If I didn’t have my journal on me, I jotted it down in my Notes app.

English is not universal

Francophone countries do not speak English, they speak French and French only. That was apparent everywhere and with everyone, so be prepared.
The Senegalese also speak Wolof, mainly, and Fulani, 2 of their native languages.
Get a good translation app: for convos, texts, deciphering signs and menus.

It pays to be kind

All the time really but especially when traveling solo. Start up a conversation by giving a compliment, and make sure it’s sincere. One compliment afforded me company at dinner at the resort I was staying at and an invite to a night out to a Senegalese cultural show and karaoke with a group of French girls.
Be nice to hotel staff and guides. People want to help and will go the extra mile to do so when you’re a kind person.

It pays to be a girl’s girl

The common theme during this trip was that quite literally…it pays to be a girl’s girl The women I met made my trip all the more special! I had more adventures, new experiences, and companionship based on the women that I met or were put in contact with.
I had the same experience when I traveled to Japan a few years ago and, again, had a great time, was able to go to places because of meeting other women.

Be flexible

Try to always be flexible with plans while traveling because it will help you discover news things and people you wouldn’t have otherwise encountered. I wouldn’t have met any of the people I did if I wasn’t flexible with my plans.
Things happen, plans change, reservations are missed, you get lost…for my type A people, here is when you channel your inner type B and chill.

Transportation

Well kept highways with multiple tolls booths had me feeling like I wasn’t in West Africa. Infrastructure and maintenance in African countries is always an issue so it was refreshing to see.
Efficient and clean train system, newer/better than NYC. Yeah, they’re doing something right in Senegal, that I hope more African countries can adopt.

Digital cash is king

Not just cash, but digital cash! You NEED a mobile money app. Do not play yourself. I suggest LemFi (Use LemFi to send money. Get USD20.0 when you verify your account and send over USD100.0 with my referral link). It is by far my favorite app to use in Africa. It’s fast, both with adding money and sending money to different banks and other fintech apps, such as Orange and Wave which are both used in Senegal.
Wave and Orange are used in Senegal, but with Wave you need a phone number local to the region (Senegal, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire for example).

Rideshare

I have a love-hate relationship with Yango because the gps directions suck but it’s cheaper than taxis. Every time I put an address in Yango, it changed it to somewhere else nearby. This became frustrating because my Airbnb was not easily noticeable.
Traffic isn’t that bad.

Something’s in the air

Sand, dust, fumes are everywhere. *This is not medical advice* If you have sinus issues or allergies, I would caution you to wear a mask outdoors and bring allergies medication with you.

Solo traveling is not for the weak! Mostly because it tests you mentally and emotionally, by forcing you out of your comfortable zone. You get confronted with situations and feelings and have to rely on yourself to navigate through them. Especially in a country like Senegal, where English isn’t commonly spoken, solo traveling could feel very isolating. It’s not because the people aren’t welcoming, quite the opposite of my experience. I struggled with loneliness at different points during this trip, but was able to navigate those feelings and overcome. Also, never underestimate the power of kindness and human connection, which saved me throughout this trip! I met the kindest souls from Senegal, France, USA and the U.K., who amused my little French and translate app convos. Senegal is charming, with so many places to see and things to do! Traveling through Africa will always be my favorite!nI think I’ll be back sooner rather than later to explore more of it. Until then, bizzou!

Steph Goes Solo in Senegal