Let's Go to Senegal: Dakar Travel Guide
Dakar
I wasn’t in love with Dakar…at first, but by the end of my trip, this city made a fan out of me! I’m a few months behind on this itinerary, blame the active summer I had, so I’m just getting around to finishing up this post. This is part II of my Senegal trip, where I started off in Saly and ended in Dakar. If you don’t know, Dakar is the capital of Senegal, located on the western coast of sub-saharan Africa. It’s a bustling city, filled with innovation, history, amazing food and people. At first, the struggle was real navigating Dakar solo, largely due to the language barrier. The Senegalese speak mainly French and Wolof, and as an English speaker, the most I could muster were three simple phrases. Language has and will never stop me from visiting a country, I just do what I can to adapt, and adapt I did. I was lucky enough to meet some native Senegalese, digital nomads, and transplants, who made time and showed me kindness and hospitality during my trip. Hopefully, after looking through this post, you’ll want to see this beautiful country for yourself!
Where to Stay
Areas
Les Almadies (my preferred location): it’s in the center of the action for most popular restaurants, cultural sites and the beach. I stayed at Boma Lifestyle Hotel, best decision ever! More on that below.
Yoff (more residential): I initially booked an Airbnb and honestly, felt so isolated that I canceled my booking within 48hrs. It was hard to find on Google maps and trying to give directions via Google translate was not working out too well. When I couldn’t get the house manager on the phone after being lost for 20min at 10pm, I knew I had to check into a hotel!
Business District: Close to the train station, shopping, museums and the ferry to Goree Island, which is a must do activity if you’re interested in Senegalese culture and history regarding the Transatlantic slave trade.
Plateau: another central location, which is great for travelers unfamiliar with Dakar
BOMA LIFESTYLE HOTEL
Prime location, great onsite restaurant option for all meals and drinks, equipped with a pool, fitness center and even, a club. My deluxe one bedroom came with a small patio in front, it was spacious, pristine and came beautiful decorated with African-modernism in mind. There were also goodies left in the room for me: a welcome sign, hand-woven room slippers, and neem oil (greatly appreciated). The staff was lovely and helpful, and the grounds were kept spotless.
Things to Do
This is not an exhaustive list! More or less things that I’ve done or planned on doing for my trip.
Beach Clubs
Copacabana (offers surfing lessons)
Teranga beach club*
Jet beach cafe*
Paradise beach club*
Ngor Island: water activities, beach
*beach clubs may be associated with a day cost or food/beverage allowance
Excursions/Sites
Mosques
Goree Island (by ferry)
Renaissance Monument
Surfing lessons
Bandia Reserve
Lion walk
Lac Rose (pink lake)
Sand Dunes
Sporting events: basketball, futbol/soccer
1-2-day trips from Dakar: Saint Louis, Saly or The Gambia
Markets
Marché Kermel
Marché Colonial
Marché Soumbédioune
Marché Sandaga
Goree Island
I’m very much a seafood lover, especially in a coastal city!
DINING & NIGHT LIFE
Restaurants
Phare des Mamelles
Terrou Bi
Chex Ndioufa
Chez Fatou
Escale d’Orient
Club Union
Oceanium
Selebe Yoon
Pullman Hotel
Trames Rooftop
Ban Cafe
Zanzibar Bar
Le Babanon
The Jungle
Le Carre
Boma Lifestyle Hotel
Radisson Blu
Chez Loucha *traditional Senegalese dishes
Nightlife
Club 7
Trust lounge
Vogue
Boma
Staya
Travel Jawn Tips
Yango and Uber are your best bet for mobile ride share apps, but there’s a plethora of yellow taxi cabs riding around at any given time. I noticed the cabs charged a bit higher than the rideshares.
Cash (CFA Franc XOF) is fading out as king here and in more African countries, and mobile finance apps have rose to the top. I use LemFi, which has worked wonders for me in Nigeria and Ghana. In Dakar, Wave and Orange are more popular but requires you to have a local phone number in the region. With LemFi, I am able to transfer directly from the app to the other persons bank account.
Go to the market with market with a local. Even me, an experienced haggler, had a hard time in the market. Likely because they know they can other people to buy at the price they want. My favorite market find in Dakar was jewelry and art. They were some of the most unique pieces that I’ve come across, during my travels in Africa, aside from Lagos.
If you’re planning to visit Goree Island, book a guide at the ferry station. Most guides station themselves there, have smaller groups, and rates are more favorable than booking through a site.
Senegalese food is often regarded as one of the best in Africa. Hot take…I thought it was good, but not better than Nigerian food. If you find yourself wanting to prove me wrong, try these traditional Senegalese dishes:
Thieboudienne (Chebu Jen) - the national dish of Senegal, made of fish (can substitute with meat), rice, vegetables in a tomato base.
Yassa Poulet - a savory yet tangy spicy dish of marinated chicken cooked in a sauce of onions, mustard and lemons.
Accara - fried bean fritters, made with black eyed peas and spices. I had these growing up, with a side of pap (custard) and it always hit the spot for breakfast!
Bissap - essentially just hibiscus juice, full of nutrients and antioxidants.
I hope to inspire more travel through Africa, not only as an African living in the diaspora but genuinely as a curious traveler. There’s more beauty, richness and culture that can be highlighted across the continent. So hopefully I can aid in bringing light to that, one blog post at a time! Until next time, later travel besties!
