Dakar Travel Guide

  Marché Kermel
by lotharscheer
 
  • Marché Kermel
      Marché Kermel
    by lotharscheer
  • Dakar
      Dakar
    by lotharscheer
  • Cathédrale Notre Dame
      Cathédrale Notre Dame
    by lotharscheer
  • Casino Supermarché
      Casino Supermarché
    by lotharscheer
  • Hotel de Ville
      Hotel de Ville
    by lotharscheer
 

Pro

africateach profile photo

  Goree Island and food 


Con

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  Sometimes too eager salesmen in the streets 


In a nutshell

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  Good place to make a first visit to Africa 

 

Explore Dakar

Things to Do  

Visit Ile de Gorée - Dakar

Visit Ile de Gorée - Dakar, Dakar

 MikeBird Says:  Other people have mentioned the obvious places on the island like the yellow painted church and the Maison des Esclaves.You will almost certainly be approached by people offering to guide you round the island. We preferred to avoid the standard tour and armed with a Guide... 

Visit the Bandia animal reserve

Visit the Bandia animal reserve, Dakar

 alamar Says:  One of the acitivies I enjoyed most in Dakar was the visit to the Bandia animal reserve. It has a lot of beautiful jiraffes, zebras, crocodiles, white rinhos, no elephants though. They walk free in a natural setting, no fences (just for the crocodiles of course). You pay an... 

Pink Lake

Pink Lake, Dakar

 MikeAtSea Says:  This is the dead sea of Senegal a true natural phenomenon. Due to the high salinity of the lake it shimmers pink with the African sky. Besides being a nice outing as a day trip to explore the Senegalese countryside one can also see the locals harvesting the salt from the... 

Ile de Goree

Ile de Goree, Dakar

 kaloz Says:  I did not get to go to the Ile de Goree, as I chose the Lac Rose tour instead. This island was used as a staging area for the slave trade. Sort of like Alcatraz is an island prison, so too was the Ile de Goree. It is quite the anomoly that this pictuesque island has such a... 

Write to Friends and Family

Write to Friends and Family, Dakar

 kaloz Says:  I send a lot of postcards and I have a scheme to make them special. Each card is written in the language of the country visited. Here in Dakar, Senegal my post cards were in French. Since I do not speak all the languages of my travels, I get help from the local newspaper.... 

Enjoy the Local Color

Enjoy the Local Color, Dakar

 kaloz Says:  Dakar in the dry season has very bland coloring. I think that is why the people choose to garb themselves in brighly colored garments. There is a never ending parade of beautiful garments on display as you travel along the street. 

Hotels  

Domaine de Nianing

 4 Opinions

Restaurants  

Restaurant Keur Serigne Fallou: Excellent cheap restaurant in the city center

Restaurant Keur Serigne Fallou: Excellent cheap restaurant in the city center, Dakar

 lotharscheer Says:  Very colorfull decor and excellent local food for a reasonable price (maincourse 1500 CFA), the self apointed guides whitch you will have around you will most likely tell you it is closed (no commision for them) Riz Poisson Rouge 

Lagoon 1

Lagoon 1, Dakar

 SirRichard Says:  This excellent restaurant was really out of my budget, but it was my last day and I had some money left, so I decided to give myself a gift. This sea products restaurant is located on a pier, near the Lagoon hotel. You can seat at the pier or inside, where there is a typical... 

Nightlife  

varies: the club scene

varies: the club scene, Dakar

 bayouindian Says:  There are several clubs to choose from. Do not expect air conditioning! And bring your own toilet tissue! Wipe ups is a good idea also. Do not be surprised to see unisex bathrooms. Yes, that's what I said. Unisex. The places I have seen are pretty lenient. But they were... 

Transportation  

Dakar to Ziguichor and Cap Skiring by boat

Dakar to Ziguichor and Cap Skiring by boat, Dakar

 lotharscheer Says:  Every friday and tuesday, departure at 8 pm (check in between 3 and 7 pm), arrival at 10 am in Ziguinchor, 15500 CFA for a reclining chair, from 18500 CFA for a bed.Returning at 3pm every thursday and sunday.From there to Cap Skiring by a Sept Place (shared taxi), 1700 CFA... 

Luxury Bus

Luxury Bus, Dakar

 kaloz Says:  Lac Rose is a good distance from the port, at least an hour and a half, so it was nice to have transportation to and from in a luxury bus with air conditioning, even if it did not provide adventure. Along the way I made another Brasilian friend, Thereza. 

Shopping  

Auto Parts Outlet: Anything you need

Auto Parts Outlet: Anything you need, Dakar

 kaloz Says:  The Picture can not do this justice, as this building went on for quite a while with auto parts on the roof in the building spilling out of doorways in the yard. It was quite a sight. If you need parts for your vehicle and you can't find it here. I guess that you are out of... 

Woman on Beach: African Dolls

Woman on Beach: African Dolls, Dakar

 kaloz Says:  We were not allowed to leave the trucks, but they would stop (for pictures), and local sellers would come and hawk there wares. The people are colorfully dressed. This woman had dolls. If you like the goods and are willing to pay the price you can get your souveniers... 

Local Customs  

I don't know how you feel about this..

I don't know how you feel about this.., Dakar

 bayouindian Says:  Alot of people don't believe. That is your choice. But heed the warning anyway. Especially if you are of light complexion, or have light hair or eyes. People will try to take some of your hair. Voodoo. And if you see a lost little kitten...even if it breaks your heart..leave... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

General safety tips Dakar and outside Dakar

General safety tips Dakar and outside Dakar, Dakar

 lilpinky Says:  Dakar felt more of a hassle than violent. Coming from New Orleans, where we have been robbed at gun point and had a man shot to death outside our back fence, we probably viewed Dakar a little differently. However, being pick pocketed in Senegal is a major possibility- my... 

Be Careful of Hokkers

Be Careful of Hokkers, Dakar

 rameshah Says:  I am leaving in Dakar since last one year. When you walk down on streets, please be careful of hokkers hanging arround you and offering many things. Never show any interest at time if you don't buy they create troubles. Locals always take their side if there is trouble and... 

Tourist Traps  

Shopping...a nightmare

Shopping...a nightmare, Dakar

 bayouindian Says:  In Dakar, you have to work your way through packed streets of vendors. Biggest threat, being robbed. But..they can also put something in your bag. They will approach you and do not like to take no for an answer. It can get to the point of harrassment. Try not to go alone.... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Private beaches vs Public beaches

Private beaches vs Public beaches, Dakar

 SirRichard Says:  In Dakar there are public & private beaches. Private are usually propoerty of hotels or clubs so you have to de a guest to enter; or pay a small fee. In public beaches you can go free.Usually, private beaches are better equiped and used by white people, while in public... 

Swim at the restaurant

Swim at the restaurant, Dakar

 SirRichard Says:  If you go have lunch to the Lagoon 1 restaurant, you can take a swim and sunbath while you wait for the food (or after the dessert). The restaurant is located at a pier in the Corniche, and you can swim there. 

Favorites  

boat trip and beating drums

boat trip and beating drums, Dakar

 bayouindian Says:  You can take a local boat trip across the bay..which is a must for the gutsy. Especially if you cannot swim! lol I truly miss the sound of the voodoo drums at night. They go almost all night and lull you into a trance-like sleep. And awakening by the minaret in the morning... 

The Place

Plan a Dakar vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Dakar locals

Experience Dakar
  •   112 Tips and Reviews
  •  237 Photos
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Map of Dakar
 

The People

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Our Members Say
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 In Dakar, you have to work your way through packed streets of vendors. Biggest threat, being robbed. But..they can also put something in your bag. They will... 

23 members live in Dakar

 

Questions and Answers

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Q:  I will be traveling from US to Bomako, Mali via Dakar, Senegal. What is the process for travelers in transit after landing at... 

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A: I suggest you try and pick up luggage in Dakar and walk your bags to the check in counter for Bamako. I was there this last July and our bags were NOT loaded on to flight... 

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Top Dakar Writers

1

"Teranga"

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 The city Dakar, Senegal's capital, is located in the most western point of the African continent. Walking through the city The minute I came out to the streets, a crowd of street salesmen was... 

2

Dakar... not what you would think!!!

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 As I am looking out from the patio of the conference, I actually make myself turn off all the sound, people and just concentrate on how I am in Dakar, Senegal!!! The skyline looked like something that... 

3

Chaotic, Charming and Colourful - Bustling Dakar

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 Dakar, like many cities in the developing world, is strongly influenced by its colonial history. The Cap Vert peninsula had no urban tradition before colonial settlement and was mainly populated by...... 

4

Dakar - The Western Tip of Africa

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 I've got some interesting experiences in Dakar. I'd love to share with you the 11 tips I've written, the 14 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created. 

5

A Visit to Lac Rose

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 I signed up for a tour to Lac Rose, the Pink Lake, which is a good drive from the port. We enjoyed a comfortable ride on tour busses to the lake and then switched to hard benched trucks for our tour.... 

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