Surprising Senegal – still exotic but now affordable
Direct flights make Senegal best value for sun-seekers with a sense of adventure, says Sarah Marshall
Switching off the motor of our rough and weathered wooden boat, Senegalese guide Sogui Wade invites us to listen carefully. Gliding silently through a maze of mangroves in the Saloum Delta, our attention is drawn to an unusual snapping sound, akin to embers crackling in a fire.
The strange syncopation, Sogui insists, is the sound of oysters breathing. Clinging to exposed roots of mangroves, strings of shellfish perform a symphony that’s surprisingly soothing. Who’d have thought? But it’s one of the many new discoveries I make on a week’s holiday to Senegal.
Wedged between the emerald rainforests of the Gambia and orange desert dunes of Mauritania, this coastal country bulges into the Atlantic Ocean at the most westerly point of the African continent.
New direct flights launched by TUI earlier this month will connect London Gatwick with Senegal’s capital Dakar, in just over six-hours, with weekly flights running between November and May. Starting at around £800 for seven nights allinclusive, prices are a fraction of equivalent packages to the Caribbean or Indian Ocean. Hovering between 29-35C, temperatures are much higher than the Canaries. Even better, no time difference means there’s zero jet lag.
Promising sun, sea, sand and a touch of safari at jaw-droppingly low prices, packages are already largely sold out until the end of this year. Here’s the low-down on what to expect.
The accommodation is
surprisingly luxurious
A 75-minute drive from Dakar’s Blaise Diagne International Airport, the new 522-room RIU Baobab on Pointe Sarene is TUI’S main hotel partner, and was one of the key drivers for persuading the package tour operator to invest in this region.
Large, luxurious rooms with oceanfacing balconies (and a few suites with private pools) line the length of a golden beach, strewn with palms and thatched cabanas. A spa and modern gym are set alongside pools and a swim-up bar. A colossal buffet is accompanied by speciality sushi and Italian restaurants, both prebookable but included in the price.
A waterpark with slides and kids’ entertainment attracts families, but the hotel manages to maintain a smart, upscale atmosphere.
There’s a chance to see safari animals
Going on safari can be eye-wateringly expensive, excluding lower earners or families. But in Senegal, there’s an opportunity to see some of Africa’s most charismatic species.
At privately-owned Bandia Reserve you can see giraffes, elands, zebras and even rhinos on simple game drives through acacia and baobab forests, finishing at a visitor centre overlooking a lake heaving with crocs.
Tortoise Village in Noflaye, run by the African Chelonian Institute NGO, focuses on breeding endangered sulcata tortoises to be released into the wild.
The culture will blow your mind
Walking around a village market gives a sharp insight into local living. Men wearing floaty tunics and conical hats sell livestock, while women in peplum dresses sit behind mountains of melting shea butter and sacks overflowing with peanuts.
TUI (tui.co.uk) offers seven nights at the 4T+ Riu Baobab on an allinclusive basis from £810 per person (two sharing), including flights