Senegal holiday, islands and cultures
| country: | Senegal |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary |
| price: | £870 (8 days) - £1345 (14 days) excluding flights. Prices include full board, all excursions, visits & tours scheduled in the itinerary, all shows & events, guides & entrance fees, transfer from & to the airport |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Discover Southern Senegal's unique cultures and astonishing nature.
Experience a true African adventure, through the islands, rivers and landscapes of the wonderful tropical Casamance Region, participate in a unique Voluntourism experience for an authentic sharing awareness. We will sail along the immense Casamance River, and enjoy its unique fauna and flora. We will take a day to tour the nearby villages of Affiniam and Djilapao, for breathtaking encounters with all of the species of birds inhabiting the river and its islands.
We also visit the Diolas villages of Enampore and there impluvium houses, Mlomp and the multileveled clay-made palaces, the Diola museum, Seleki and its sacred trees, for a true discovery of the ancient and enchanting beliefs of this deeply animistic ethnic group. We then introduce and begin the community Project. For the first three days we will undertake a unique cultural integration. The trip continues towards the river’s estuary, visiting the islands of Diogué, Carabane, Hitou e Catie, for a two-day excursion travelling along the river and exploring its bolongs. We then go back to the the community project in order to complete it, together with all of the people involved in your unique program.
Then, the beauties of tropical beaches and deserted islands await you. Two days are dedicated to the most beautiful West African beach resorts of Cap Skirring, Abené and Kafountine, for many well-earned moments of rest on spectacular and deserted seashores.
The trip ends in Ziguinchor, when a chance is given to discover this unique city, a melting pot of multiple cultures. People from Senegal, Guinea Conakry and Guinea Bissau all gather in a special combination of beliefs and traditions. We will visit its markets, arts and crafts workshops, its historical centre and feel its deeply active cultural movement.
Choose what you wish to accomplish from among the following examples:School provisions and equipment for a class of junior high students. Bringing in sports gear and equipment to local teams. Provide assistance and musical instruments to local artistic groups and organize a show with them. Attain the construction of a well for water supplies. Ameliorate and improve working conditions of saleswomen from local food markets. Bring supplies to local croppers’ families and participate in the rich Casamance’ agriculture harvest. Donate materials to fisherman families: optimize their activity and join them in a fishing day.
These options are exclusively conceived and accessible to everybody: they are but the pretext to live an inspiring and meaningful holiday.
Experience a true African adventure, through the islands, rivers and landscapes of the wonderful tropical Casamance Region, participate in a unique Voluntourism experience for an authentic sharing awareness. We will sail along the immense Casamance River, and enjoy its unique fauna and flora. We will take a day to tour the nearby villages of Affiniam and Djilapao, for breathtaking encounters with all of the species of birds inhabiting the river and its islands.
We also visit the Diolas villages of Enampore and there impluvium houses, Mlomp and the multileveled clay-made palaces, the Diola museum, Seleki and its sacred trees, for a true discovery of the ancient and enchanting beliefs of this deeply animistic ethnic group. We then introduce and begin the community Project. For the first three days we will undertake a unique cultural integration. The trip continues towards the river’s estuary, visiting the islands of Diogué, Carabane, Hitou e Catie, for a two-day excursion travelling along the river and exploring its bolongs. We then go back to the the community project in order to complete it, together with all of the people involved in your unique program.
Then, the beauties of tropical beaches and deserted islands await you. Two days are dedicated to the most beautiful West African beach resorts of Cap Skirring, Abené and Kafountine, for many well-earned moments of rest on spectacular and deserted seashores.
The trip ends in Ziguinchor, when a chance is given to discover this unique city, a melting pot of multiple cultures. People from Senegal, Guinea Conakry and Guinea Bissau all gather in a special combination of beliefs and traditions. We will visit its markets, arts and crafts workshops, its historical centre and feel its deeply active cultural movement.
volunteering
We gladly adapt the project according to the Guest’s preferences and affinities, and thoroughly prepare it before the arrival, as to make sure the completing of this experience is fully enjoyed during the stay with us. The Project accomplishment will be scheduled in the itinerary, according to the one or two weeks stay, and will be smoothly blended with the excursions and visits. Choose what you wish to accomplish from among the following examples:
These options are exclusively conceived and accessible to everybody: they are but the pretext to live an inspiring and meaningful holiday.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrival in Senegal and settling in the Guesthouse. Arrival in Senegal (Ziguinchor or Cap Skirring), transfer to the Guesthouse. The transfer service is also available for arrivals and departure in Banjul (The Gambia) at a cost of £150 round trip. |
| Day 2: | The Casamance River and its treasures. Breakfast and then early departure for a river excursion; we take all of the time necessary to meet pelicans, herons, flamingos and all of the other species inhabiting the bolongs and the mangroves. According to season, a chance is given to have a close look at nests and baby birds. We visit then Djilapao Island and the Michelangelo of Casamance Museum House. Next Stop at Affiniam, lunch in a typical ‘Impluvium’ house restaurant. Visit to the local village, encounters with the population, return on pirogue at sunset. |
| Day 3: | Djibelor and Introduction of the Community Project. Breakfast, departure for a visit to the nearby vast Teak forest. We head then to the Djibelor Farm, where countless species of exotic flowers, healing plants and fruit trees are cultivated. Lunch in the Farm’ restaurant, with the possibility of trying its delicious fresh fruit juices. In the early afternoon, we introduce you to the Community Project, and all of the people involved in it. |
| Day 4-6: | Community Development Project: Preparation and Realization. Three days dedicated to the accomplishment of the action: participants work side by side with local artists, carpenters, students, families or villagers; everybody gladly intervene towards the completing of the action. One of our tour-leaders and where appropriate one or more local guides accompany the participants towards the discovery of local communities involved in the project, and accomplishment of their humanitarian action. Volunteers are given information on arrival about cultural differences they may experience while on a project and also ways in which to deal sensitively with these differences. |
| Day 7: | The Diolas Villages and the Islands. Breakfast and departure to the discovery of Diolas Villages, Enampore and its Impluvium Houses, Seleki with its rice cultivations and telephone tam-tam, and arrival for lunch at Oussouye. After the meal we continue to Mlomp and its ‘Fromagers’ huge trees, its multilevel houses and the Diola Museum. We leave then to Elinkine where a pirogue takes us to Karabane or to Diogué Island, and we settle there on a beach hotel. Visit of the island, dinner and night at the hotel. |
| Day 8: | Diogué, Hitou and deserted beaches. Breakfast and departure in pirogue towards the animistic island of Hitou, where we visit the local powerful shaman. The following excursion is wonderful, as we sail along the shores where tropical trees from the nearby forest lie on the waters. We pass then through bolongs and mangroves, towards the large Katie Islands, inhabited by one family only. The island is located at the estuary of the river, with one side facing the Atlantic Ocean: the choice is where to take a bath, in the ocean waves or in the calm river waters. We enjoy a lunch with Paletuvier oysters and grilled fish that we had captured along the way. After a nice and cool relax on this deserted island we eventually head back to Elinkine, and return to Ziguinchor through forest paths, among rice cultivations and palm trees lands. |
| Day 9-10: | Community Development Project: Completing and Celebrating. The participants gather back together to the Project and its accomplishment, in an atmosphere of joy and awareness. The search of authenticity permeates all of these actions, meeting the demand of both villagers and visitors who will mutually benefit from all of the inspiring moments spent together. A series of events, celebrations and performances will be attended by the participants, while the project is in progress, and at the completing of it: all of these ceremonies will be held in their honour, according to the exquisite hospitality manners of local populations. |
| Day 11: | Cap Skirring. Breakfast and early departure to Cap Skirring and its wonderful sandy beaches. Visit of the Kabrousse and Djembering Villages and lunch in a locally owned restaurant facing the ocean. Afternoon dedicated to the ocean waves and fresh waters, sunbathing, total relaxation under the cool shadows of coconut trees. |
| Day 12: | Ziguinchor, Art & Crafts Markets and Cultural Immersion. Breakfast and discovery of the local arts & crafts markets, visit to a Batik factory and the Craftsmen Village, where souvenirs and art works can be purchased. Lunch at the Guesthouse and afternoon dedicated to the discovery of some Senegalese unique cooking, dance or musical skills. |
| Day 13: | Abené, Bignona and Kafountine. Breakfast and departure to Abéné : we visit the small town of Bignona and the villages of Baila and Diouloulou. We arrive for lunch at Kafountine (Senegals’ little Jamaica). In the afternoon we visit Abéné and enjoy its deserted beaches. Return to Ziguinchor at the end of the day. |
| Day 14: | Ziguinchor – The fishermen arrival and departure preparation. Day dedicated to the discovery of Ziguinchor, the morning fish market, and eventual last-minute purchases. According to the departure time, transfer for the return flight. |
a taste of volunteering trip - what's it all about?
This type of trip is ideal for people who are unable to take very long periods off work but who are interested in volunteering to work with communities in need, or in wildlife conservation. These shorter trips combine volunteering with an opportunity to see the main sights in destinations. Find out more about 'taste of volunteering'how this holiday makes a difference
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The specific Community Development Project in which the Guests participate is the result of a fair research among villagers, families, students, disadvantaged communities and groups. The great scope of the populations touched by our actions assures a general and well spread wave of assistance throughout the whole region. 20% of the cost of this trip is invested directly into the specific humanitarian project. Each of our community development projects involve several different groups of workers, artists and families. We provide them with sustainable employment and allow them to build personal financial security.
On this Senegal holiday all of the materials and day to day necessities are bought from local stores and markets. These establishments employ local people and source food and beverages locally. All of this benefits the local economy. Tour leaders and local guides constantly inform and advise guests on local rules and traditions and social conventions to which they should be sensitive to, such as:  We encourage our guests to buy souvenirs such as arts, crafts and clothes locally as well as eat and drink in locally owned bars and restaurants. All activities enjoyed by our visitors are authentic and representative of the local community. Guests are taken to attend and participate in local shows, events and concerts, when scheduled during their stay; an additional chance is given to our guests to appreciate the cultural skills and trends of the region, to enhance their cultural awareness of the local realities, and at the same time help the local economy. Our non-profit association has been committed to offering inspiring journeys aiming to awake a true awareness of the regions visited, with a profound respect for Nature and the environment. From this awareness and respect comes a reverence for all living matters in the eco-zone visited.We always travel in small groups (a maximum of 7, average group size of 4) that are less intrusive on villages and in natural areas, where waste treatment is extremely difficult. Guests are instructed on arrival about waste disposal and are advised on our “Leave No Trace” policies and principles: leave the area as we found it, do not remove anything and take all unwanted possessions or waste with us until a suitable disposal facility is found. Guides prepare meals and snacks for guests from foods that are purchased locally and best represent the region’s cuisine. Our Guesthouse menu is filled with rich and tasteful local meals and recipes. Guests are gladly taken to local markets as to provide food and ingredients, and then invited to learn local cooking skills. Mr. Kalilou, the associations most-loved Chef, will happily introduce our guests to a journey into recipes, food tales and the arts of meal preparing. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |