The Gambia & Senegal

latest updates:

• 2009/03/09 - photos from traditional wrestling published
• 2009/02/25 - photos from salt harvesting published
• 2009/02/15 - photos from Casamance published
• 2009/02/14 - photos from Senegambia published
• 2009/02/11 - photos of Bedick tribe published
• 2009/02/10 - back from the trip, short summary will be published soon.. when arriving on Oslo airport, it was -17°C, exactly 50 degrees difference between Banjul where I flew from.
• 2009/01/26 - am off to The Gambia and Senegal..
• 2009/01/23 - money exchanged
• 2009/01/22 - plan getting more detailed, am in contact with potential guides
• 2009/01/14 - got visa to Senegal, had a great chat with consul and got even quite detailed map (which I was searching for on the iNET for so long time) as a gift..
• 2009/01/12 - starting on learning basic french/wolof phrases so i won't be totally lost :)
• 2009/01/08 - i renewed vaccine for typhoid and meningitid A+C
• 2009/01/07 - decision was made, tickets were bought
• 2009/01/06 - found a cheap ticket to Banjul, The Gambia

Prerelease notes

Africa has charmed me many times before so when I saw an offer on tickets to Banjul, I did not hesitate and took the chance. It will not be for sure a tour without troubles, in Senegal the official language is French which I do not know at all and its difficult to find someone who speaks English but that is just another challenge :-)

Photos

More photos from Senegal and Gambia

Articles

Not any articles published yet. Check out list of articles which I published (mostly in czech language) recently.

Plan

This is my first approximate itinerary:

• Oslo -> Banjul
• Banjul -> Karang -> Kaolack for traditional wrestling - laamb and salt harvesting
• Kaolack -> Tambacounda -> Kedougou for trekking in villages of Bedick
• Kedougou -> Casamance region in south west Senegal for local wrestling and landscape (Enampor, Edioungou, Kafountine)
• Casamance -> Serekunda for beaches if still any time left
• Banjul -> Oslo

Tips & tricks as per February 2009

• 1 € is approximately 650CFA
• sept taxis are little bit more expensive but much faster than miniuses
• expect to pay for your backpack on both minibuses and sept taxis, for middle sized backpack you should pay around 1.000CFA
• the road from Kaolack to Tambacounda is in very bad condition, count on spending 6 hours on the way
• Casamance is relatively safe, the situation is the worst in the stretch between Ziguinchor and Diouloulou where you meet two to three pro-governmental soldiers every 1km. They are supposed to watch the safety but I've also heard from the locals that this is only a smart thing done by current president making the situation look like worse than it actually is.

Prices of transport (all for 7 passangers "bush taxi" if not statet otherwise):

• Kaolack -> Tambacounda - 6.000CFA + 1.000CFA for backpack, 6 hours
• Tambacounda -> Kedougou - 5.000CFA + 1.000CFA for backpack, 3.5 hours
• Tambacounda -> Kolda - 5.000CFA + 1.000CFA for backpack, 3.5 hours
• Kolda -> Ziguinchor - 4.000CFA + 1.000CFA for backpack, 3 hours
• Ziguinchor -> Enampor - 600CFA + 200CFA for backpack, 30mins
• Enampor -> Edioungou - 10.000CFA, pirogue, 3 hours
• Oussouye -> Ziguinchor - 700CFA + 500CFA for backpack, minibus, 45min
• Ziguinchor -> Kafountine - 2.500CFA + 500CFA for backpack, 1.5 hours
• Kafountine -> Diouloulou - 600CFA + 300CFA for backpack, minibus, 45mins
• Diouloulou -> Seleti - 400CFA
• Seleti -> Birkama - 60DLS
• Birkama -> Westfield, Serekunda - 13DLS + 2DLS for backpack
• Westfield, Serekunda -> Fajara or Bakau - 5DLS

Prices of housing per night:

• Kaolack -> Etoile du Sine - 15.000CFA, double, aircon, breakfast
• Kedougou -> Chez Diao - 6.700CFA, bungalow, fan
• Kolda -> Hotel Hobbe - 20.000CFA, bungalow, aircon, swimming pool, internet, breakfast
• Oussouye -> campement Auberge du Routard - 3.000CFA + 2.500CFA for main dish
• Kafountine -> campement on the beach near campement a la nature, owned by Ali and Dominique, 4.500CFA + 1.500CFA for main dish, probably the best place I've slept, bungalow, no electricity, 50m from the beach, great simple food
• Fajara/Serekunda -> Hotel Si Soho - 500DLS, single, fan, breakfast