Thus there are many religious and natural sites to visit. Tourists visit Senegal for the best climate and to enjoy the natural scenery. 

Here is the list of top best things to do in Senegal – 

1. La Maison des Esclaves 

It has been given 4.5-star ratings by the public. It is a kind of speciality Museum. People reviewed it as an Excellent site for tourists.

La Maison des Esclaves is also known as the House Of Slaves. It is an African Art Museum. Its door of Return represents the Art museum. And a memorial to the Atlantic slave trade on Goree Island. It is situated 3 km off the coast of the city of Dakar. This African art museum was opened in 1962. And curated until Boubacar Joseph Ndiaye’s death in 2009. 

Ndiaye was a supporter of both the memorial and proclamation that slaves were held in the structure on a large scale. And from there they were shipped straightforwardly to the Americas. At last becoming caretaker of the Museum, Ndiaye claimed that in excess of 1,000,000 slaves went through the entryways of the house. This conviction has made the house both a vacation destination and a tourist site. And the site for world pioneers who visit the state of Senegal.

2. The Island of Goree 

It has been given 4.5-star ratings by the public. It is an Island. From the 15th to 19th century it was the greatest slave trade centre on the African coast. Its architecture is characterized by the contrast between the grim slave-quarters and the elegant houses of the slave traders. Nowadays it continues as a serving reminder of human exploitation and a sanctuary for reconciliation.

3. Ngor Island 

It has been given 4.5-star ratings by the public. It is an Island. All age groups can visit this island. A public boat is crowded with local sounds and disturbs your vacation day. You can take a private boat and enjoy sightseeing. The atmosphere here is very calm and relaxed. You can visit art galleries and have nice evening walks. The east side of Ngor Island is the village called Ngor which is warmer and the locals are friendly in nature. You will get cheap and convenient bars and deckchairs. 

4. Lompoul Desert 

People have given 4.5 stars as a rating. It is a popular tourist attraction site in Senegal. The dessert is named after the nearby village known as Lompoul. It is a great place to spend family time. As the desert dunes are very playful things for kids.

5. Accrobaobab Adventure 

It is a popular Amusement and Theme Park in Senegal.  It’s an adventure park for all age groups and levels of fitness. You can see the monitors and baobabs. These creatures make the adventure more of an experience. You can meet a variety of types of birds, reptiles and insects in their separate sanctuaries. Click here to visit.

6. Le Monument de la Renaissance Africaine 

The African Renaissance Monument is a French Monument known as de la Renaissance Africaine. It is a 52 m (171 ft) tall copper statue located on top of one of the twin hills known as Collines des Mamelles. Which is outside Dakar, Senegal. It was built overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the Ouakam suburb. The statue was designed by the Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby after an idea presented by president Abdoulaye Wade. Thus, it was built by Mansudae Overseas Projects, a company from North Korea.

7. Lago Rosa 

It is a site of tourist interest and a landmark. It takes about 2-3 hours to reach the site. The lake here is pink in colour. The public has reviewed it as a very good site to visit once.

8. Marche HLM  

People gave it a 4-star rating. It takes about 1-2 hours to reach. It is a Flea and a street market.

9. Reserve De Bandia 

It is a natural site having wildlife areas. People gave it a 4 star rating. You can see the giraffe, zebra, antelope, monkeys, rhino, crocodile, and many other species.

10. Village des Arts 

It is a site of tourist interest and a landmark. You can find and meet a variety of artists and get knowledge of the arts from them. Many great levels of craftsmanship you can easily experience here.

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Early Kingdoms of Senegal

When the first kingdoms emerged, the area now known as Senegal formed part of the Ghana empire. The most prominent kingdom in the 14^th Century in this area was the Djolof Kingdom, and united many smaller societal groups who formed part of the Wolof ethnic group. It was described as an empire, though it did not depend on conquest of member states. Later the country was annexed to Mali before becoming colonized by the French in the 1800’s.

Islam in Senegal

The Islamic faith was first introduced to Senegal in the 11^th Century. Today over 95% of the population is thought to be Muslim. The Sengalese Islamic faith is derived from Sufi mysticism whereby brotherhoods vow obedience to their marabout, their spiritual leader and the person whom inherited the brotherhood founder’s divine grace or barakah. Distinct brotherhoods such as the Mourides brotherhood, Layenes brotherhood, Qadiriyya brotherhood and Tidjanes brotherhood thrive today with huge numbers of followers.

Enslaved people traded to the colonies

Senegal has a terrible past as a centre for slave trading. Historical sites tell the story of horrific human enslavement, including “the door of no return” a doorway opening onto the sea, where thousands of enslaved humans were sailed away from Africa’s coast. Colonial trading started in the 1450’s with Portugal trading with the Americas. French, English and Dutch traders also traded enslaved people from this outpost. English and French forces fought over the island of Goree and St Louis, major trading outposts before eventually falling back under French control after the Treaty of Versailles in 1783.  In 1848 citizens of the French colonial towns Saint Louis, Dakar, Goree and Rufisque were granted full French citizenship, however fully exercising these rights was difficult due to racist social and legal barriers. 

Independence

The downfall of the French empire resulted in full voting rights for African representatives in parliament. Independence began in 1959 when Senegal and French Sudan merged to form the Mali Federation. In August of 1960 Senegal finally left the federation of Mali and declared independence.  In 1980 Senegal and Gambia formed the confederation of Senegambia though later dissolved in 1989. The country is often noted as the most stable and safe of African countries. However, separatist groups in Casamance region have clashes with the government since the 80’s. A peace treaty was signed in 2004 and has continued to hold.

Source: https://www.bouelmogdad.com/

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There are 5 main classes of vehicle in the race; motorbike, quads, cars, trucks and UTVs.

A dangerous race

People have died, either innocent bystanders or race participants. People have also gone missing off track for days at a time.  In 1982, Mark Thatcher, son of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher went missing for 6 days. He and his team were eventually spotted by a search plane 50km off course but unhurt.

In 1986, race organizer Thierry Sabine was killed in a helicopter crash caused by a sandstorm.

In 1988 6 people died due to the race; 3 race participants and more tragically 3 local residents, including a mother and child killed by a film crew. A 10 year old girl called Baye Sibi was crossing the road when she was hit by an oncoming racer. An awful tragedy just for the sake of a wealthy person’s sport.

These were not the only deaths directly resulting from the race. A total of 50 people have been killed by Dakar Rally, and yet it continues to draw competitors and spectators every year.

Criticism of Dakar Rally

The race has been heavily criticized for not bringing additional prosperity or opportunity for those living along the route. Local people were actually more likely to suffer the negative consequences of dust disruption on their livestock and agriculture.

More tragic outcomes involved accidental injury or death of local inhabitants hit by competitors.  It has been seen by some as a vulgar display of power and wealth. This seems particularly poignant as it tracks through places of less economic prosperity. The race has also been heavily criticized for its environmental impact. It has caused substantial damage along its route to historical and geological features.

The Dakar Rally is to be held in 2021 in Saudi Arabia. Again, drawing heavy criticism due to the country’s human rights record particularly when it comes to women.  The Saudi government has sought to make examples of women’s rights activists by placing several in jail. These activists are simply advocating women’s right to drive. Loujain al-Hathloul was sentenced to nearly 6 years in prison. She was arrested shortly before the decades long ban on women driving was lifted in 2018.  Critics claim for a sporting organizer to sync up with Saudi establishment means that they should also be pursuing to improve human rights policies in the area.

The race will start and finish in Jeddah. Around 330 vehicles have already been confirmed as entrants to the 2021 race.

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The casino games rooms and slot machine areas are open to both tourists and nationals. Live poker tournaments are also highly popular in these casino venues. Tournaments are open to all entrants of legal age. There seems to be an unsaid understanding that despite the Muslim majority faith in Senegal, it’s ok to gamble if the individual wishes to. Or rather there is no punishment if they do so.

National lottery

The national lottery in Senegal is run by Loterie Nationale Senegalaise (LONASE). Established in 1966, the lottery has become hugely popular around the country. Scratch cards and tickets for the televised lottery game “Telemillions” are sold in shops nation-wide.  Since 1987, the lottery has been completely state owned. Ticket sales help support a number of social outreach and improvement programs such as youth education, sports, health care and culture. You must be over 18 to play the Senegalese National Lottery.

Horse Racing in Senegal

Horse racing is a massively popular past time and betting opportunity. Senegal is a former French colony, and as such as a history with Pari Mutuel betting on horse races. Pari Mutuel betting works on the basis that there is a betting pool where those who bet on the horses winning in the first three places share the prize pool (less betting operator fees). This is the only type of horse race betting permitted, though it’s possible to bet on the outcome of more than 3 winning places.

Virtual horse betting is also legal. LONASE partnered with SENEJEUX to offer fixed odds, virtual horseracing playable in betting shop terminals. Greyhound racing and virtual football are also available. These games are also available to play in an app, with betting opportunities available around the clock.

Online Casinos

Online casinos are not legal in Senegal. However, there are no penalties for Senegalese players who gamble with international online casino providers. You may be able to find a suitable online casino on a top 10 list such as on Casinos Jungle.

The key issue may be in finding a casino to accept XOF, however if you are able to play in dollars or in crypto currency such as Bitcoin, the options are limitless! Be aware that currency exchange will incur a fee and it may not be favorable. Shop around for the best rate and use a reputable e-wallet. Check user reviews! You’ll get some good insight from other users. It is also possible to buy prepaid vouchers and cards to avoid using an e-wallet altogether.

Gambling falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economics and Finance. The main Act regarding online gaming is the Act of the Protection of Senegalese Consumers in Electronic Commerce.  This neither prohibits Senegal nationals from gambling with overseas operators, not does it penalize those operators.  Due to the growing popularity of such games, particularly mobile slots, it seems likely that eventually some formal legalization will occur. Ultimately enabling taxation of gaming revenue.

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Beaches

Senegal has many beautiful beaches with famous surf breaks. The Endless Summer surfing movie was filmed on location in Senegal. Sites such as Cap Skirring offer a place to relax and unwind. If you are relaxing on the beaches over the weekends you might have some wooly company with you! On Sundays in Dakar shepherds bring their sheep to the beaches to have a wash in a time honored cleansing ritual before heading back to their pastures to graze.

Wildlife in Senegal

The lion is the national symbol of Senegal (and also the nickname of the country’s football team) and sadly it is in dire threat. Unfortunately, due to poaching and loss of habitat, there are fewer than 50 lions left in Niokolo Koba national reserve. This is a shockingly small number especially when you consider the park is 3,513 square miles big (comparatively size wise that’s ten bigger than the city of New York). Several conservation charities try to raise awareness to help protect the national animal from total eradication.  

The park’s other animals have suffered too with only a dozen chimpanzees and around 100 African wild dogs left. Around 130 wardens work to protect the animal residents from poachers but it is a huge area to patrol for such a small team.  The park sits atop of some gold veins too which tempts illegal miners to the park to try to blast their way into the rock. Animals stay well away from the frequent blasts. Another danger to the reserve’s animals is the main road that runs through the centre. Frequently antelope, dogs, and lions are hit by trucks.

Fathala Wildlife Reserve is another popular destination for tourists. Elephants, hippos, giraffe, buffalo, gazelles, warthogs and eland are commonly spotted in the park. 

A Twitchers Paradise

Bird watchers will find a huge variety of species soaring off the shores of Senegal. Kingfishers, herons, pelicans, puffins, petrels, cormorants and swifts. Plus flamingoes, quail, bustards, hoopes, hornbills, bee-eaters and woodpeckers. There are over a million birds in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary.

World Heritage Sites

Senegal is rich in natural and human history. World Heritage sites include Goree Island, Niokolo-Koba National Park, Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, the Stone Circles of Senegambia, Bassari Country, Saint-Louis Island, Saloum Delta. The Pink Lake, Lac Rose is another popular tourist spot. A pink lake discoloured by the high salt content.

Bassari Country is an incredible landscape, continually populated by tribes between the 11^th and 19^th centuries. The area is marked by archaeological sites reflecting spiritual and social practices, land cultivation and thatched roofed villages. The culture intertwines the natural world and the environment with human inhabitance. 

The Stone Circles of Senegambia are particularly interesting.  The site is spread over an area of 30,000km squared. There are over 1,000 stone circles erected over 1,500 years of human history.  Archaeologists have unearthed grave goods, pottery, and burial remains in close proximity to these stone circles.

Shopping

Dakar is famous for lively markets. Market goers can buy literally everything from here! Fruits and vegetables, fabrics, spices, meats, fish plus electronics, fake designer gear, antiques, jewelry you name it, you can find it from one of the major district markets.

Marche des HLM in Dakar and Les Ateliers Tesss in Saint Louis are famous for beautiful African fabrics. Marche Kermel is your destination for food and souvenirs. Shop ethically when making your purchases. Buy local crafts rather than mass produced and pay a fair price for items.  If you are buying artisanal products you are more than likely paying the maker directly for their work and craftmanship.  Try to avoid tourist traps and paying over the odds for poorly crafted items that take money away from real artists.

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