SENEGAL RHYTHM & DANCE TOUR

 

Since the early ages, music and dance have always been a way for women and men to express themselves, to express their feelings, and to communicate with others and the Divine. Music and dance are therefore deeply rooted in all cultures and sociologically alike. They reveal impressions and marks of each human society at a certain moment in time. Music and dance allow us to discover the real roots and history of many ethnic groups in Africa.

 

DAY 1: DAKAR

Arrival in Dakar. Meet and greet at the airport and transfer to your hotel in the capital city. Overnight at your hotel.

 

DAY 2: DAKAR/SALOUM

After breakfast in the hotel you will take a full panoramic visit of Dakar. Both modern and ancient, Dakar is a city of contrast. During the tour you will visit the picturesque and lively Medina, the Fann District featuring new Senegalese architecture, traditional markets, Monument of the African Renaissance, the main squares, and finally the Presidential Palace. 

 

You will then proceed to the Saloum Region, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for cultural and natural resources. On the way, you will pass through the old colonial city of Rufisque, the baobab forest of Sindia, and the Serer villages along the Small Coast. You are set to arrive in Ndagane around 2:00pm for lunch in a restaurant overlooking the Saloum River.

 

In the afternoon, you will visit villages in the Samba Dia palm tree forest. Here you will meet the Fulani populations who were once deeply rooted in their nomadic traditions, but today practice a semi-nomadic way of life. You will experience the Yela dances, accompanied by very rudimentary and harmonious West African instruments. At the end of the afternoon, you will arrive in Djiffer and transfer by boat to Delta Niominka Lodge in the Saloum Islands. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

 

DAY 3: SALOUM

Breakfast in the hotel. The day will be dedicated to the discovery of the Saloum Islands classified by UNESCO as natural patrimony of humanity. By motor canoe, you will visit the islands, some of them inhabited by the Nominka fishermen. You will enjoy their songs while fixing their nets or going off to fish. You will visit nearby bird sanctuaries and have a fish barbeque lunch on one of the deserted islands. You will return to the lodge at the end of the day. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

 

DAY 4: SALOUM/GAMBIA/BANJUL

After breakfast you will leave for Banjul, the capital city of The Gambia. On the way, you will visit Serer villages to discover the representative music and dance of this ethnic group. You will experience the Ngoyane songs and the dances of Ndaga. Lunch will be served in Toubacouta on the Saloum River Delta. In the afternoon, you will proceed to Banjul with a picturesque crossing of the Gambia River. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Banjul.

 

DAY 5: BANJUL/ZIGUINCHOR

Breakfast before setting out to visit Banjul. During our visit to the Gambian capital city, you will meet some Kora masters, the main musical instrument of the Mandingo ethnic group. You will have lunch in Banjul. During the early afternoon you will proceed to Ziguinchor in Southern Senegal. Along the way, you will visit the villages of Baila, Diouloulou, and Badiana, where you will encounter the traditional musicians along the way. You are set to arrive in Ziguinchor in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

 

DAY 6: ZIGUINCHOR/LOWER CASAMANCE/ ZIGUINCHOR

You will leave after breakfast for a full day dedicated to the discovery of villages located in the lower Casamance. In these animist villages, you will see the deep respect for nature as an expression of the Divinity. Come experience the sacred music and dance that are believed to be a straight link with the Holy World, as well as the initiation and rites of passage ceremonies. 

 

You will have lunch in Cap Skirring. In the afternoon you will continue exploring lower Casamance. Here, you will meet the masters of a special music called Inconting, which is considered by some specialists as the deepest root of the Blues. You will return to Ziguinchor at the end of the day. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

 

DAY 7: ZIGUINCHOR/SALY

An early breakfast before setting out from Ziguinchor to Saly Portudal on the Small Coast. You will pass by the town of Bignona as we take the Trans-Gambian way up North. Here we will encounter Fulbe villages, Fulani populations mixed with the Mandingo ethnic groups. This rich mix of cultures has given birth to music and dance fusion of both the cultures. You will experience this with the villagers. You will have lunch will be taken in Kaolack before proceeding to Saly in the afternoon to visit other villages. At the end of the day, you will arrive to calm and relaxation at Saly Resort. Dinner and overnight in your hotel.

 

DAY 8: SALY

Breakfast in the hotel, followed by a full day of relaxation on the beach. Full board and overnight in your hotel. 

 

DAY 9: SALY

Breakfast in the hotel, followed by a day of relaxation on the beach. Lunch will also be served in the hotel before the late afternoon transfer to Dakar. Enjoy your last dinner in a seaside restaurant before you head to the airport for departure. Depart Senegal.

 

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