Explore Senegal , The Gambia and Guinea Bissau

Discover The Unknown Of Senegal, The Gambia and Bissau Guinea

Sogui WADE

English, Spanish and French speaking tour guide and travel expert

Notice: for your customers, all medicines they bring into The Gambia must be accompanied by a doctor's prescription. Otherwise, it’s regarded as a drug by the Gambia Police Border. Make sure also that they have a paper certifying that they are vaccinated against yellow fever. We can be asked that!

What makes this tour unique :

First, it’s a combination of three West African countries.

In Senegal :

You will see Dakar, with its Monument of the African Renaissance, one of the world's tallest monuments

-Visit to Gorée Island and its Slaves House with the Famous Door Of No Return

- The Pink Lake

- Mbour fishing harbor, an incredible spectacle with the arrival of the fishermen

- Immersion in the Serere tribe culture, when visiting their village

The Gambia, one of the world's smis allest countries, known as The Smiling Coast

-Visit of Kachikally sacred crocodiles pond

- Albert Market in Banjul , a very colourful market

- Exploration of Elubaline orT he Fetish Island ,where the Diola’ tribe is deeply rooted in their culture

-Discover the Bijagos, a group of islands that comprises 88 islands and is listed as a World Heritage. This isolated Bijagos Archipelago paradise is the unique preserved location on the planet, without mass tourism and with virtually untouched nature, but also with a preserved culture free of foreign influences.

Day 1 :

Arrival at Dakar airport

Welcome and transfer to the hotel Chez Salim at The Pink Lake

Pension regime: Bed and Breakfast

Day 2: Dakar City Tour – Gorée Island and Pink Lake

We will spend this day exploring Dakar. Thus, we will visit Kermel Market. A market where you will see flowers, vegetables, fish, meat and fruit vendors.

Then you discover all the city’s highlights. Thus, you will see the infantrymen square, the train station, Independence Square, the West Coast Road, the big Cathedral, the Museum of Black Civilization, the Divinity Mosque, before ending with the monument of the African Renaissance

Then we will board the ferry for a 15-minute ride to Gorée Island, where we will explore the Slave House and its “Door of No Return.”After that, we will keep on touring the rest of the world heritage sites. Lunch in a sea-view restaurant and back. Dinner and overnight at hotel Chez Salim at the Pink Lake or similar

Pension regime: Dinner and overnight

Day 3: Mbour Fishing Harbor – Visit to the Serere tribe – Kaolack

This day will be dedicated to an immersion in local culture, starting with a visit to the Mbour Fishing Harbor, where we will attend the arrival of the fishermen. Here we will have Snaa, aa Snapcha,t the fishi harbor. You will see hundreds of well-painted fishing boats, fishermen catching fish, the fish auction, the fishmongers and a lot more. Then we will head to a Serer Village. There, you will be introduced to some of their daily activities, such as pounding millet. Then the villagers will dance for them. Lunch in Kaolack, Dinner and overnight at the hotel Relais Kaolack

Pension regime: Dinner and overnight

Pension regime: half board

Day 4: Kaolack – Gambia ( Visit to Albert Market in Banjul and Kachikally sacred crocodiles pool )

Today, we will cross Senegal and drive towards the Gambian border. Upon arrival, we will handle the visa formalities, if needed. Then we head to the ferry for Banjul, the capital city. In Banjul, we will see the city and Albert Market (named after Prince Albert of England), and we will have a shot at the July 22nd Arch. After we head to Kachikally to explore the Sacred Crocodile Pool and its museum, which is relevant to Gambia's culture, colonial Gambia, and so on.

Lunch in Bakau or the Senegambia area.

Dinner and overnight at Lemon Creek in The Gambia

Pension regime: half board

Day 5: Gambia – Selecki Casamance, Senegal

We leave The Gambia for Casamance, which is one of the most beautiful région of Senegal

Casamance is the tropical southern region of Senegal, geographically separated from the rest of the country by The Gambia. Unlike the drier, Wolof-dominated north, Casamance is a lush wonderland centered around the sprawling Casamance River, known for its distinct ethnic heritage, mangrove labyrinths,

When crossing Casamance, we will see the sublime beauty of the region, with its giant trees, rice fields and palm trees. We will also be struck by the typicality and uniqueness of the made houses. Lunch in Ziguinchor, and we head to Selecki, where we will overnight in “Case a. implivium ”, which is typical of the Casamance Diola tribe architecture.

Dinner and overnight at Selecki Ecolodge ( with electricity and a fan for the night )

Pension regime: half board

Day 6 Selecki - Fetish Island of Elubaline – Ziguinchor .

From Selecki, we board a motorized boat navigating on the Casamance River to discover: Elubaline or The Fetish Island, and probably see some fishermen and women looking for mussels, and oysters

Upon arrival, we will have a walking tour of the Island to see the “Case à implivium ”, learn about its construction, and explore the Diola tribe's society and culture. With our guide, we visit various fetishes and their importance in Diola society.

Lunch at Chez Pierre in Oussouye.

Dinner and overnight in Ziguinchor at Kadiandoumagne or similar

Pension regime: half board

Day 7: Ziguinchor, Senegal – Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

We leave earlier to head to the Guinea-Bissau Consulate for the visa, then keep driving Southwards to the Guinea-Bissau border. Upon arrival, we complete all the formalities. Once in Guinea-Bissau, everything changed, and we started crossing the country, seeing very beautiful cashew tree fields, lots of palm trees, and mangroves. We will also see some typical Bissau-Guinean villages with their mud-built houses, as well as colorful roadside markets. Lunch in Bissau, and then we start our exploration of the City itself.

Leave to visit Bissau, the small capital city, wandering through its narrow streets and seeing pastel-colored buildings reminiscent of Portuguese colonization, giving us the feeling of exploring an open-air museum. We will see the National Heroes Square near the Presidential Mansion. We will also see the Statue of Amílcar CABRAL, the legendary revolutionary who led Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde to independence. We will drive by Badim Market, and we will also see The Bissau Craft Market, and also some frescoes called The Frescoes for The Independence or do Mural Da Independência

Dinner and overnight at Hotel Camba Mar or Mag Palace hotel ( small hotels in Bissau ) or similar, or Dunia Hotel ( a very good one in Bissau )

Pension regime: half board

Day 8: Bissau - Bubaque

We will transfer to Bubaque in the Bijagos Archipelago.

Leave for the port where we will take our fast for the Bijagos Archipelago.

The Bijagós archipelago comprises 88 islands, of which only 25 are inhabited. The Bijagos Archipelago is located in Guinea-Bissau, in West Africa. If we are looking for wild and culture, the main islands to visit are Canhabaque, Orango Island, Bolama Island, Rubane Island and Bubaque.

This isolated Bijagos Archipelago paradise is the unique preserved location on the planet, without mass tourism and with virtually untouched nature, but also with a preserved culture free of foreign influences. Besides its natural riches – turtles, mangroves, saltwater hippopotamuses – the islands are distinguished by their cultural and spiritual value.

Dinner and overnight at Mango Lodge ( a cheap hotel with a fan or Kasa Afrikana ( a hotel with air conditioning)

Pension regime: half board

Day 9: Bubaque – Soga – Bruce Praia

Leave on a private fast boat for Soga Island to see the Tabanka of Eticoba

The Tabanka of Eticoba is a traditional village (tabanka) located on Soga Island (Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau). It is a preserved and authentic community where the culture, ancestral traditions, and way of life of the Bijagós remain intact, all surrounded by wild and lush nature

Cultural immersion: Visiting the village allows you to discover the local social structure, animist beliefs, and to meet the régulo (traditional chief).

Lunch in Bubaque and

Dinner and overnight at Kasa Afrikana (with air conditioning) or Mango Lodge.

Pension regime: half board

Day 10: Bubaque – Bolama – Bubaque

Leave Rubane Island for Bolama. Bolama is a fascinating time-capsule destination in Guinea-Bissau that served as the first official capital of Portuguese Guinea from 1879 until 1941. In the mid – 19th century, both Portugal and England claimed ownership of the Island

The conflict escalated until Ulysses S. Grant, the President of the US, was asked to act as an international arbitrator. A statue of President Grant stood in the town square for over a century to commemorate this event .

In Bolama, we will have a working tour to see the colonial buildings and revisit the colonial history.

Lunch in Bissau, and continuation to Bissau

Dinner and overnight in your hotel in Bissau

Pension regime: half board

Notice: depending on your flight hours, we may have the option to spend one more night in Bubaque.

Day 11: Transfer to the airport

Pension regime: Bed and breakfast

Per person price for a group of 6 = € 2 200

Per person rate for a group of 8 = €2100

What’s Included:

Guide service.

Air-conditioned minivan or bus, depending on group size.

Private fast boat for the excursions in the Bijagos Islands, and also transfer to Bubaque and drop off in Bissau.

Accommodations in a double room occupancy for half from Day 2 to Day 9

Accommodations in a double room occupancy in a bed and breakfast on Day 1 and Day 10

All the visits

What’s extra

Lunch

Drinks

Water

Visa for The Gambia ($120 per person). We can get the Gambia visa at the Borders

Visa for Guinea-Bissau at the Consulate in Ziguinchor (€55 per person). We can have it there. At the Guinea-Bissau border, the visa will cost more than €68 per person