COMPLETE FILE

Overview

Boat cruise on the Senegal River

Put up in Holland for the Senegal shipping services, the Bou el Mogdad is a mythical boat for all the people living in the Saint-Louis region. From 1950 to 1970, it was in charge of goods and people transportation between Saint-Louis, Richard Toll, Rosso, Podor, Kaedi, Matam, Bakel and Kayes. The name of the ship comes from El Hadj Bou El Mogdad (1826-1880) an explorer and translator who made a pilgrimage to Mecca, in recognition of the 22 times he fought for governors Brière de L'Isle and Protet. His son « Bou el Mogdad », took part in all the missions before the Mauritania occupation, with the governor Faidherbe.
In the middle of the mangrove, lagoons and sand channels, you will discover during this fabulous cruise on the Senegal River the amazing National Park of Djoudj, the third ornithological reserve in the world and enlisted in the World Heritage Sites of the UNESCO, and will look up to the fantastic ballet of countless bird species such as flamingos, cormorants, herons, pelicans, aigrettes, spoonbills, marabou storks, among many others. Walking around the typical small harbours and meeting the welcoming people of Senegal will dive you into a
total change of scenery, as well as the ancient clay-made Toucouleur villages and former trading posts with their ancient mansions that tell a story from the past. Open markets rich in exotic smells and colours, barbeques by the river, traditional handicraft and local scenes will add up along this boat cruise to offer you wonderful memories.

Feel free to contact our West Africa expert at Uniktour to get more information about this amazing cruise on the Senegal River!

Itinerary

Please note that the proposed departure dates are in accordance with Day 3 of the itinerary.

Day 1| International flight

Day 2| Dakar - Saint-Louis
Arrival at the international airport of Dakar and tranfer to Saint-Louis. Settling in a 3* hotel for the night, dinner under own arrangements.

Day 3| Saint-Louis - Bou el Mogdad ship cruise
The city has a familiar and surreal atmosphere, whether it lies in the delicate balconies of the beautiful colonial mansions or in the different shades of yellow and ochre that take over in the streets at twilight. The northern borough of the island is separated from the southern one by the Faidherbe Square and the governance. Also must-sees are: the City Hall and the Court Hall (first trial in 1875), the hospital (1827), a charming ochre painted building. An urban legend says that the Faidherbe Bridge was not supposed to be built in Saint-Louis but somewhere in Southeast Asia after an administrative blooper. You can also pay a visit to the fishermen village at twilight when the huge boats come home. In the Muslim cemetery of Guet Ndar, go see the tombs made of wood sticks covered with fishnets. The open market of Ndar Toute is located on the Langue de Barbarie. Lunch and boarding. Dinner and night on the ship.

Day 4| Saint-Louis - Diama - Tiguet (Djoudj)
Criss-cross on the Senegal River until you reach the Diama dam, the furthermost limit of salted waters into the river. Pass the lock and visit the dam on your way. Lunch on board then sail up the river along the Diawling Reserve, festooned with reeds and inhabited by countless bird species. Stopover by the mouth of the Gorom bolong which is the gateway to the Djoudj National Bird Reserve. Created in 1971, it's as of today the third ornithological park in size around the world, spreading over 12,000 hectares in the Senegal River Delta. Located in a desert region, the Djoudj basin is the only green spot of this part of the Sahel. Therefore, it strongly attracts the migratory wildlife from Europe and Africa. From November to March, three millions of birds and about twenty different species of mammals gather to hibernate. The next big moment is a dugout excursion (from November to March, otherwise, an all-terrain vehicle is used). In slow-motion, the boat goes into the heart of the reserve while a fantastic aerial ballet begins: flamingos taking off in tight rows, pelicans flying majestically, cormorants diving into the waters. It's a fascinating, extraordinary show. Trip back to the ship, where you'll have dinner and spend the night in the largest branch of the river.

Day 5| Tiguet - Diaouar - Richard-Toll
We sail up the Senegal River bounded by Senegal and Mauritania. The Senegalese shores are used for rice cropping but barely on the Mauritanian side. We'll be able to see a few warthogs, before passing by Rosso, a border town between the two countries where dugouts and a ferry get people, vehicles and animals across. Boarding and unloading are always picturesque, colourful scenes to watch. Lunch on board. In the evening, you'll arrive at Richard-Toll (Richard's Garden), that got its name based on the fact that during the colonial era, in 1822, the French turned it into an open lab for cultural tryouts. Visit of the city on a carriage and of the sugarcane plantations and raffinery (10,000 ha), the main downfall source of Richard-Toll.

Day 6| Richard Toll - Dagana - Palm Grove
Discovering of the -Folie du Baron Berger-, a French-looking castle closed as of today and surrounded by banco constructions, a typical architecture of the region. We're sailing to the mango plantation by the village of Gourmel, near a mouth of the Senegal River. Enjoy a traditional lunch of rice and fish or Tiep bou dijen, under the mango and palm trees on the bank of the river. Depart for the Wolof village of Dagana - called capital of Walo - then visit of this former trading post of the colonial era and that showcases the remains of an old fort and a few shops, visit of Dagana open market. It happened more than often back in the time to see the Banny or the Ponty being boarded with gum and soldiers. Walk back to the boat at twilight. Dinner and night on board.

Day 7| Palm Grove - Thiangaye
With the small speedboat, we reach the shores for a rough 2 km walk in the Gourmel forest. Visit of a traditional Funali village composed of oblong huts built by the women. Take a look at the diverse tree species along the banks. Back to the ship, we sail up on the river to get into the very heart of the Sahel desert in the Toucouleur Kingdom. The beauty of the landscape and the quietness of the waters are only troubled by the wading, ochre-eyed kids, the washerwomen in their multicoloured loincloths and the cattle herds watering along the shores. Lunch on board. With the barge and the speedboat, we sail on a narrow branch of the river. Stopover and visit of Toucouleur villages entirely made of clay and built directly above the steep banks of the Senegal River. Those villages are the oldest of the region, dating back to the 13th century. Visit of Saldé, a Moorish village settled on the opposite bank. Trip back to the ship. You leave at night for a spit-roast lamb dinner by the river, lit up by hurricane lamps. Night on board.

Day 8| Bras de Thiangaye - Podor
Sailing. Around the bend of the river's largest loops, you'll catch sight of Podor, a former trading post of the French colonial era. But today the commercial bustle has moved away from the river and the banks impatiently await your arrival. The trade mansions along with their large courtyards and the warehouses that were used for ivory, firewood, Arabic gum and slaves are the last remains of a not so distant past. You will visit the fort built by Faidherbe currently under rehabilitation to relive this part of the Senegalese history. Lunch on board. During the afternoon, go for a walk to the open market and the quiet streets, or sit on the steps of one of those old mansions to look up at the sun setting on the Mauritanian shores. Dinner and night on the ship.

Day 9| Podor - Saint-Louis - Dakar
Breakfast. Transfer to the Dakar international airport according to your flight.

Budget

**Rates published on this website are for information purposes only and are not legally binding (since departure dates are not given). Prices on this website are known to fluctuate frequently in relation to changes in currencies and hotel pricing. In order to obtain a definite quote, please click here.

Other fees

Lodging

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The boat, acquired by Georges Consol, has been turned into a cruise ship around 1975. He was forced to leave the Senegal River after the Diama dam was erected in 1982, and went to Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Sine Saloum.

Technical specifications of the ship:
Lenght: 52 meters
Width: 10 meters
Draft: 2,10 meters
Propulsion: Sulzer engine 300 RPM (complete tune up in 2005)
3 generators 2 X 40KVA 1X100KVA (complete tune up in 2005)
Cruising speed: 20 knots

The ship has 28 cabins, of which all windows are mosquito screen doubled. The 28 cabins have a balcony access and are distributed as follows:
.12 cabins with double beds
.4 cabins with bunk beds
.11 cabins with twin beds
.1 cabin en suite with bathroom and air conditioner

The ship provides the following for guest use (on 3 floors):
.7 bathrooms
.7 shower stalls

Appendix:
.1 barge with a 80 passenger maximum capacity
.1 speedboat (for fishing and water-skiing)

Onboard amenities:
. 5 floors
. 1 indoor air conditioned restaurant
. 1 outdoor restaurant
. 2 bars
. 1 pool
. 1 solarium (with bar)
. 1 roofed terrace
. 1 multi-purpose room with overhead projector and hi-fi system
. 1 library
. 1 shop

Crew:
.1 captain
.1 butler
.3 engineers
.3 chefs
.10 seamen

IMPORTANT
The cruise may begin either at Saint-Louis or Podor depending on the week. Passengers boarding at Podor will follow the outline the other way around. According to flights schedule, the first night may be spent in Dakar. This outline may be subject to changes depending on the climatic conditions and diplomatic events (for the Mauritania portion).

Overview

Senegal is a country south of the Senegal River in western Africa that gained its independence in 1960. Senegal is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and shares borders with Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south; internally it almost entirely surrounds Gambia, except the narrow Atlantic Ocean coastline. Senegal spreads over a land area of almost 197,000 sq km, and has an estimated population of about 13.7 million. The capital Dakar is one of the busiest cities in western Africa, and lies on the westernmost tip of the continent. With 1 million habitants, it is also the biggest city of the country with all official buildings, a well developed transportation system and international connections. The main language spoken in Senegal is French, due to the colonial legacy, but dozens of regional languages are still used as of today by the population.

Tourism

By registering for any trip to Senegal, an amount of $ 100, already included in your package, will be donated to the Foundation against indifference for Children's Aid. Uniktour is proud to be a partner of the foundation, which mission is to help children in difficult situations, especially working children, beggars and housemaids. We want to give back human dignity to these slaves of all kinds, reintegrate them into their families when possible and support them for enrollment in the official education system of the country. For teenagers, we want to make literacy and apprenticeships accessible, in order to offer economic independence to the sponsored young women and men.

Short term project: Support training in carpentry workshops for the twenty young boys who have already enrolled can learn safely. Providing appropriate footwear, masks and gloves will improve 100% of their working conditions. Also, it is necessary to provide basic classes of skills and knowledge appropriate for these future carpenters. Being illiterate, they lack a fundamental basis of their learning.

An association created by the efforts of two Canadians outraged that slavery still exists nowadays and affects young Senegalese, the Foundation against indifference for Children's Aid was established in 2009. For more information please visit: www.aide-enfance.org

Geography

Most of Senegal is flat and composed of gently steppe or savanna grassland; there is forest only in the southwest, in the Casamance region, a broad strip of land located between Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. To the north lies the small Lompoul desert with impressive sand dunes, the westernmost fringe of a much bigger African ensemble, the Sahel desert. Nearly everywhere the land is only slightly above sea level. In the southeast, however, foothills of Guinea's Fouta Djallon highlands reach elevations of 500 m. The coastline, some 480 km long, varies from wide, sandy beaches north of Cape Verde with some rocky areas to a maze of plain, marshy islands and meandering streams in the south, called bolongs. These salted estuaries are coated with mangrove and totally disappear when the tide goes up.

Culture

Senegal has the required assets for a blooming tourism industry. It is only a few hours away from major tourist markets. Besides that, this sunny country claims more than 3000 hours of sunshine yearly. All forms of tourism can be experienced in Senegal seaside resorts: leisure, aquatic sports, scuba diving, horseback riding, and desert excursions are reminiscent of the mythical meharees from the spice trade era. Among the sand dunes, find out traditional villages where time stands still as the aboriginal people, such as the Fulani, stick to their timeless rites and surreal landscapes changing with the sun cycle. Many natural reserves across the country offer a privileged look upon a fantastic diversified fauna and flora: ecotourism is a rising interest in Senegal and opportunities to witness the rituals of natural life abound in this beautiful country. The reefs and cays of the coastline are heaven for divers, holding out the promise of such extraordinary sightings of the underworld, and the quiet beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as fishermen harbours, are perfect for a relaxing walk with the caressing trade winds. Dakar, the melting pot capital city dotted with many historical museums and cultural landmarks, is one of the busiest cruise ships port in Africa and boasts an exciting restaurant and club scene, as well as duty-free shops.
Despite various influences (Western influence due to a long French presence in West Africa, Middle Eastern influence following a tradition of multiple exchanges with North Africa and Arab countries), Senegal has its own brand of exotic music, food and customs that gives it the right dash of spice. From the largest cities of Dakar and Saint-Louis to the tiniest and most remote villages in the hinterland, authenticity is everywhere and colours, scents, crafts and traditional patterns seem to blend harmoniously to bring the visitor into an exotic daydream.

Climate

The local climate is tropical with well-defined dry and humid seasons that result from northeast winter winds and southwest summer winds. Dakar's annual rainfall of about 600 mm occurs between June and October when maximum temperatures average 27 °C; December to February minimum temperatures are about 17 °C. The dry season runs from December through to April with cool trade winds in coastal areas. Throughout the rest of the year, a hot monsoon wind blows from the south bringing the rainy season and hot, humid weather. Interior temperatures can be substantially higher than along the coast, and rainfall increases substantially farther south, exceeding 1,500 mm annually in some areas. The far interior of the country, particularly on the border of Mali, temperatures can reach as high as 45 °C in summer. The best period to travel to Senegal is northern hemisphere winter, when the climate is mild to warm and the touristic activities are more enjoyable.