Arrive in Dakar and transfer to hotel accommodation. Overnight at Hotel Djoloff or similar.

Today we set off and drive to Lac Rose, a shallow saltwater lake surrounded by dunes, also known as Lac Retba. The water is ten times saltier than in the ocean and thanks to this high concentration the lake often shimmers into pink. Workers here collect salt in the traditional way.

An exciting drive on the beach by 4×4 will bring us to the largest fisherman village in Senegal. Here more than 4500 wooden painted pirogues come to the shore with their catch each day. Leaving our vehicles for a less intrusive experience, we find the fisherman selling to the local market women, meet the artisans carving the large pirogues and the painters decorating them with bright colours.

We continue to Saint Louis, a charming old town that was the first capital of all French colonies in West Africa and will attend the main event of the Jazz festival.

Overnight at Hotel de la Poste or similar (BLD)

Located on two islands between the Senegal river and the ocean at the southern edge of the Sahara, rich in three centuries of history, cultural background, geography, architecture, Saint-Louis is a bridge between the savannah and the desert, the ocean, the river, and the inland, between tradition and modernity, Islam and Christianity, Europe and Africa.

Saint Louis is known to locals as Ndar and is a charming ancient town. It was a French territory from 1673 until 1895 and the capital of all French West Africa colonies from 1895 until 1902 when the capital was moved to Dakar. From 1920 to 1957, it also served as the capital of the neighbouring colony of Mauritania. It was the former base of the Aeropostale airmail operation between Europe, Africa, and South America. Saint Exupéry, the famous writer, author of “The Little Prince”, was one of Aeropostale pilots who flew this route.

Home to a society with a distinctive lifestyle, Saint Louis has retained its unique identity. “No one comes without falling in love with the city,” proudly say its people who consider Saint Louis as the birthplace of Senegalese Teranga, the Wolof word for hospitability.

The best way to visit the narrow lanes of Saint Louis is by calash, just as locals do, and walk in the fisherman quarters. Take time to stroll in the tiny avenues and enjoy the unique atmosphere of this old town as we attend the main event of the Jazz festival.

Overnight at Hotel de la Poste or similar (BLD)

After a final taste of Saint Louis ambiance, we drive to Lompoul desert.

The Lompoul desert is a small desert (about 18 km2) located 145 km south of Saint Louis. It is characterised by orange sand dunes forming a landscape that is more akin to those of the Sahara and Mauritania than those of the surrounding area of Senegal.

Overnight in a permanent tented camp (Lodge de Lampoul – large tents en-suite with comfortable beds)

Our journey continues to the Ferlo Desert to discover the arid region where the nomadic Fulani tribes herd large droves of zebu. The Fulani (also called Peurl) are the largest nomadic tribe roaming the West African Savannahs and they are found in a vast area from Senegal to Chad. Their origins are still covered with mystery. In the afternoon a local guide will join us for a visit to the neighbouring villages and shelters. When the herds come back, we might be invited to witness the milking process.

Overnight at a camp made up of simple grass huts, managed by a local entrepreneur (all rooms with beds, mosquito nets, and en-suite). (BLD)

The rarely visited holy town of Tuba (Touba) is the perfect place to appreciate the hospitality of an African brotherhood. Tuba inhabitants follow Muridism and the town itself is a sort of theocratic “state within the state”, ruled by a Caliph. The founder of Mouridi brotherhood was a Sufi named Amhadou Bàmba Mbake.

Amhadou Bàmba founded Touba in 1887. The holy site remained a tiny, isolated place in the wilderness until his death and burial at the site of the Great Mosque, 40 years later. The Great Mosque was finally completed in 1963 and since its inauguration, the city has grown at a rapid pace: from under 5,000 inhabitants in 1964, the population was officially estimated at 529,000 in 2007.

The Murids have a large social and economic impact in Senegal: thanks to their vision of Islam, Muridism, with other brotherhoods following the cult of Marabouts, has become the bastion that protects Senegal from radical Islam.

Murids welcome any interest in their traditions. Yet since Tuba is a sacred town, all visitors should accept traditional rules. Therefore, we must apply a considerate dress code: no smoking, no drinking alcohol and no listening to music during the visit. If we follow these rules, we will be welcomed. A Baye Fall, a member of a colourful branch of Muridism, will accompany us during the visit.

We then continue to Dakar for teh evening.

Overnight Hotel Djoloff or simialr (BLD)

We will be attending the fourteenth edition of the Dakar Biennale, where we experience local artists creating, imagining and inventing.  The official selection, in line with the orientations of the Artistic Direction, will highlight the works of 59 visual artists and artists’ collectives. They come from Africa and its diaspora. According to Dr El Hadji Malick Ndiaye, Artistic Director of the 2022 Edition, the theme is an “exhortation to create a new common destiny, a future together”.

We will explore and attend various events.

Overnight Hotel Djoloff or similar (BLD)

We attend events in and around the Biennale before trabnsfering to the airport later in the evening. We have rooms for day-use up untill 18.00 (all rooms en-suite and with air-conditioned). (BL)