A Vibrant Gateway to Africa
Patience is a virtue in Dakar, Senegal’s seaside capital and a gateway to the rest of West Africa. But it is most always worth the wait.
Dakar’s vibrant music scene (one of Senegal’s major exports) can be taken in on any night of the week and is reason alone to cross the ocean. But you have to be willing to wait, and wait and wait. The angelic-voiced Youssou N’Dour, who performs at his own club when he is in town, is famous for not taking the stage until 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning. Still, the music is mesmerizing.
On Dakar’s streets, pedestrians are draped in handsomely-tailored ensembles cut from colorful fabrics. But almost none of the city’s ready-to-wear shops sell traditional clothing. Acquiring an outfit of traditional Senegalese wear means spending several hours haggling at the city’s sprawling HLM textile market, then finding a tailor on the other side of town who can create a made-to-measure ensemble within a few days. A bit complicated but so fabulous you’ll be glad you waited.
Senegal is a small country, which makes day trips are easy to arrange. But the only way out of Dakar, which is a peninsula, is along one single road where drivers must navigate multiple obstacles: broken-down bush taxis, a bustling goat market and pedestrians who cross the street at will. The stench of exhaust fumes will make you feel as if you have smoked a pack of cigarettes by the time you make it through. However, once you see the enchanting baobab trees dotting the landscape, colorful roadside markets, and beautiful beaches the smoke won’t matter.
On a recent trip to Dakar I arrived in the middle of the night and quickly forgot that rule about patience. Most of the flights from America’s East Coast touch ground some time after midnight and before dawn, when currency exchange offices are closed and taxi drivers move in teams, harassing sleepy and disoriented western visitors.
This should not present a problem for most travelers, since hotels will arrange transport from the airport. It is best to take them up on it. For those with do-it-yourself determination, a handful of shopkeepers sleep on the floors of their shops and will happily (if sleepily) change U.S. dollars at a decent rate. A formal taxi terminal is located to the far right after you exit the airport terminal.
I had booked a room at the La Croix Du Sud hotel, which is more expensive than the competition, though they make up for it with an excellent location just off from the Place de l’Independence, a helpful staff and access to a computer with a relatively quick Internet connection. A computer comes in handy when planning your night, as Dakar’s nightclubs and Senegal’s other attractions almost all have websites, which are worth checking for schedules and other information.
After freshening up and filling up on breakfast – café au lait, a croissant, and a glass of spicy-sweet ginger juice, a West African concoction that goes better with fish and rice than with breakfast – I turned my nose up at jet lag and set out to see Dakar. Coming from a bitterly cold New York City winter, my priority was to dip my toes in the ocean, which had been enticing me in the thick, salty breeze since I stumbled off the airplane.
I crossed the Place de l’Independence – a grand European square that is home to half a dozen banks and well-guarded ATM machines – and turned up Ave Leopold Senghor (named for the poet and first president of Senegal), which is lined with white government buildings, including the Palais Presidentiel and the house of government ministries.
After a short walk, the gallant government buildings give way to another well-paved road, which traces part of the city’s cliffy parameter and hosts some of Dakar’s more opulent apartments. This spot on a high bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean offers a first taste of Dakar’s breathtaking beauty. The Atlantic spreads out before you in a glorious shade of aquamarine, and short stretches of sandy beach nestle under soaring rock formations. Along the way, footpaths curve down to the water. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a few soccer players exercising along the sandy beach. The road soon gives way to a military installation and, weirdly to my weary New York eyes, small herds of goats. Goats, it turns out, are everywhere in Dakar. Thus refreshed, it was time to head into the frenetic, traffic-congested pace of downtown Dakar.
It is a popular pastime among people who know Dakar well to complain bitterly about the traffic. And it’s true that, if at all possible, the city is most happily explored on a weekend day when there are not quite as many cars and the aggressive street venders – who are fond of saying things like, “You don’t want to buy this shirt? Tell me, why do you hate the people of Senegal?” – are somehow more relaxed.
The Marche Sandaga market lines Pompidou Ave, which begins at Place de l’Independence. Along the side streets are dozens of informal cafes, which are worth ducking into for a lunch of Chicken Yassa or Theboudienne, Senegal’s national dish of fragrant fish over rice. This is the time to try the ginger juice.
Still early, the day was already proving almost unbearably hot, and the shady courtyard at the l’Institut Francais Leopold Sedar Senghor (89 Rue Joseph Gomis) offered a welcome refuge from the sun and the crowds. Behind the nice, if overpriced, café is a glass painter’s workshop and the city’s main purveyor of the fair trade Maam Samba label, which makes simple cotton clothing with broad bands of brightly-colored fabrics. At night, the institute is a great place to hear music and hosts such big-ticket names as Baaba Maal. You can find the full schedule posted on the institute’s website .
In the afternoon, I visited Dakar’s dusty but worthwhile IFAN museum (Place de Soweto) to get some history. The ground floor houses tribal masks and large mannequin displays explain coming-of-age rituals that are still practiced in traditional villages. The disappointing part is that most of the exhibits have nothing to do with Senegal, but instead concern other West African countries, like the Ivory Coast, Mali and Guinea. In an adjacent building that is still part of the museum is a worthwhile exhibit on Senegalese historian and philosopher Cheikh Anta Diop, who studied humankind’s origins and is considered one of the great African thinkers of the 20th century. Just before dusk, I ventured out to the Soumbedioune fish market (on Route de la Corniche-Ouest) to witness the colorful return of the wooden fishing boats and their catch. My American companion, captivated by the brilliantly colored dresses many of the women were wearing, asked one group of ladies if they would not mind being photographed. They indicated it was okay, but then covered up their faces with their hands as the camera flashed. When done, the ladies stretched out their hands for a cadeau, which is French word for present.
Our Senegalese companion – the hotel concierge who had offered to come along – was meanwhile arranging for two of the fishermen to take us out into the Atlantic Ocean in their tippy, narrow and colorfully painted fishing boat. For almost a half an hour, we had a glorious (if wet) tour through the ocean surrounding Dakar. Afterwards, I offered meek assistance to the young fishermen who hauled the heavy boat ashore, my poor shoes sinking into the wet sand.
We were a spectacle then if we hadn’t been already! Good cheer accompanied my return back to the hotel.
Goree Island:
A visit to Ile de Goree, or Goree Island – once an African slave port and processing center and now a beautifully maintained UNESCO world heritage site easily accessed with a 20-minute ferry ride from Dakar – requires at least half a day, and, in nice weather, could easily take up more time.
The cheerful sites that greet visitors at the ferry port are misleading. The Slave House just to the left was where slaves were brought in from Senegal and other parts of West Africa, bound in chains and sold into slavery. Unspeakable cruelties occurred, and some gave themselves to the sharks rather than be forced onto the ships. Tourists can pose for macabre pictures in front of the “door of no return” and guides offer excellent tours in English.
For a long time, the locals, who believe the island his haunted by spirits, refused to go anywhere near it, but now the government offers free accommodation to those who use it as an artists colony. Thus, most of Goree is now a tourist market, where shacks with names like “Obama House” serve as stalls for selling beaded necklaces and paintings.
You should ignore the pricey restaurants and eat instead at one of the outdoor seafood stands just opposite the ferry dock. Huge prawns, prepared in ginger or garlic, are served with rice and are delectable.
Markets
Another experience not to be missed is the Marche des HLM, where Senegalese women in particular buy fabrics that are then brought to her tailor, who fashions them into elaborate, made-to-measure ensembles. Western visitors will inevitably find that they become a procession, accompanied by men who will lead you from stall to stall. While they maybe slightly annoying, these men are also helpful in navigating the vast array of seemingly one-of-a-kind fabrics. When I said to one of my volunteer sherpas that he seemed to have a lot of shops, he nodded and said by means of explanation that it was possible to maintain them because he has four wives and his sons are his helpers. I walked away with a bounty of gorgeous bolts of cotton fabric – no doubt paying more than a Senegalese woman would pay, but getting a bargain by U.S. standards.
Smaller but also worth a visit is a market next to the Soumbedioune.
Nearby are more than a dozen tailor shops.For a more typical, if less pleasant, market experience, head to the Medina. After searching endlessly for a notepad, I found that this was the place to find it. But watch out for pickpockets
– which are probably the number one reason why more tourists don’t come here.
Music
Every night in Dakar can and should be rounded out with live music, and Just 4 U (Ave Cheikh Anta Diop) in the university area is deservedly the most popular venue. It doubles as a large restaurant and the bars serves fun, fruity cocktails, so there is plenty to keep a visitor entertained before the main attraction decides it is late enough to take the stage. Other spots include Pen’Art (Blvd du Sud) around the corner from Just 4 U, and Youssou N’Dour’s club, Thiossane (Sicap Rue 10).
Practical Considerations:
WEATHER — During the rainy season, Senegal can get almost unbearably hot, and the best time to visit is between November and February, when the weather is comparatively cool.
HEALTH — Visitors are advised to get a yellow fever vaccine and, especially if visiting during the rainy season, a regimen of malaria pills. Hepatitis vaccines are also recommended.
LANGUAGE — English is not widely spoken in Dakar, where people generally converse in a mixture of French and Wolof. Still, a little bit of French can go a long way, so it’s best to learn a few phrases ahead of your trip.
MONEY — There are about five CFA to the dollar. Most hotels will change money, but at a steep commission. Your best bet is to use an ATM at one of the banks along the Place de l’independence.
Country code for Senegal is 221
Where to stay:
Since the focus here is Dakar’s major urban attractions, the hotels listed here are recommended
mostly for their central location. Note that the city’s best (and pricier) hotels are located further
afield, especially closer to Dakar’s beaches.)
For a splurge, try the Hotel de Savana. Located on the “Cap Manuel” overlooking Goree
Island, its 100 rooms all face the sea and guests relax in the pool and in a small tropical
garden. Route de la Corniche-Ouest; 849 4242; www.savana.sn
La Croix Du Sud is located right off the Place de l’independence and a 10-minute walk to
the ferry terminal leading to Goree Island. Rooms are very clean and bathrooms are outfitted
with tubs. A common computer with Internet is available for guests’ use.
20 Avenue Hassan II; 889 7878; www.hotel-lacroixdusud.fr
For something more in the thick of things, try Hotel Ganale: a relaxed place with an
English-speaking staff and a worthy restaurant set off from the lobby. 38 Rue Amadou
Assane Ndoye; 889 44 44; no website.
What to Do:
Keur N’Deye: Ask a local for a place to sample excellent Senegalese food, and they
will scarcely skip a beat before recommending this spot. Stick with meat here. 68 Rue Vincens, 821 4973
Point d’Interrogation: A few doors down from Hotel Ganale, this is an unassuming, but delicious, spot.
The Theboudienne is only served at night and is the dish to order here. Rue Assane Ndoye, 822 5072
Café de Rome: This French restaurant is almost always packed with Dakar’s glitterati. Limousines park
out front and large men hover at the door. Definitely worth a visit. For the Internet-starved,
there is a large Internet café two doors down that is also known as “Café de Rome.”
Blvd de la République, 823 2610
Just 4 U: People pack the place for the music, but the imaginative food is worth arriving early.
Ave Cheikh Anta Diop, www.just4udakar.com
L’Institut Francais Leopold Sedar Senghor: Music, dance and theater performances are
offered most nights. There is also a café and restaurant. 89 Rue Joseph Gomis, www.institutfr-dakar.org
Must See:
Explore the former slave port at Goree Island. Load up on beautiful textiles (and sharpen your
haggling skills) at the HLM fabrics market. Be mesmerized by the angelic voice of Youssou
N’Dour, Senegal’s favorite home-grown musician.