Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Senegal

This fishing village, next to the point of Almadies, has kept its labyrinthine streets and its authenticity. Here, everyone knows each other, the children play in the street, the women discuss on the doorsteps, the atmosphere is friendly. We advise you to go there with a guide to learn about the history of the village, its sacred baobab tree, its small beaches, the central square where the village chiefs settle everyday business, the fishing cooperatives that share the profits in the community... a life of family mutual aid to be discovered!

Created in 1966 by President Léopold Sédar Senghor, the aim of the Thiès Tapestry Manufactures or "tapestries of Thiès" is to transpose original works by Senegalese artists selected through calls for tender into decorative artworks: weaving, ceramics, mosaics, hanging, etc. Today, only the tapestry remains. The visit of the workshop is very interesting since it explains the different stages of the realization: transposition of the canvas on a cardboard, installation on the loom, weaving, etc.. Some of these works are exhibited and on sale in a room adjoining the factory. The place is spacious, which allows the different canvases to be displayed, all very colourful, some figurative, others more abstract. The original paintings can only be reproduced eight times in the form of tapestry. They are all on sale, starting at 600,000 FCFA per square metre. The catalogue is available on site, and it is possible to place an order by paying a deposit. Even if the Beaux-Arts consider the tapestries a bit too conservative, Thiès remains a reference for all of Africa and far beyond in terms of this art. Many of these works can be found in Senegalese institutions, but also in the palaces of heads of state or in world organizations. One of the most famous, a magnificent tapestry of 24 m² representing the Magal of Touba, pavilion since late 2012 the headquarters of the United Nations.

If you've always dreamed of floating like on the Dead Sea, now's the time to take the plunge for an unusual experience! For greater peace and quiet, prefer small private beaches, such as those near the Palal restaurant, which are ideal. They also give you the chance to rinse off, which is essential, as salt attacks the skin and burns the mucous membranes. Be careful not to get a drop of salt water in your eyes!

The Mbour port is the second largest fishing port in Senegal. Here you can attend (around 17 h) the return of the fishermen, sometimes returning for several days at sea. In the middle of colourful canoes, women peeling and décortiquent fish, before reselling them locally. The smell and excitement that reigns there are indescribable. Further, carriers are waiting for shipments to be sent to the regions or directed directly to Dakar before joining European markets. Local guides will come to you spontaneously. The tourist office has structured tourism, you will be asked for free participation for the visit (5 000 FCFA for a group with a complete tour with tour of the port and the artisanal market are sufficient).

They can be discovered by dugout canoe or seen from the bridge that leads to the cemetery. From a distance, they look like the round huts of a typical African village. At the time when the village's huts were made of wood, these granaries were installed outside the island, on the edge of the mangrove, to protect the crops from possible fires, rats and pigs. Today, the buildings are made of concrete, but the granaries are still used by the population to store the crops.

At "Joseph's", you will know all about the cashew tree, its apple and cashew nut! Paterne, who has taken over his father's business, Joseph Diamacoune, will explain the entire manufacturing process and you will quickly understand why the nut is so expensive. The visit is superb: lively, dynamic, rich in explanations. Small tasting at the end of the tour by peeling the nuts, before discovering the diversity of its range: from natural nuts, lemony, to honey, etc. Not to be missed under any circumstances if you are in the region.

This private reserve covers 6,000 ha, in the heart of a preserved forest ecosystem on the Gambian border, near the banks of the delta. At the initiative of the South African owners, several species have been reintroduced, such as giraffes, buffaloes, Derby elands and zebras. It offers several activities open to non-residents of the lodge, the most popular of which are game drives to observe all sorts of wild animals in the forest and lion walks, for thrill seekers!

Ten potters have joined forces to present their art to visitors. Less commercial than that of Evelyne Bassène, the visit takes place in a family-run concession where visitors are warmly welcomed. "Sit down and have a look", as the group's name suggests in the Diola language. They'll explain step by step the various stages involved in making the pottery, where the balance between clay and shells is essential to avoid broken pieces.

Edioungou is famous for its pottery, the techniques of which have been handed down from mother to daughter for generations. In the village, each house has its own workshop. Come and see Evelyne who will generously show you her workshop (by appointment) and explain the whole manufacturing process, from the harvesting of the clay in the bolongs, to the firing on the mangrove branches, including a modelling demonstration and the application of a wild fruit-based varnish on the newly shaped piece. Possibility of a training course as well.

An agro-ecological farm-school that deserves a visit and has initiated many collaborative projects in the region. You can meet the young people in training, visit the coconut tree nurseries and other plantations, while discovering the ingenious methodology aimed at making the students independent and eco-responsible. You can also eat delicious meals and spend the night there. Other activities are offered to discover the surroundings.

On the main road to Palmarin Facao, the Ecotourism office offers excursions by dugout canoe, horse-drawn carriage and cart. Price lists are available on the spot. The must? A pirogue trip in the bolongs, with a stopover in the village of Falia, with a tasting of fresh oysters. Two women ecoguards in GIE, Ariette and Louise, take care of the visits on foot (hiking in the salt mines or lagoons) or by cart (observation of hyenas). You can also go fishing in the delta or in the sea, among other proposed activities.

Located south of Kédougou, about 30 kilometers by track, the Bassan waterfall and mount, as well as the Dimboli waterfall, are nice walks in the area. In December, the waterfall no longer flows, but it is still a very beautiful point of interest. We are here in the heart of the Dialonke country. It is possible to make stops in the villages of Karori, Lingan and Malem, either at the foot of the mountains or perched on the hills.

This is the most spectacular waterfall in the region! Bathing suit essential. As you go deeper into the dense forest along the path leading to it, the air is refreshed by lush vegetation. After a good half hour's walk, you arrive at a real pool of pure, fresh water, a haven of peace in an exceptional setting. Be aware that if you go in the dry season, the waterfall will be less abundant in water and therefore less impressive. But, rest assured, you can always take a dip in the natural pool!

In Ibel, all the buildings are made of marble. Impressive visit of the marble mine, obligatory accompanied by a guide. There are tons and tons of off-white, grey, pink, green... stones which unfortunately are not exploited, despite the opening of the mine in the 1960s. At the origin artisanal, the exploitation became industrial, but requires many means. Today, it is necessary to make a way between the clay tracks, the grass, the stones to arrive at the quarry.

On your way back from Bird Island, why not stop for a picnic at Oudierin, on the beautiful beach in the village of a woman marabout, which is extremely rare in the country. One hut, then two were built around her lair, then a mosque. His fame is acquired in the area. She worked mostly telepathically, and it is said that even the governor travelled to consult her. Today, tired with age, she has gone to rest in her native village. It is her son, Mamadou Diouf, who has replaced her at the head of Oudierin.

The basketry workshop is run by local women with polio who earn their living from this local craft. Associated in GIE, they finance with the profits the purchase of pedal cars adapted to their handicap to get around. You can see them at work and admire their patience and agility in forming cups, pots, vases, hats, etc. They also make batik bags. Nice souvenirs to take home!

Created by Sister Juliette of the Institute of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, this Koukangoumé women's promotion centre offers workshops to the women of the village where they learn embroidery, knitting, patchwork, silkscreen printing and batik making. Profits from the sale of their work to tourists help curb the rural exodus of women. Possibility to eat on the spot. Another religious mission in Mlomp, that of the Piarist fathers, trains young men in their very efficient Agricultural Promotion Centre (Ferme-école di Kandong).

If you want to greet the king's wives and the children of the village, pass by the royal house, a lively place where you can have tea and chat with the inhabitants. In Oussouye, the royal house is open to everyone. The royal huts are only accessible to the king's wives, princes and princesses, but you will meet in the courtyard old women who have no sons left in the village and who live here, under the king's benevolence. The king does not live here, but in the Sacred Wood, where the royal palace is located, accessible only to the initiated.

A priceless treasure from this region of Africa, listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2006. Four major stone groups are spread over a 100 km-wide strip between Senegal and Gambia. Sine Ngayène, Wanar, Wassu and Kerbatch, the four groups, bring together 93 circles and numerous tumuli, funerary mounds - heaps of stones above a tomb - organized in two alignments generally known as the tombs of the king and the king's mother. Some have been excavated, revealing archaeological material that can be dated between the ^3rd century BC and the ^16th century AD. The Sine Ngayène site, actually located in Dialloumbere, 400 m west of the village of Sine Ngayène, near Nioro du Rip, is one of the most extensive. It comprises 52 circles with 1,200 megalithic stones and around a hundred tumuli. Twenty kilometers from Nioro du Rip, Senegal's second site, Wanar, is less extensive, but just as interesting. In the middle of nowhere, this necropolis comprises 21 megalithic circles, including one double circle. The site is characterized by the presence of numerous lyre stones, megaliths split in two and thought to have an astronomical function. A hundred meters to the north-west, note the stone, left unfinished, not far from the laterite cuirass. Some sixty bodies have been exhumed to date, some wearing copper bracelets.

The Centres d'Impulsion et de Modernisation de l'Elevage (Cimel) were set up by the Senegalese government in 2004 with the aim of improving local production. The one in Makhana, specialized in milk production, is one of the 3 functional centres in the country. Here, local breeders come to breed their animals with local or European breeds, advised by passionate veterinarians. You will be able to see bulls of the Montbeliarde or Holstein breeds, sheep of local breeds and cross-bred mallard ducks.