In my opinion, Senegal is one of those countries in which it is on its own. For this there are not few reasons for those speaking in favor of this type of travel. First of all, because this country is interesting not only by its beaches were washed by the Atlantic Ocean, which are enough in the resorts of other countries of the world. The history and culture of Senegal reveals precisely during the travel around the country and visits both historical and natural attractions. And with this, relatively low, the cost of travel on public transport as, in principle, for food and accommodation, an independent trip will be the best option.
So, I will start from the very beginning and try to explain how it is better to organize an independent trip to Senegal, and about the subtleties during your stay in the country itself. First of all, what needs to be done is to make a visa on entering Senegal. I will not paint all the documents necessary for this, since it all depends on the country of your stay, I will only say that the cost of a monthly visa for Russians is twenty euros and the issue of issuing can take up to two weeks.
Now another serious moment. Africa, and in particular Senegal, this is the place where there are cases of illness of yellow fever and malaria. As for malaria, the vaccines from it are in the development and experimentation stage, but from the yellow fever you will have to vaccinate, and it is necessary to make a minimum of ten to the trip. There is nothing terrible in this, the vaccine's effect lasts at least thirty years, so you can be useful for you for a long time. And do not forget to take a certificate confirming vaccination with you, because it may be required when entering Senegal.
As for the road. Of course, the easiest way is to get the aircraft, but almost all flights are performed through France, or Morocco. The cost of the flight can differ significantly, it all depends on the flight, departure time and so on. On this occasion, it is easiest to look through sites that sell tickets. There you can also order tickets by paying by a bank card or money from the e-wallet (web mana, kiwi, etc.). Dakar Leopold Sedar Sangor International Airport is located in the capital, Dakar.
The first point of stop can be made by this city. First, there is something to see and spend a few days of travel. The attractions of the Capital of Senegal are written in other articles, so I will not tell about them. It is best to pre-(at home, making up an approximate trip plan), pick up or at least take a look after the hotel, which is quite a lot in Dakar, and at different price categories. Not far from the airport there is for example Chez Amy et Gaetan which stands in the area of fifteen-twenty euros per day.
You can stay on the coast, in the coolest and comfortable hotel at a price of fifty to one hundred euros and above.
Yes, I forgot to say that the euro is best to take with me, they are more in honor than US dollars. From the airport to the city easier to get on a taxi, which costs pretty cheap, and it is still still to bargain with the driver. For example, for several euros you can drive through the whole city.
As for nutrition, it also depends on your preference and financial position. Middle prices for a decent dinner will be from three to eight euros. Senegalese cuisine is quite edible. Apparently the colonial past laid off his imprint on the local cooking.
Now it will be about where you can go, what to see and how much it can cost. The nearest landmark for Dakaru is Gorée Island (Hose or Mountain), which is located in two and a half kilometers from the capital.
This is a fairly visited and favorite place not only Senegalese, but also a large number of tourists. His uniqueness is that he has been one of the charming centers for a long time, on the African continent.
It should be added that the island is a purely tourist object on which the use of vehicles is prohibited. Moreover, since 1978, he was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage List. There are still preserved buildings used for the maintenance of slaves, as well as household houses. In addition, there were traded by various goods, leather, gold, which was mined in Africa and peanuts. I must say that peanuts to this day is exported from Senegal in large quantities. In addition to the surviving architecture of the old days, there is a slavery museum, the exposition of which is told about the harsh period. You can get to the island on the ferry, which runs every hour from the port of Dakar. The cost of the crossing is five euros (one way).
North of Dakar, in two hundred and fifty kilometers from the capital, in the Delta of the Senegal River (at the Atlantic Coast), is one of the oldest colonial cities in St. Louis. There are many attractions, since before the beginning of the twentieth century he was the capital of the state. Interest in this city by tourists is not accidental and justified, since Saint Louis is also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In addition to attractions, there are beautiful beaches with water sports. You can get from Dakar to Saint Louis on a minibus that is sent as equipped. The fare is about nine euros.
You can get some money for less money using railway transport. This is the very first railway in the country that is already one hundred and thirty years. Travel by train will cost four to five euros. By the way, from Dakar on the railway can be reached by the capital of Mali, Bamako city. The distance between these cities is over a thousand three hundred kilometers, and travel will cost only thirty to fifty euros, depending on the comfort of wagons.
As for some prices for what can be useful during self-journey. The cost of gasoline in Senegal is less than one euro per liter. Car rental begins from thirty euros per day.
Here is such information for those who decide to come to Senegal on their own. Based on this, you can approximately calculate how much the trip will cost you, and as for the sights of the country, then you can learn from other articles on this topic.