Senegal is a rather interesting country with a rich colonial past, a long time, which was one of the centers of the slave trade in the African continent, which left the imprint, visible everywhere when visiting various cities.
This is especially noticeable in the former capital of the state, the city of Saint-Louis, located in the north-west of the country, in the Delta of the Senegal River. In addition, the current capital Dakar, for a long time was the final point of the annual, international and prestigious Paris-Dakar, which was canceled in 2008, due to the threat of terrorist attacks and was temporarily transferred to the South American continent.
It remains to hope that such a popular African route will resume in the near future. But even despite this, the number of tourists visiting the country, in recent years, not only did not decrease, but also gradually increases.
I decided to go to Senegal, I think it will not be superfluous to get some useful information that can come in handy in the future, making an independent trip or purchasing a tour to this country. First of all, you should not forget that this is Africa, in which epidemics sometimes happen or there are diseases that you will not meet on the European continent. For example, in connection with the Ebola epidemic that covered the country of West Africa in the second half of 2014, many cruise liners abolished their goals in the ports of these states, Senegal, including. Therefore, it is pre-talking on the Internet the latest news that concern this problem. In addition, at the entrance to the country, you may require a certificate that you are vaccinated from Yellow fever . Moreover, the vaccination must be made at least ten days before the trip to Senegal. There is nothing terrible in this vaccination, the property of immunity from this disease is preserved for thirty years and more. The cost of such vaccination in Russia is two hundred and three hundred rubles. Do not forget to take a certificate with you, no one will believe you for the word. There are no cases of infection with malaria from which there are no vaccinations yet, but they are developed and may appear in the near future. Therefore, try to avoid insect bites, which are the main carriers of this disease, being in the marsh areas of the country. To protect yourself from intestinal infections, try to drink only bottled water, and in the case of its absence, water from the crane should be boiled several times to destroy possible bacteria. Take food too, try in more decent places, in which at least elementary norms of hygiene are observed.
Lost in Senegal restaurants can be for little money. It all depends on the level of the institution. It will go to eat normally in five or ten euros, although there are restaurants with good dishes from one euro. Tips, like any restaurant in the world, are always welcome. But since it is generally accepted to leave the amount of about ten percent of the order, then here for one or two euros you will not only be well served, but also dust blowing. It is understandable, because for this country, the salary of a hundred fifty euros is considered pretty good, and the average in the country is completely twice as lower.
It must be remembered that Africa, and Senegal in particular, this is a multinational region in which a large number of tribes and nationalities live, with its centuries-old customs and traditions that even the colonial domination of European countries have not changed. Therefore, it is worth carefully and respectfully to local rites, religious or other holidays, so as not to provoke an unnecessary conflict on this basis.
In general, tourists in Senegal, local residents are quite warm and friendly. But as in any other country in the world, unpleasant moments associated with theft or negative attitude may arise. Try not to advertise the content of your wallet or pockets in public places, you need to be attentive and careful with money and documents, so as not to become another victim of pocket thieves. In the evening or night, it is better not to walk in unfamiliar and deserted places, alone. And move around the country. Try to day, the crime in Senegal has not been canceled.
Prices for goods and services in the country are rather low. For example, travel in public urban transport is just a hundred West African franc CFA, which is about fifteen Euro-cents.
By taxi in the city you can drive around two or three euros. With the taxi drivers in Senegal, you can bargain, so do not hesitate to do this, with frequent use, save part of your budget. Long-distance transport, also very cheap costs. From Dakar to Saint-Louis (250 kilometers), you can travel by four euros by train, and 6000 francs of KFA (nine euros) on a minibus. It should only warn that the trains often arrive with large delays, therefore it is not worth counting on the punctuality of the schedule. From Dakar to the capital of the neighboring state, Mali, the city of Bamako (about 1,300 km) can be reached by train for thirty euros.
Food is cheaper to buy in the markets that are available in any major settlement. The market is brought to the market from all surrounding villages, and not only vegetables and fruits are sold, but also all sorts of little, made by local craftsmen.
The choice of souvenirs is quite large and varied. These are crafts from wood, skin and other materials. Just do not try to buy objects that can represent historical value in order not to have problems with controlling authorities when leaving the country. The most applies to products from the tallery of elephants, which are mined by poaching methods.
The choice of hotels in the cities of Senegal, quite large and varied. Do not think that if the hotel is located in the building built during the workmanship and the flourishing of the colonial period, then it will cost cheap. Typically, such options are in great demand from European tourists, since they are in historical areas, and it is not cheap. Often, newly built and on the Atlantic Ocean coast are cheaper. Therefore, first recognize the rates for accommodation and services provided.
This is what I wanted to tell you and maybe these tips will help in the future, during rest and traveling in Senegal.