Entry requirements | Organizing your trip | Visiting | Eating | Paying | Speaking |

Entry requirements

Passport and visa service

Formalities and visas for Senegal

Diplomatic representations

List of the Senegalese embassies and Consulates abroad

For more information

Diplomatic Mission of Senegal in Italy
66, Via Giulia
00186 Rome
Phone: (+39) 68 72 353/381, (+39) 68 65 212
Fax:(+39) 68 21 92 94
ambasenequiri@tiscali.it

Organizing your trip

Means of transport recommended in town

Recommendation

Right after arrival at Dakar airport, it is impossible to miss the numerous yellow and black taxis. It is a practical means of transport and can be used throughout one's stay as they are not very expensive.
The only city in Senegal where taxis have a meter is Dakar (and its surrounding areas). However, despite the efficiency of the system, the taximen have slowly abandoned the use of these meters in favor of bargaining.

Due to the rural exodus, there is a lot of utilization of the public transport and four out of five vehicles are intended for this purpose. In every city you can find a bus station that functions 24h/24. The bus station of Dakar is called "Pompiers" (firefighter). It is the biggest in the country. It offers a number of international national and international destinations. The choice of vehicles is also the best: 7-seater taxis, minibus, buses with 35, 45 or 55 seats. Travelers can find all the vehicles that they want. As the bus station is situated at the outskirts of the city center, it helps to avoid the mammoth traffic jams of the city center.

The train is a mode of transport that is in disuse in Senegal. Two railway lines dating since the colonial period were constructed: Dakar-St Louis and Dakar - Bamako (Mali). Today, only the following lines are used: Dakar-Bamako and the PTB (The Small Blue Train, the suburban line). Since the end of the 90s, the Dakar-Saint-Louis line has been stopped.

Maps of urban networks

Maporama
Mapblast
UT Library on line
Road map of Senegal

Means of transport recommended in the rest of the country

Recommendation

The best form of transport is the road transport either by taxi or by bus.
For more information, visit the Senegal transport website.

Rail companies

In Senegal: information on the Railways

Flight from Greece

No aircraft company operates direct air connection from Athens to Dakar. Different companies such as Air France, and Alitalia operate regular flights from Athens to Dakar. To find out air connections from Greece to Senegal click here

Traveling by yourself

Recommendation

Approximately 4000 kilometers of tarmac highways permit fast  traveling  between the different regional capitals of the country. However certain are in such a state of disrepair (eg. Fatick - Foundiougne), that motorists prefer driving on the tracks to avoid the carts parked alongside the roads.
The most beautiful and safest highway is without doubt the stretch from Tambacounda to Kedougou that was redone at the start of the 90s and which has been less used. The few kilometers of highway that joins Dakar to Rufisque is used a lot and driving on it can be dangerous.
The settling of tar on the ground during the monsoon season has been the cause for the bad condition of certain roads. Since many years now, the government has changed its policy of transport in favor of tracks that are less expensive to construct and maintain and which with the lack of finances at present can be more used than those that are scattered with pot-holes.

Road maps

Multimap: country maps

Find an itinerary

Visiting

Different forms of tourism

Historical

-Dakar: the Presidencial Palace ; The National Assembly;
-Sine Saloum: the Saloum islands; Megalithic Sites.
-The Gorée island: the slave's house

Cultural

The Casamance : the fields, the peghe, the rice harvest and the village under the cheese maker.

Nature

- Saint-Louis and the Senegal river : the lake of Guiers ; the national park of Djoudj and the Barbarie Tongue
- Cayar : the pink lake

Religious

- The Cathedral and the big Mosque of Dakar
- Touba: religious centre of the Mourides. Situated here is one of the biggest mosques of West Africa. The city is truly a place of pilgrimage.

Thermal

No thermal tourism

Beach

- Saly : the beaches of Saly.
- Joal et Fadiouth : beach of Jaol.

Winter sports

No winter sports

Outdoor activities

Various sports can be practiced in Senegal amongst which are: golf, fishing, diving, mountain biking, quad biking, horse riding, surfing, etc.

Shopping

Hand-painted fabrics can be made into beautiful garments, especially since the tailors work at a record speed.
It is equally possible to take back filigreed jewelery in gold or in silver, wooden sculptures and masks, wickerwork baskets, wooden vessels, copper statues and simple paintings.
It is not advisable to buy bags, shoes and belts made of crocodile skin so as not to encourage poaching. Shops are open from 8h to 12h and from 16h to 19h30 during the week.

Tourism organizations

Tourism ministry of Senegal

Eating

Food specialties

The Senegalese cuisine is mainly composed of cereals.
Meat and fish are often served in a curry sauce. At every meal one can find chili and rice.
The national dishes are:
-Thieboudienne: fish with vegetables. In Senegal, this traditional dish is generally prepared with Tiof, a local fish. The hake is the most similar fish to it. Usually, the fish, the rice and the curry are served in separate dishes.
- Chicken Yassa : chicken is cooked in the flavor of lime, garlic, and clove. It is usually served with rice in a service dish which is placed in the center of the table and the dinner guests eat it with their fingers.
Coconut Cake: it is a kind of fritter.
Fish is the main ingredient of the daily diet, chicken, lamb or beef are sometimes included in the meals. Some gnu or wild boar grill can also be found in restaurants menus.

Drinks

Senegal possesses a variety of natural juices:
- The bissap : an infusion made from a decoction of red flowers
- Ginger : ginger decoction with mint and nutmeg
- Tamarind
- The bouye : drink made from monkey bread.
- The ditakh : juice obtained from a fruit similar to the kiwi fruit.
- Palm wine : alcohol extracted from palm trees.
- Honey and nectar of the gods beer
- Mint tea : served everywhere, all the time.
- Beer : Flag and Gazelle

Dietary restrictions

You will not find any pork because 90% of the population is Muslim.

Paying

Domestic currency

CFA Franc BCEAO

ISO Code

XOF

To obtain domestic currency

It is possible to carry one's European cheque book since certain European establishments accept them. Otherwise, it is possible to change currency in the banks (very high commission! ) and in the foreign exchange centers (lower commission). Travelers cheques are accepted only in banks and certain hotels and are liable to exorbitant commissions.
It is also possible to change currency in certain big hotels.

ATMs are easy available in the tourist areas.

Possible means of payment

In Senegal everything is paid in cash.
You can use your credit card in hotels.

Exchange rate on

Automatic Teller Machines (ATM)

To find out the locations of ATMs in in Senegal, click on the link to your credit card: Visa, Mastercard or American Express

Speaking

Official language

French

Other languages spoken

The Wolof for most people, but there is also the Dioula, the Poulaar, the Malinké and the Mandingue. The Wolof is spoken and understood by most of the Senegalese. Dialects are numerous (at least 50, 15 of which are spoken by more than 15,000 people). It is to be noted that since many of the ethnic groups are essentially Muslims, the Wolofs and the Mandingues use the traditional Arab greetings.

Business language

French and Wolof

Getting some knowledge

Consult the website Dicowolof for learning the basics of Wolof.

Free translation tools

Lexilogos - Dictionary and translation tool for Wolof
lexicool - Free Greek-French-Greek translator
Babel Fish - Free Greek-French-Greek translator
lexilogo - Free Greek-French-Greek translator

We can translate your foreign-language documents.

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Last updates: May 2012