7 Days Highlights of Senegal

About the destination: Dakar, Senegal's capital, is located in the most western point of the African continent. Dakar is a lively, growing and changing capital with modern buildings and working-class neighbourhoods and bustling and crowded markets in the Medina area. Dakar, like many cities in the developing world, is strongly influenced by its colonial history, which can still be seen in some of its architecture. But don’t be fooled, Dakar is proudly African, colorful and authentic. The Plateau, historically the French area of the city, still has a very European character. Many parts of the urban landscape are indistinguishable from a street in a French city. This is where the city's major banks and businesses are located. European style cafés and shops are also found throughout the area. Historical buildings such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Presidential Mansion and the railroad station are also located here. Other important attractions in Dakar are the African Renaissance Monument, Ile de Goree, the Place de l'independence, Dakar Grand Mosque and Dakar Cathedral. Dakar is a bustling, charming and sometimes chaotic city of typical West African character.

About the destination: Île de Gorée (French pronunciation: ​[ildəɡoʁe]; "Gorée Island") is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. districts) of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is an 18.2-hectare (45-acre) island located 2 kilometres (1.1 nmi; 1.2 mi) at sea from the main harbour of Dakar (14°40′N 17°24′W), famous as a destination for people interested in the Atlantic slave trade although its actual role in the history of the slave trade is the subject of dispute. Its population as of the 2013 census was 1,680 inhabitants, giving a density of 5,802 inhabitants per square kilometre (15,030/sq mi), which is only half the average density of the city of Dakar. Gorée is both the smallest and the least populated of the 19 communes d'arrondissement of Dakar. Other important centres for the slave trade from Senegal were further north, at Saint-Louis, Senegal, or to the south in the Gambia, at the mouths of major rivers for trade. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name is a corruption of its original Dutch name Goedereede, meaning "good roadstead".

About the destination: Pink Lake, also known as Lac Retba, is located in northern Senegal. This lake is one of Senegal's biggest tourist attractions for the pink color of its waters, making it a beautiful landscape and an authentic visual spectacle.

About the destination: Saint-Louis is a town on the northwest coast of Senegal. It is known for its colonial architecture. The old town is on the island of N'Dar, located on the Senegal River. This island is linked to the mainland by the Faidherbe bridge, which dates back to 1865 and was designed by Gustave Eiffel. Place Faidherbe has buildings in good condition, such as the Governor's Palace and a neoclassical cathedral. The CRDS Museum exhibits historical artifacts and works of art. Nearby, the long and sandy Langue de Barbarie peninsula shelters the fishing village of Guet N'Dar, where fishermen use traditional canoes, called pirogues. To the south are the sandy beaches of Hydrobase. The southern tip of the peninsula is part of the Langue de Barbarie national park, famous for its diverse bird species. To the northeast of Saint-Louis, the wetlands of the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary attract migratory birds, such as imperial herons and African spoonbills, as well as flamingos, crocodiles and manatees.

About the destination: Touba (Hassaniya Arabic: Ṭūbā, 'Felicity') is a city in central Senegal, part of Diourbel Region and Mbacké district. With a population of 529,176 in 2010, it is the second most populated Senegalese city after Dakar. It is the holy city of Mouridism and the burial place of its founder, Shaikh Ahmadou Bàmba Mbàcke. Next to his tomb stands a large mosque, completed in 1963. Shaikh Aamadu Bàmba Mbàkke, commonly known as "Cheikh Amadou Bamba" (1853-1927), is said to have founded Touba under a large tree when, in a moment of transcendence, he experienced a cosmic vision of light. In Arabic, ṭūbā means "felicity" or "bliss" and evokes the sweet pleasures of eternal life in the hereafter. In Islamic tradition, Ṭūbā is also the name of the tree of Paradise. In Sufism, this symbolic tree represents an aspiration for spiritual perfection and closeness to God. Aamadu Bàmba founded Touba in 1887. The holy site remained a tiny, isolated place in the wilderness until his death and burial at the site of the Great Mosque, 40 years later. The Great Mosque was finally completed in 1963 and since its inauguration the city has grown at a rapid pace: from under 5,000 inhabitants in 1964, the population was officially estimated at 529,000 in 2007. Along with the neighboring town of Mbacké (founded by Aamadu Bàmba's great-grandfather in 1796), the Mouride conurbation is Senegal's second largest urban area, after the capital region of Dakar.