PLACES TO VISIT IN SENEGAL

SEASON 4 EPISODE 11

A visit to Africa’s most westernmost country, Senegal, comprising a variety of ancient places and history from the slave-trade spots to the waves of the coast in Dakar to the pink lake which houses a species of bacteria containing a high salinity.

Check out some places you should spend your time to visit in Senegal when next you’re planning a trip.

DAKAR

Dakar is the capital city of Senegal and it is the largest city in the country. It is a port on the Atlantic located along the Cape-Verde peninsula. It is one of the major seaports located in the West Africa coast.

Tourist attractions in the city include one of the most important religious buildings, the Grande Mosquée de Dakar, The Musée Théodore Monod which is one of the oldest art museums in West Africa where you can find displays of cultural artifacts. The tallest statue in Africa, the African Renaissance Monument which was completed in 2010 is in Dakar, Senegal.

GOREE ISLAND

Goree Island is a small island situated near the coast of Dakar, Senegal. It is famously known as a place where trading of slaves was done during the early invasion of the Europeans in West Africa. This site was ruled in the past by the French, Portuguese, English and Dutch slave masters and still has reminders of past slave trades.

LAKE RETBA

Lake Retba nicknamed Pink Lake or Lac Rose (by natives) is located along the Cape Verde peninsula, away from the capital city of Senegal. It is well-known for its pink colour which is as a result of the red pigment produced by the bacteria, Dunaliella salina which is attracted to the lake because of the high salt content.

It is characterized by a high salinity which increases during the dry season leading to the lake’s colour making it very visible during the dry season. You’d find salt collectors working in the lake collecting and extracting salt.

DJOUDJ NATIONAL BIRD SANCTUARY

This is a bird sanctuary located at Senegal River Delta. It is a wetland covering about 16,000 hectares having a large lake which is surrounded by streams, ponds. It is well protected and contains a lot of bird species having a population of over 1.5 million birds.

Examples of birds that can be found in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary include pelican, flamingo, heron, African spoonbill, egret, cormorant among others.

Written and edited by Ebenezer Oladokun