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Passport to

Words: Jenny Cathcart. Photography: Lonely Planet TOUCHDOWN Dakar’s legendary teranga (hospitality) is as warm as the climate. Be charmed by the Senegalese capital’s breezy Atlantic seascapes, the vestiges of its French colonial past and the fantastic street life. Get in the mood with Youssou N’Dour’s latest CD, Rokku Mi Rokka and Orchestra Baobab’s Made In [...]

Words: Jenny Cathcart. Photography: Lonely Planet

TOUCHDOWN

Dakar’s legendary teranga (hospitality) is as warm as the
climate. Be charmed by the Senegalese capital’s breezy
Atlantic seascapes, the vestiges of its French colonial past
and the fantastic street life. Get in the mood with
Youssou N’Dour’s latest CD, Rokku Mi Rokka and
Orchestra Baobab’s Made In Dakar. Le 221, a monthly
city guide, is available at news-stands or consult
www.au-senegal.com for what is happening in the city.

SLEEP

Dakar can be expensive. A room at Le Méridien
President hotel (Les Almadies, +221 33 869 6969)
can cost up to £180 per night. Those on a more modest
budget can enjoy the faded comforts of the Ngor Diarama
Hotel (Route de Ngor, +221 33 820 1005) with its lofty bay
views, or Hotel Savana (Petite Corniche Est, +221 33 849
4242), a tropical oasis built around an Olympic-size
swimming pool. And Chez Carla (+221 33 820 1586) on
the island of Ngor, or Keur Beer (+221 33 821 3801)
on Gorée Island are both tranquil retreats.

EAT

The Senegalese uphold the French traditions of bread making,
patisserie and haute cuisine. Try breakfast at Patisserie
Laetitia (on the corner of Boulevard de la République and Rue
Mohamed V). For a special dinner choose La Fourchette (Place
Kermel) or the nautical Le Lagon (1 Route de la Corniche Est).
For regional dishes go to Chez Loutcha (101 rue Moussé
Diop) where the menu includes thieboudienne, the spicy
national dish made with fish, tomatoes, rice and onions.

SIGHTS

Gorée Island’s languid lanes are only a 30-minute ferry ride
from Dakar. Seek out the small alleyway boutiques that sell
suwer – paintings on glass, framed in recycled wood. You can
swim in the sea at Monaco Plage, or watch the sun set on the
western-most point of Africa at the Pointe des Almadies.

MUSEUMS

Last year was the 200th anniversary of the abolition of
slavery. Learn more at The Slave House on Gorée Island,
which was originally a staging post for West African
slaves and is now a museum. Also worth a visit is the
Museum of African Civilisation (IFAN, 1 Place Soweto),
which has a splendid collection of African masks.

SHOP

Pick up a classic African dress at Shalimar Couture (119
Boulevard Generale de Gaulle), the fashion house owned
by Diouma Dieng Diakhate whose clients have included
Hillary Clinton. Atiss Boutique (12 Avenue Albert Sarraut) is
the outlet for Aissa Dione Tissus’s fabrics and shawls, which
were inspired by her grandmother’s mandjaque weaving
techniques. If you are souvenir shopping, try the
Soumbédioune artisan village or check out the work of
eminent Senegalese artists at the Espace Vema (Embarcadere
de Gorée) and Galerie Antenna (9 Rue Félix Faure).

NIGHTLIFE

Senegal has more than its share of award-winning, world-class
musicians. In Dakar, find them at the Just 4 U garden café
(Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop, +221 33 824 3250). You might
even get to see Youssou N’Dour live at the Thiossane
Nightclub (Sicap rue 10, +221 33 824 6046) which he owns,
or failing an appearance by the man himself, you’ll certainly
get to enjoy some other mbalax sounds. Alternatively, you can
dance till dawn at the Ngalam nightclub (Point E, +221 33
824 6010), once home to the legendary Orchestra Baobab.