OVERVIEW

Accompany a Senegalese art professor to two museums that focus on early African art and meet some of the country’s contemporary artists. While browsing the IFAN Museum, you will see a collection of ritual masks, weapons and musical instruments that lend insight into the regional traditions and history. The carvings on the wooden granary doors are particularly interesting as they are highly symbolic. The Museum of Black Civilizations has an even wider focus by celebrating Black cultural contributions worldwide. Many of the artifacts have been returned to Senegal after colonists plundered them over the centuries. Revered Senegalese poet and the country’s first post-colonial president, Léopold Sédar Senghor initiated the creation of both museums. You will mingle with some of West Africa’s most talented artists at their ateliers, where you will see works in progress. To enhance your understanding, the artists and the art professor will describe how African art is changing.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Browse two prominent African art museums, each with its own focus.
• Hear enlightening commentary from the Senegalese art professor that will accompany you.
• Meet several contemporary African artists at their ateliers and view their works in progress.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Learn to prepare one of Senegal’s national dishes in a hands-on cooking class at a restaurant in Dakar. Your culinary instruction will begin at a local market where you will gather the necessary ingredients for Chicken Yassa, a dish popular across West Africa. The chef will show you how to pick out the freshest, most flavorful ingredients such as lemons, olives and Scotch bonnet chili peppers. Although yassa can be made with lamb and fish, it is traditionally prepared with chicken in Senegal, where this comfort food dish originated. In essence, the chicken is browned, the onions are caramelized and the other ingredients are added in stages so as not to overwhelm the flavor. For instance, the hot chili peppers are put in as the very last step. Chicken yassa is typically served with a side of steamed white rice, but the chef may have another suggestion. When the dish is ready, it will be served for lunch.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Prepare the Senegalese national dish Chicken Yassa with the help of a restaurant chef.
• Follow the chef’s tips to select the best ingredients for the dish at a local market.
• Enjoy the freshly prepared Chicken Yassa for lunch and take home the recipe.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Settle in for a revealing drive through the capital of Senegal with stops at Dakar’s traditional and contemporary attractions. Initial highlights along the way include Kermel Market, the President’s Palace and the Great Mosque, which French and Moroccan architects designed. A photo stop awaits you at the Door of Millennium, which was built in 2000 to symbolize Senegal’s entry into the new millennium. Browsing Soumbedioune market will provide the opportunity to purchase local handicrafts, while driving through the Fann Cornich district will present a glimpse into the lives of Dakar’s affluent residents. For a look at Senegalese college life, you will visit the University of Dakar library and admire its Le Corbusier architectural style. Upon reaching the Mamelles area, the highest point on the peninsula, you will enjoy yet another perspective of the city. Finally, at the Sand Painting Gallery, you will discover how Senegal’s colorful sands are creatively used in original paintings.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Drive through downtown Dakar and come away with an excellent overview of the capital.
• See landmarks such as the President’s Palace, Great Mosque and University of Dakar.
• Drive through the Medina district and browse bustling Soumbedioune market.
• Enjoy the ultimate view of Dakar from atop the peninsula’s highest point.
• See how colored sands are creatively used to produce remarkable paintings.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Visit the unforgettable and notorious Goree Island off the coast of Dakar, where countless captured Africans were held before being shipped to the New World as slaves. Board a chartered ferry near the ship and venture to nearby Goree Island, where the slave trade flourished for more than 350 years, beginning in the 15th century. Upon arrival, you will first visit the "House of Slave", where, as an introduction to this ignominious period, the curator will give a lecture detailing the cruelty of life during that time. The upstairs of this infamous house was formerly occupied by slave traders and the downstairs reserved for slaves living in abominable conditions. You will also visit sights such as Saint Charles Borromeo's Church and a fortress with a towering monument, memorializing the Africans who were brutalized and dehumanized during the slave trade. Following your guided tour, you will have some time to wander about the stark island, where you can see the buildings and cells once used to house the men, women and children who were shackled around the neck and arms and at the Gate of No Return, you will also see where the Africans saw their last glimpse of the homeland before boarding ships to carry them to the New World. Relax and enjoy a soft drink at a local restaurant before re-boardiing the ferry for the return to the ship. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Goree Island is an exceptionally moving experience and one you will not soon forget.

OVERVIEW

Drive off-road through the sand dunes surrounding Lake Retba in a 4x4 vehicle and feast on traditional Senegalese dishes at a nearby village. As you race over the desolate, rather remote terrain where the grueling Paris-Dakar car rally once ended, the ride will be exhilarating. You can expect it to be bump, unpredictable and nonstop fun. The lake is less than a mile from the Atlantic Ocean and salt was harvested there for years until precedented flooding changed the color and composition of the water. Enjoy a lunch with Senegalese traditional dishes at Keur Salim lodge then get a glimpse into the lifestyle of the traditional Wolof village of Noflaye.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Race through the sand dunes that surround Lake Retba in a 4x4 vehicle.
• See how heavy flooding changed the lake’s color, salinity and economic impact.
• Dine at a restaurant overlooking the lake and attend a traditional feast in Noflaye village.
• Get a glimpse into the lifestyle of the Wolof people that live in the village.
• Watch two competitors facing each other in a wrestling match (wrestling is national sport of Senegal)

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.