AUTHENTIC SENEGAL: Rivers, Forests & Traditions – 8 Days

After breakfast, meet your guide and depart for Oussouye. Enjoy a guided walk through the sacred forest, visit a traditional Diola chief, and take part in a local weaving or wood-carving workshop. (All visits arranged in collaboration with local communities.)

• Guided walk through the sacred forest
• Meet a traditional Diola chief and learn about ancestral customs
• Participate in a weaving or wood-carving workshop with local artisans
• Stroll through the peaceful village of Oussouye

Morning transfer to the river port and boat trip to Carabane Island. Explore colonial ruins, meet local fishermen, and enjoy a grilled fish lunch on the beach. Return by pirogue in the afternoon. (Life jackets provided for all boat trips.)

• Traditional pirogue ride to Carabane Island
• Visit colonial ruins: old church, school, and cemetery
• Meet local fishermen and learn about their way of life
• Grilled fish lunch on the beach
• Free time to swim or explore the island

Depart for Mlomp village with your guide. Visit the famous multistory clay houses, a small ethnographic museum, and enjoy a tasting of fresh palm wine. Optional bike ride available. (Please bring comfortable walking shoes.)

• Explore the iconic multistory mud houses unique to Mlomp
• Visit the Diola Culture Museum
• Taste fresh palm wine
• Optional bike ride through rice paddies and small villages

Depart early for Kolda, passing through scenic rural landscapes and river villages. Several stops will be made for local encounters and artisan workshops. Arrive at your lodge by late afternoon. (A packed lunch is provided en route.)

• Drive through stunning landscapes along the Gambia River
• Stop in remote villages for artisan demonstrations (weaving, blacksmithing)
• Nature break in a protected forest area
• Overnight in a peaceful lodge surrounded by baobab trees

Immerse yourself in rural life by joining farming or cooking activities. Visit a women’s cooperative for soap or shea butter making. In the evening, enjoy storytelling and traditional music by the fire. (Camera-friendly day with lots of interaction.)

• Join daily rural life: millet pounding, cooking, farming
• Learn traditional soap-making or shea butter production
• Listen to village tales told by a local griot (storyteller)
• Cultural night with traditional music and dance around a fire

Enjoy the scenic drive back to Ziguinchor. Along the way, visit local markets and meet artisans. Arrive in the late afternoon and enjoy a farewell dinner with traditional music. (Ideal time for purchasing souvenirs.)

• Scenic return drive with cultural and market stops
• Visit a local craft market for souvenirs
• Farewell dinner by the river with live music (kora or balafon)

Free morning depending on your flight schedule. Optional visit to a local crafts shop. Transfer to Ziguinchor airport and assistance with check-in. (We recommend arriving at the airport 2 hours before departure.)

• Free time based on flight schedule for shopping or relaxing
• Transfer to Ziguinchor airport
• Assistance with check-in and farewell