Settling abroad is not just about work, but also the unique opportunity to discover the country’s charms during your evenings and weekends. Whether with family, friends or on your own, Senegal offers a huge range of things to do and see that covers all age groups, tastes and wallet sizes. From travelling to its seven UNESCO World Heritage sites to immersing yourself in the local Wolof culture, there’s something for everyone in Senegal.
Culture in Senegal
The Senegalese people are renowned for their legendary friendliness and hospitality (known in the country as ‘teranga'). If you've lived abroad before, be prepared to be pleasantly shocked about how welcoming they are to foreigners. It's one of the key tenets of Senegalese culture.
Besides, Senegal is known for its music (especially the rumba-like style of mbalax, made famous by Youssou N'dor), art, food, films and literature (Senegal's first president, Léopold Sédar Senghor, was also a poet).
Home to a large number of tribes, Senegal also has lots of varying traditions and festivals, which take place across the country from major cities to rural villages.
Sports in Senegal
If you love sports, you've come to the right place. As an ocean-facing country, there is a wide array of watersports available from surfing and diving to fishing and swimming, Also, there are football clubs, rugby clubs, tennis courts and golf courses.
Senegal also offers some sports that you may not get to try at home, such as wrestling, African martial arts and even flying.
Natural landscape in Senegal
Senegal has 530km of coastline of which more than half is the golden sandy beach - it's a beach lover's paradise. However, it's not just the ocean that attracts. Senegal is also home to deltas, lagoons, rivers and marshland. There are dune-filled deserts and palm-tree-lined forests beside bustling cities and quaint villages.
Senegal also mixes the modern with the traditional. In places like Dakar, for example, you can enjoy dinner in a waterfront restaurant or a coffee in an upmarket hotel, while you can also stay in traditional huts in the countryside and learn about rural life.
Visiting Senegal
Senegal is a diverse country, and there are a number of fascinating places to visit. Here are a few:
Saint-Louis - An island city in the Senegal River estuary, known as the ‘Venice of Africa'. Founded by French in 1659, it is the former capital of French West Africa and is famed for its colonial architecture and jazz festival.
Lompoul desert - Seven square miles of orange desert, stacked with dunes. You can come for a day of camel rides and dune surfing or stay overnight in the bedouin-style tents.
Nature reserves - From the Djoudj bird sanctuary in the north to the Niokolo-Koba national park in the south-east, Senegal has abundant wildlife.
Petite Cote - Encompassing 70 km of unspoilt, golden coastline between Dakar and the Sine-Saloum Delta, the Petite Cote is a sprinkling of seaside villages and towns each offering their own charm and character, such as the Somone lagoon.
Lac Rose - A shallow, salty lake that changes from pink to red depending on the salt content.
Casamance - Palm trees and white sandy beaches, Casamance is more tropical than the rest of Senegal. Many people head to the resort town of Cap-Skirring.
World Heritage sites - Senegal is home to seven UNESCO world heritage sites - can you visit them all?
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