“Whenever I’m asked to describe Dakar and what living here feels like, my answer remains the same: you truly have to experience it. There is something about the warmth, the light, the views, and the seemingly organised chaos that cannot translate into words: it is the very essence of the mesmerising spirit of the Teranga that keeps bringing back those who once caught its vibrations.
Dakar is my life’s greatest love story and, for obvious reasons, my affection for the land runs deep; my ode to the city would have been tainted with envy if she couldn’t be mine.
It is where I feel the most at peace, where I feel the most at home, it is where I thrive, and feel the most alive. Dakar welcomes and embraces all, through the streets, the people, the style, she tells a story of pride – and with humility – ffor only she knows and doesn’t have to show yet that she is Africa’s best-kept secret.” – SARAH DIOUF
Read the full story in our latest issue.
FEW THINGS TO KNOW
- Dakar is a small city of 1 million people.
- Senegal is a conservative Muslim country, yet very open to the world.
- The main languages are Wolof (Naga def means ‘How are you?’, Mangui fi means ‘I am good’), and French.
- People greet each other in Arabic (Salam Aleykoum means ‘May peace be with you’).
- The main road along the sea is called the Corniche; it goes from the South (Dakar Plateau) to the north of the city (Les Almadies).
- The main transportation mode is the taxi (yellow cabs). A ride is always around 2,000 FCFA (Central African franc).
FEW THINGS TO DO
- Eat a Thieboudieune (aka the original Jollof); legend says the Pullman Hotel makes one of the best in town (a low-key spot to also enjoy one is Chez Loutcha, downtown).
- Visit Gorée Island.
- Climb towards the African Renaissance Monument.
- Get drinks at the LightHouse in Mamelles.
- Lunch on Ngor Island and enjoy some downtime on the weekend.
- Visit the Lake Retba (known as the pink lake) and enjoy an ATV ballad on the sand dunes (one-hour drive from Dakar).
- Visit Bandia’s natural reserve for a surreal experience where you can ride with lions (one-hour drive from Dakar).
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