12 days roundtrip
CASAMANCE TREK: ECOLOGY – NATURE AND CULTURE
Casamance is a region of highly multicultural, diverse and attractive ethnicity for tourists. A generous nature initiates an harmonious succession of arborized savannah landscapes, heavy tropical forests, mangroves trees buried into lagoons, rice fields surrounded by palm trees, beautiful virgin beaches under the shade of coconut palm trees.
In the fullness of this beauty, some communities: Mandingos, Diolas, Baïnouks, Mankagnes … are living in perfect symbiosis with the nature in villages of a unique architecture in Africa. These villages are isolated in the heavy forests or under giant and majestic trees: houses (in clay) of the impluvium type, with colonnades or floors.
The traditional faith is constantly present: altars and temples dedicated to ancients under sacred trees where wise men teach ancestral traditions at the shade of millennial kapok trees. The ceremonies are followed by ritual dances and specific rhythms.
This roundtrip moves from Dakar to reach the river Casamance, from its outfall till the great city Ziguinchor. During this journey, we can admire the mangrove trees, aquatic fauna and several river ramifications expressed «Bolong» in the Mandingo language.
The hut called «impluvium» – Cohabitation of several families and social space management
Tradition et ceremonies – vivacity, (Casamance) (1)
Tradition et ceremonies – vivacity (Casamance), (2)
The majestic kapok tree «Bantan Woro» (1)
The majestic kapok tree «Bantan Woro» (2)
Day 1: Monday; EUROPE – AIBD Airport – DAKAR (45 km /35mn)
Arrival and welcome at the airport. Transfer to the hotel (or similar accommodation structure), overnight stay in Dakar.
Day 2: Tuesday; DAKAR – ZIGUINCHOR (Sea link shuttle: start at 20.00, arrival next day at 12.00)
Visiting the capital Dakar and next a sea link by pirogue to the Ngor island.
Lunch in the restaurant at Seck.
In the afternoon, loading into the shuttle for the sea link from Dakar to Ziguinchor in travel bed–cabins.
Sea link shuttle – Dakar – Ziguinchor – Dakar
Day 3: Wednesday; ZIGUINCHOR – OUSSOUYE
Arrival at Ziguinchor, visit of the old city, the Market Saint–Maure–des Fossés, and departure to Oussouye.
Arrival and installation at the camp Emanaye or similar accommodation structure.
Afternoon, walk in the surroundings at sunset.
Day 4: Thursday; OUSSOUYE–EGAYE
Going for hiking from Oussouye to Diakene Oulof.
Next, boarding into pirogues and cruising to the island, where the camp Egaye is settled in.
Visiting the surroundings at sunset and overnight stay at the hotel or similar accommodation structure.
Day 5: Friday; EGAYE–DIAKENE DIOLA–CAP SKIRRING (20km 15mn)
Boarding into pirogues at Egaye and cruising to Diakene Diola. Walk for admiring the mangrove trees.
Direction to Cap Skirring to the hotel Maya and installation.
The group will walk along the fine sand beach to reach the hotel .
Dinner and overnight stay at the same place or similar accommodation structure.
The mangrove forest
Day 6: Saturday; HOTEL MAYA–BOUCOTTE–DJIMBERING
Going for hiking to Boucotte Diola, a small village of Kassa. It is located within the kapok trees.
Visit of the eco–museum Sangawat, and road cruise to Djimbering, a large village in the Kassa, where the populations still live their full tradition. Early in the morning as well as late in the afternoon we hear wooden pestles ringing out under the kapok trees or baobabs.
Overnight stay at the hotel Maya or similar accommodation structure.
Day 7: Sunday; CAP SKIRRING–POINTE SAINT GEORGE–ELINKINE –EFFRANE (37km /1h)
Departure for Elinkine.
Lunch and camping at Le Fromager.
Early in the afternoon, in small groups, going for hiking at Pointe St–Georges. The slow walk may be lasting about 2 h and Participants should go through rice and mangrove fields and also savannah.
Back to Elinkine.
Boarding into pirogues for Effrane. Dinner and overnight stay at the island hotel or similar accommodation structure.
Day 8: Monday; EFFRANE–MLOMP–DIANNAH (152km/ 3h)
Way on to the North–West of the District of Bignona.
Arrival and installation into a Mandingo habitation style (or similar accommodation structure) in Diannah. Apartment at the disposal of roundtrip Participants, bedroom and sitting room common.
Going for hiking and visiting orchards (Plantations of fruit trees).
Day 9: Tuesday; DIANNAH–ORNITHOLOGICAL RESERVE OF KASSEL–DIANNAH (16 km/ 25mn)
Crossing in pirogues for reaching the ornithological reserve of Kassel.
Back to Diannah for lunch.
In the afternoon, going for hiking to the beach in Diannah. Swimming and relax.
Dinner and overnight stay animated by a native Mandingo griot playing with Kora (music instrument). The meeting takes part at the habitation yard.
Ornithological park of Kassel (1)
Ornithological park of Kassel (2)
Day 10: Wednesday; DIANNAH–KAFOUNTINE–DIANNAH (8km/ 15mn)
Visit of the market in Kafountine and next going for lunch to the hotel Esperanto or similar service structure.
In the afternoon, visit of the fishing port of Kafountine with a nice view of its multicolor pirogues.
Dinner and overnight stay in Diannah.
Pirogues back from fishing activities (Kafountine), (1)
Pirogues back from fishing activities (Kafountine), (2)
Day 11: Thursday; DIANNAH–ABENE–ZIGUINCHOR (Navigation: start at 23.30, arrival in DAKAR next day at 06.00)
A quick tour at the village Abene for visiting its sacred kapok tree (Bantang Woro). It is a giant tree with majestic roots, where women of the village use to meet for accomplishing traditional ceremonies (rituals).
Next, road cruise to the port of Ziguinchor. Boarding into the sea link shuttle for reaching Dakar.
The majestic kapok tree «Bantan Woro»: surprise and respect
Day 12: Friday; DAKAR – GOREE – AIBD Airport
Arrival in Dakar at 06.00 AM.
Visit of the Gorée Island.
Transfer to the AIBD Airport.