FROM NIOKOLO TO SALOUM RIVERSIDE

Roundstrip 8 : 12 days

DAY 1: Europe- AEROPORT AIBD – MBOUR (35 km/ 20 min)

  • Welcome and assistance at the airport.
  • Transfer and overnight stay at the hotel (or similar accommodation structure) in the city Mbour.

DAY 2: MBOUR – TAMBACOUNDA (365 km / 4h)

  • Great road cruise and crossing of the savannah. Meeting with the nomadic community Peul at their natural camp. The community originates from Niger and has preserved its original life style. Their dresses and jewelry, hair braiding and tattoos make the women appearing as princess. They are known for their very warm welcome.

DAY 3: TAMBACOUNDA – NIOKOLO KOBA (140 km/ 1h 30mn)

  • Tambacounda, a crossroad town and regional capital.

  • Visiting the market and railway station of the journey Dakar–Bamako (Mali).

  • Lunch.

  • In the afternoon, start to the Niokolo Koba Parc, one of the most important animal reserve in West Africa. It was inscribed in 1981 by UNESCO to the list of World Patrimony of biosphere reserves.

DAY 4: NIOKOLO – KOBA – MAKO (180 km/ 5h)

  • Cruising by 4×4 at sunrise for discovering this wild large territory, its flora and fauna (monkeys, gazelles, rhinoceros, ….).

  • At the end of the park, way on to the mountainous region of Mako.

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  • Overnight stay in eco–lodge nearby the river Gambia, a favorite area of hippopotamus.

  • Overnight stay in eco–lodge at Keur Annick or encampment Badiang (or similar accommodation structure).

DAY 5: MAKO, BASSARI TERRITORY (130 km/ 3h)

  • Visit of the people community Bedick, which seems to be escaped of the time. They live concealed in between rocks, high at hills.

  • In the afternoon, road cruise to reach the Bassari territory. People here have eagerly and deeply preserved their customs and traditions, which make them like living out of the time. The specific education of the youth, rejection of the consumerism.A great surprise when discovering another civilisation, the contact with this community is made easy by the use of french language. It is one of the last community that has preserved its masks and practicing the unique traditional dance of masks.

  • Overnight stay at the eco–lodge Balingo (or similar accommodation structure) at Ethiolo.

 

DAY 6: BASSARI TERRITORY – FOUTA DJALON WATERFALLS (25 km/ 1h)

  • Walk throughout the hills, picnic.

  • Way to the mountain Fouta Djalon, the reservoir of all rivers in West Africa.

  • Walk at the sunset in the forest gallery of Dindefelo.

  • For Participants much more brave, a small climbing effort for reaching the top of the waterfalls and then admiring these magnificent and endless landscapes.

  • Overnight stay in the village of Dindefelo at the encampment le Dogon du Fouta or similar accommodation structure.

DAY 7: KEDOUGOU – WASSADOU (240 km/ 2h 50mn)

  • A road cruise through lateritite– ochre paths to reach Kédougou, a small city at the far South of Senegal.

  • Crossing of the river Gambia, where the community Mandingo is practicinga small–scale gold mining process on the river bank.

  • Overnight stay at the hotel encampment (or similar accommodation structure) of Wassadou, nearby the river Gambia.

DAY 8 : WASSADOU

  • Relax at the river bank at the shade of kapok trees for contemplating various and numerous birds of the region.

  • Overnight stay at the hotel encampment (or similar accommodation structure)of Wassadou.

DAY 9 : WASSADOU – BAMBOUNG (401 km/ 4h 50 mn)

  • Start for reaching the southern part of Saloum near the Gambian border. The Saloum bay is considered as one of the most beautiful in the world.

  • Sea link by pirogues to the protected marine area of Bamboung. It spreads over 3210 ha consisting of mangrove trees, savannah, waters and islands.

  • Overnight stay at the eco–lodge or similar accommodation structure of Keur Bamboung.

DAY 10:VISIT OF THE ECOLOGICAL SITE

  • A possibility of a walk along the savannah nearby the mangrove of the protected marine area of Bamboung. This zone is inhabited by farmers of the community Serer, deeply immersed in their tradition.

Day 11: BAMBOUNG – SOMONE (185 km/ 3h)

  • Somone makes its difference by the location at the estuary of a small river of the same name.

  • The city has several private residences and a great hotel, Club Baobab.

  • Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel or similar accommodation structure in Somone.

DAY 12: SOMONE – DAKAR – AIBD AIRPORT (72 km/ 1h)

  • Visit of the Gorée Island and Dakar.

  • Transfer to the AIBD Airport.