We enjoy traveling throughout West Africa, but we are often stuck in the orbit of Senegal's southern province. The Casamance is naturally beautiful, culturally fascinating and incredibly easy to travel given the limited tourist infrastructure. Unfortunately, a lot of people skip the region because there is this inconvenient thing called the Gambia that separates the [...]
Casamance
Just a short drive from Ziguinchor, the capital of the Casamance, you will find a collection of villages that make up the Oussouye department. This tiny commune, sandwiched between the border of Guinea-Bissau and the Casamance river, is one of the most unique in the entire region. The scenery is typical of the Casamance. Rice [...]
I woke up in Ziguinchor yesterday morning and whilst I was enjoying breakfast at Le Perroquet, a friend asked me if I’d like to see a West African Manatee in the wild. I’d heard a bit about them and I knew that they were somehow related to the Dugong. Other than knowing I’d like to [...]
For overland travelers planning on visiting multiple countries in West Africa, organizing visas is often the biggest logistical headache. Visa policies are asymmetric and often vary from embassy to embassy. In one country, the Ghanaian embassy may not grant you a visa unless you are a permanent resident of the country where you are applying. [...]
We've already written about arriving in Casamance via "the back way." If you happen to use that border crossing, the first substantial village you will come across is Abené. We have been visiting Abené since early 2017, and it's one of our favorite spots in all of West Africa. Just a few kilometers south of [...]
There are a few ways to get between Dakar and Ziguinchor, the capital of Senegal's southern territory, the Casamance. You can always go by road via the Gambia, but this involves a border crossing and can be a hassle if you need to get a Gambian visa. There are also daily flights between the two [...]
Le Perroquet in Ziguinchor would have to be up there with one of the best budget hotels in West Africa. Contact: Sebastien : +221 33 991 23 29 and hotel.le.perroquet@gmail.com. They are also on the web at http://hotel-le-perroquet.com. It’s centrally located in Ziguinchor and is a close walk to banks, restaurants and the ferry terminal. [...]
There's more than one way to skin a cat, and in this case, there is more than one way to enter Casamance from Gambia. Most people take the Trans-Gambian highway, which starts up in Kaolack, Senegal. This highway, also known as the N4, crosses the Gambia in the middle of the country before darting south [...]
Getting your visa for Bissau in Ziguinchor just may be the most pain-free interaction you will ever have with bureaucracy in West Africa. The whole thing takes about 5 minutes. What's more, the friendly consular officer will even fill out the paperwork for you. The embassy is located in the center of town, on an [...]
