Senegal Family Nature & Discovery – 8-Day Budget Tour

Points of Interest : Lake Retba

Dal leen ak jàmm – welcome to Senegal! You are met on arrival at Blaise-Diagne International Airport and set off by road towards Lake Retba, better known as the Pink Lake. This unique lake is famous for its exceptional pink coloration and its salinity, which is even higher than that of the Dead Sea.

You settle into Gîte du Lac, a nature-focused eco-lodge set on a dune overlooking a banana plantation on the lakeshore. From here you can hear both the birds and the distant ocean. The charming individual huts offer simple comfort with private bathroom and toilet. To unwind, you can enjoy the infinity pool and the bar – a real treat for both children and adults.

Approximate travel time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

• Meals included : Dinner
• Accommodation : Gîte du Lac, family or twin room (Lake Retba)

Points of Interest : Sangalkam

Today you visit the turtle village of Noflaye, nestled in the heart of the special botanical reserve of Noflaye. This conservation site protects the turtles’ habitat and helps prevent their disappearance. Senegal is home to no fewer than 11 turtle species, including 4 marine species, and discovering these fascinating animals is a real delight for nature lovers.

Children can admire different species of Senegalese and African turtles. They also have the chance to see baby turtles in the nursery, born in the village and destined to be released in their natural environment in the Ferlo region when they are around 15 years old.

You return to the lodge for lunch.

In the late afternoon, a family class is organized: you learn a few everyday Wolof words with a local guide and discover traditional African games (Awalé, Yoté, Wali, etc.), all set up on the lakeside beach with a beautiful view of the lake and sunset.

Approximate travel time: 40 minutes.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation : Gîte du Lac (Lake Retba)

Points of Interest : Lake Retba

You cross Lake Retba in a traditional salt pirogue to meet the salt collectors who tirelessly extract this natural resource, their skin protected with shea butter. Your local guide explains the origin of the lake and how its salt-based economy works.

You then reach the immense deserted beach of the Grande Côte, a long sandbar stretching all the way to northern Mauritania.

A fish barbecue is served on the beach, under the shade of a thatched shelter.

The afternoon is free: relax on the beach, swim carefully in the ocean, or enjoy games and activities such as African board games, volleyball, football, or even sand yachting depending on local options.

As the day ends, you take part in a short introduction to African percussion, drumming to the backdrop of the sunset and sharing moments of fun and conviviality – laughter guaranteed.

Approximate pirogue crossing time: 30 minutes.
Approximate travel time to the beach: 10 minutes.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation : Gîte du Lac (Lake Retba)

Points of Interest : Rufisque, Niaga, Kayar, Gorée Island

This is a free day with many optional activities that you can combine as you wish.

In the morning, you can head towards Dakar and board the ferry at the port for Gorée Island. As you approach, you enjoy a superb panorama of this volcanic island with its cliffs, colonial houses and church. Lunch is served in a restaurant on the island.

You visit the House of Slaves, where the curator passionately recounts the tragic history of slavery, supported by a rich and moving exhibition. Then you stroll as a family through the flower-filled alleyways before taking the ferry back to Dakar.

Another option is to watch the fishermen return to shore at Kayar. A village guide explains what happens as the boats arrive: unloading fish by bucket, hauling the pirogues out of the water, bargaining over piles of fish on the sand, overflowing cartloads, salting, smoking and drying the unsold species, and selling the finest catches under the covered hall – a lively, colorful and very fragrant scene.

Riders of all levels can opt for a gentle horseback ride or a gallop at low tide along the beach in the late afternoon.

Mountain-biking enthusiasts can choose a family bike tour around the lake.

Food lovers can take part in a Senegalese cooking workshop in the late afternoon, with the possibility of visiting Rufisque market in the morning to buy ingredients.

You may also visit Niaga market to shop for fabrics and have magnificent outfits tailored by a local seamstress.

At the end of the day, you are offered an aperitif by the pool. The chef prepares a new specialty, and the evening continues in a friendly atmosphere over Senegalese tea. This is your last night at Gîte du Lac.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation : Gîte du Lac (Lake Retba)

Points of Interest : Sindia, Nianing

In the morning you can take part in goat milking and cheese-making at a pilot goat farm that supports better use of traditional herding while preserving the environment and respecting the ancestral Peul culture. You, of course, have the chance to taste the cheese you helped to produce.

Late in the morning, you set off towards Sindia and stop for lunch at Baobab Soleil.

In the afternoon, you go on safari in Bandia Wildlife Reserve accompanied by an animal guide. Along the tracks you may see many species such as white rhinoceroses, greater kudus, oryx, Cape elands, giraffes, ostriches, zebras, buffalos, kob antelopes, impalas, warthogs and monkeys. You also stop at the crocodile pond.

After the visit, you continue by road to Nianing on the Petite Côte. On arrival, you settle into Casa Coco, a charming seaside lodge with direct beach access and two swimming pools.

Approximate travel time: 2 hours 15 minutes.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation : Casa Coco Lodge, family or twin room (Nianing)

Points of Interest : Nianing

These days in Nianing are largely free so you can enjoy the hotel facilities, the swimming pools and the ocean at your own pace. Lunches are at your discretion, either at the lodge or in nearby restaurants. A painting workshop is offered to children on the beach, encouraging their creativity surrounded by sea views.

You can visit the Sacred Baobab of Nianing and the village church, known for its original architectural style.

In the evening, you may take part in a traditional “bush evening” in a baobab forest. The setting is dominated by these majestic, millennia-old trees, sacred in Senegalese culture. Sabar drums and singing set the rhythm for the night, as different troupes perform energetic dances and tell traditional stories, often humorous or full of wisdom.

If your family enjoys outdoor adventure, you can try the tree-climbing courses at Accrobaobab in Sindia, designed to be fun and safe for children as well.

An optional excursion takes you to Saloum National Park. You drive along bush tracks to visit Peul and Wolof villages, then depart from Ndangane in a pirogue for a superb trip through the mangroves, where you can spot numerous birds resting on natural perches. A local cart then carries you across Mar Lodj island, where you visit the small church and the ancient kapok tree, at the foot of which stands the village “telephone drum” used for traditional communication.

Another possible excursion is to the shell island of Joal-Fadiouth. You drive to Joal, birthplace of President Léopold Sédar Senghor, then board a small pole-propelled pirogue that skirts oyster beds and mangroves to reach the millet granaries and the island cemetery. You then cross a long wooden bridge to visit Fadiouth, wandering through its lanes and visiting the church. To return to Joal, you walk back over the 800 m wooden bridge that links the island to the mainland.

• Meals included : Breakfast, dinner
• Accommodation : Casa Coco Lodge (Nianing)

Points of Interest : Nianing

Enjoy a final relaxed morning by the ocean with free time and lunch at your own expense. Depending on your flight schedule, you can swim in the pool, stroll along the beach or simply rest in the shade.

You are then transferred to the airport 2–3 hours before your departure time (to be confirmed), with assistance for the last formalities. Ba beneen – see you again in Senegal!

• Meals included : Breakfast
• Last day : Private transfer to Blaise-Diagne International Airport for your return flight