The best of Senegal - safe, stable holiday hub of West Africa
From the languid former French colonial capital to the hubbub of present-day capital Dakar, Senegal has a lot to offer the visitor, including great food and music
Approaching Senegal’s sand dune-flanked Lac Rose, overcast skies hid the sun and, at first, obscured the vibrant pink hue that gives the expansive lake its name. But standing on its shores, the waters showed their true, improbable colours - magenta, nearly violet - lapping against the bottoms of gently bobbing boats and rippling around my hands as I scooped up the salt that gives the lake its fame.
About an hour up the Atlantic coastline from the capital, Dakar, the lake is among the prime attractions in a country that, by virtue of its culture, political stability and good roads, has emerged as a tourist capital of West Africa.
Four hours further north lies Saint-Louis, an island town of age-worn buildings that was once France’s colonial capital in Senegal and is today perhaps best known internationally for its jazz festival, held in May.
A 500-metre-long steel bridge built by Gustave Eiffel traverses the Senegal river, linking the Unesco World Heritage site to the African mainland.
