Travelling to Senegal from Algeria: where to stay in Dakar, Saly and Saint-Louis

Dakar and Gorée Island, the beach at Saly, the old town of Saint-Louis: a first trip to Senegal is usually built around these three stops, and each one calls for a different kind of hotel. Here is how to choose where to stay, when to go, what to check before you leave, and how to book your hotel and pay in dinars from Algeria.

Before you go: what to check

• Entry rules: in principle, the conditions for entering Senegal depend on your passport and the length of your stay; check the up-to-date rules with the Senegalese consulate or the official website before you travel. Nreservi does not sell any visa service.
• Health: for vaccinations and malaria prevention, ask your doctor or an international vaccination centre for advice before you leave, and check the current requirements on official websites.
• Money: Senegal uses the West African CFA franc (code XOF). Plan your spending money in that currency.
• Language: French is the official language, and Wolof is the language most widely spoken in daily life.
• Time: Senegal runs on GMT, with no summer time. When it is noon in Dakar, it is 1 pm in Algiers: keep it in mind when you tell the hotel your arrival time.

When to go

The rainy season, known locally as the "hivernage", runs roughly from July to October. From November to June it is the dry season. If you travel during the Algerian school holidays, especially at the end of the year, book your hotel early.

Dakar: picking your area

Dakar spreads over the Cap-Vert peninsula, right next to the westernmost point of mainland Africa. Choose your area according to what you are coming for: you will spend less time in traffic.

• Le Plateau: the historic city centre, home to many government offices and much of the city's business activity. Handy for a business trip, paperwork, or a first look at the city on foot.
• Les Almadies and Ngor: on the western side of the peninsula, facing the Atlantic, with Ngor Island just offshore. People stay here for the sea and the sunsets over the ocean.

Facing Dakar, Gorée Island has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978: it is a place of remembrance of the Atlantic slave trade. You reach it by ferry from the landing stage at the port of Dakar in about fifteen to twenty minutes, and you explore it on foot, as there are no cars on the island. The easiest plan: stay in Dakar and spend a day there.

Saly and the Petite-Côte: the beach break

South of Dakar, Saly is the main seaside resort of the Petite-Côte, a few kilometres from Mbour and its fishing port. You will find hotels facing the ocean, residences and villas. Blaise Diagne International Airport, which serves Dakar, lies close to the Petite-Côte, which makes it easy to start or end your trip with a few days on the beach.

Before you book, compare the board options (room only, breakfast, half board or all inclusive) and ask whether the hotel opens straight onto the beach. North of Saly, La Somone is a lagoon protected as a nature reserve, a pleasant half-day outing.

Saint-Louis: heritage and the Langue de Barbarie

Further north, Saint-Louis is built partly on an island at the mouth of the Senegal River. This former capital of Senegal has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. You reach the island over the Faidherbe Bridge, a metal bridge that is part of the listed site.

Two ways to stay:

• on the island, in the heart of the historic town, so you can do everything on foot;
• on the Langue de Barbarie, south of town: a narrow strip of sand between the river and the ocean, where several hotels stand in the Hydrobase area.

Further north still, in the river delta, the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary is also a World Heritage Site: check its opening dates before you go. Saint-Louis deserves at least two nights.

A first week in Senegal

For a first one-week trip, a simple pace works well:

1. Two nights in Dakar, with a day on Gorée.
2. Two nights in Saint-Louis, for the historic town and the Langue de Barbarie.
3. Three nights in Saly, to end by the sea, close to the airport.

Leave half a day of margin between two stops, and avoid a long drive on the day you fly home.

Booking and paying from Algeria

Nreservi also books hotels abroad. In Algeria you pay in dinars without a bank card: BaridiMob, bank transfer or cash at our Telemly office. Living abroad? You can also pay online by bank card, and your voucher is sent to you after payment. To see how paying in dinars works, read how to book a hotel without a bank card.

Enter Dakar, Saly or Saint-Louis and your dates in the search engine, or write to NIA, our assistant on WhatsApp, who will help you find a hotel that fits your budget. For a specific question, contact us.

Book a hotel abroad

Nreservi, online travel agency — 1st floor, 116 boulevard Colonel Krim Belkacem (Telemly), Algiers Centre — +213 540 28 40 40.