Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Joal-Fadiout
The twin villages of Joal and Fadiout are located south of Mbour at the end of the tar road.
Joal sits on the mainland, while Fadiout is on a small island made of clam and oyster
shells (even the houses, streets and cemeteries!), reached by an impressive wooden bridge.
It's dreamy to wander around the island's narrow alleys, admire the shell-world and pop
into artisan workshops dotted around. Your best bets for lodging are on Joal, but it's an
easy hop to the island. Culturally, the local citizens are proud of their tolerance - this is a
place where Christians and Muslims live in harmony.
The tiny auberge
Le Thiouraye
( 77 515 6064; Joal; s/d incl breakfast CFA12,000/14,000; )
has ba-
sic riverside rooms and a menu composed by one of Senegal's top chefs.
Keur Seynabou
(
33 957 6744;
www.keurseynabou.com
; Joal; r CFA35,000-40,000;
)
sparkles with magazine-per-
fect lodgings overlooking a pool.
Minibuses go to/from Mbour (CFA800) and Palmarin (CFA1400). A
sept-place
taxi
goes directly to Dakar most mornings ( without changing at Mbour) for CFA3000.
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Palmarin
Palmarin, with its soft lagoons, tall palm groves and labyrinthine creeks, is one of Seneg-
al's most beautiful, and secret, spots.
There's a seductive choice of
campements
(guesthouses)
.
The straw huts of
Yokam
(
77 567 0113; Palmarin Facao; per person incl breakfast CFA9000)
are cheap and lightweight, but the com-
pany is good. The red-mud structure of
Lodge de Diakhamor
( 33 957 1256; Palmarin; s/d with half
board CFA26,000/46,000; )
is a stylish redbrick place where
pirogue
excursions, horse
riding, and bicycle and fishing trips are all included in the price.
Lodge des Collines de Niassam
(
77 639 0639;
www.niassam.com
;
Palmarin; per person with half board CFA59,000; )
is one of
Senegal's most original
campements
. You can sleep in classy tree houses that cling to the
mighty branches of baobabs, or sit on stilts in the river.
Palmarin is most easily reached by minibus from Mbour, via Joal-Fadiout and Samba-
dia (where you may have to change). The fare from Joal to Sambadia is CFA600 in a
Ndiaga Ndiaye, and from Sambadia to P almarin it's CFA450.
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