Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The park is officially open from 15 December to 30 April, as most areas are inaccess-
ible during the wet months. The entrance fee (adult/child under 10 years CFA2000/free,
vehicles CFA5000) gives you access for 24 hours. You get your obligatory guide
(CFA8000) at the entrance gate.
To spend a night in the park, your best bets are to pitch a tent or stay in the rustic but
tidy thatched huts of
Camp du Lion
(
Park headquarters 33 981 2454; campsites CFA5000, s/d CFA9000/
12,500)
.
You will need a vehicle to enter the park. It's best to hire a 4WD (CFA90,000 to
CFA130,000) in Tambacounda. Enquire at the
gare routière,
at the hotels or at the
National
Park Office
( 33 981 2454; Tambacounda; 8am-5pm)
. You won't save any money using public
transport, as pick-up and drop-off from the park entrance and the tours will also add up to
around CFA90,000.
WARNING
Since the 1980s, conflicts in Casamance have flared up regularly. The latest peace deal between the Movement of
Democratic Forces in Casamance (MFDC) rebels and the Senegalese government was signed in 2004 and was
largely adhered to. Still, there were occasional incidents of road blocks and armed street robberies, and in 2009
reports of violence, gun fire and attacks of military posts became more frequent. Whether the work of common
criminals or rebels with a cause, it can render trips to Casamance dangerous. Check the situation carefully before
setting out, never travel after dark and don't venture off into the bush without a guide.
