Adventure in the Bijagos Archipelago

Enhance your cruise and extend your trip with a carefully designed programme.

Day 1 – Dakar

Meet and greet at the Dakar international airport arrival hall. Look for PONANT sign.

You will be greeted by our local English-speaking representative and directly transferred to the Radisson Blue hotel.

Check-in in your room.

Day 2 – Dakar

After your breakfast, you will take the direction to Dakar. Driving through the West Corniche Coastal road, you will stop to see the African Renaissance Monument, a magnificent 160-foot-tall monolith weighing in at 190 tons. Reverend Jesse Jackson was among the dignitaries who attended the opening of statue in 2010 to celebrate Senegal's 50 years of independence from France. Loved by some and reviled by others, the copper and bronze statue was made by the North Koreans and cost $27 million. Senegal is a land of lighthouses, and a standout among them is the Mamelles Lighthouse, your next destination. Mamelles is one of the world's great lighthouses. It stands on the Cape Verde Peninsula (for which the offshore islands belonging to Portugal are named) and guides ships around the treacherous western tip of Africa. Mamelles' light range is almost 36 miles, but the structure itself may soon fall victim to the rapid, uncontrolled erosion of the coastline. Enjoy a quick photo stop at the Deity (Divinity) Mosque before you head to Pink Lake for lunch.

This morning, you will travel approximately 1½ hours to reach Lake Retba, famous for its unusual pink water - you really have to see it to believe it. The lake is shallow and warm, and is surrounded by white foam and palms. Its very high level of salinity means that everything floats on the surface. Workers crush the thick crust of salt that lies on the lake-bed and gather the salt to sell. Sand dunes, a baobab forest and traditional villages with thatch-roofed huts line the shores of the Pink Lake. You will cross over sand dunes and through bush during your drive around the lake. We will drive through the Rally Paris-Dakar pathway up to the ocean. Finally, stop for a brief encounter with the chief of Fulani Village. He will let you visit his dwelling hut and will explain the villagers' way of life.

Lunch will be served after the tour around the lake and surroundings, in a Mauritanian Tent on the beach, in front of a beautiful landscape. This Tent called "Khaima" is all made with African materials and fabrics. Lunch Buffet. An Entertainment (with a folkloristic group) will be offer by our local representative before or during lunch.

After your nomad traditional lunch, you will be transferred to the port to embark your ship.

Your hotel:

The Radisson Blu Hotel is a sophisticated, modern resort on the quiet Cape Verde Peninsula, located in the elegant Fann Corniche neighbourhood. The peninsula is shaped like a triangle, with the base of the triangle roughly along the north and its apex on the south, the site of the seaport of Dakar. All rooms are characterised by their contemporary design and superb amenities, including individual climate control and free high-speed wireless Internet. The restaurant proposes international dishes as well as revisited regional food in a contemporary setting. Outdoor swimming pool.

Your programme includes:

• 1 night accommodation at the Radisson Blu hotel 5* (or similar) in Standard room, including breakfast.
• Meals as mentioned in the programme.
• Beverage package during meals (mineral water + 1 soft drink or 1 local beer + 1 coffee or tea).
• Transfers, visits and entrance fees as mentioned in the programme.
• Local English-speaking guide.

Your programme does not include:

• Tips for the guide and the driver.
• Personal expenses
• Other services not mentioned in the programme.

Please note:

• Senegal is part of the West African financial community area. The local currency is the CFA franc. US dollars are widely accepted.
• The official language is French, which is understood by the majority of people, and there are about a dozen local languages and several dialects. Greetings are very important and the easiest way to avoid making a mistake is to use traditional Arab greetings (Salaam aleikoum, Aleikoum asalaam).
• We also recommend you only drink bottled mineral water.
• Please take note of the local and basic nature of the installations and equipment used during the dunes outing to Pink Lake. Lunch will be served under a Kaïma tent. The 4-wheel drive vehicles are open and non-air-conditioned but have a canopy to protect you from the sun.

Contact of your hotel:

Radisson Blu Hotel

Route de la Corniche Ouest Fann Residence

BP 16868 Dakar,

SENEGAL

Telephone number: (+221) 3 3869 3333

Duration of the visits is given as a guide only. The order of the visits may be reversed. To know your PONANT flight schedule, please contact your travel agent; it is also indicated on your electronic ticket included in your travel documents.

*** The programme’s escort is subject to a minimum of 20 participants.

Travel with peace of mind as PONANT organises your transfer day time between your port of disembarkation and the airport.

Gorée Island - Dakar

After disembarkation procedures are completed, you will be greeted at pier by our local representative

Your day will be spent visiting the evocative Ile de Gorée. Just three kilometres off of Dakar, this little island is a haunting reminder of 350 years of the slave trade. Indeed, it was the biggest holding centre for slaves brought in from all over West Africa, and has become a symbol and UNESCO World Heritage site.

From Dakar port, take the ferry for the 25-minute crossing. The visit is on foot starting at the House of Slaves, the most visited museum in Senegal which still evokes the poignant reality of one of the darkest periods in the history of the world. You then move on to the Church of Saint Charles de Borromée, one of only two buildings on the island. Its construction was financed by the signares of Gorée in 1830, the original church having been burned down by English soldiers on Christmas night 1799. From there you walk up to the Castle on a rocky plateau covered in fortifications, a reminder of the wars fought between Europeans (English, French, Portuguese and Dutch) to gain control of the island. The Castle offers a fine panoramic view of Dakar. You then cross the island via the market and colourful, picturesque streets to reach the History Museum located in the former Fort d’Estrées. Here you can trace Senegal’s history from prehistoric times to independence and the various migrations that have taken place over the centuries. Not far from here is the Chevalier de Boufflers (or similar) restaurant where you will have a typical local lunch before catching the ferry back to Dakar.

You will stop at the African Renaissance Monument and continue to the Mosque of Divinity, located on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, before reaching the Soumbédioune Handicraft Village Market for some time at leisure.

Dinner will be served in the Dagorne restaurant (or similar) before being transferred to Dakar airport in connection with the departure of the flight selected by PONANT.

Your programme includes:

• 1 lunch and 1 diner.
• Drinks during meals (¼ bottle of wine or beer or soft drink + ½ bottle of mineral water + 1 coffee or 1 tea).
• Transfers and visits mentioned in the programme.
• Services of a local English speaking guide.

Your programme does not include:

• Personal expenses.
• Other services not mentioned in the programme.
• Tips for the driver and local guide.

Note:

• Senegal is part of the West African financial community area. The local currency is the CFA franc which has a fixed exchange rate with the euro (1 CFA franc = 0.00152 euro, 1 euro = 655.957 CFA). US dollars are widely accepted.
• The official language is French, which is understood by the majority of people, and there are about a dozen local languages and several dialects. Greetings are very important and the easiest way to avoid making a mistake is to use traditional Arab greetings (Salaam aleikoum, Aleikoum asalaam).

Duration of the visits are given as a guide only. The order of the visits may be reversed. To know your PONANT flight schedule, please contact your travel advisor; it is also indicated on your electronic ticket included in your travel documents.