7 things you did not know about Senegal is that many of them love Senegalese football. The world over loves it also. Senegal is one of the African countries where French and English are the Lingua Franca. They have rich culture and traditions and are a very attractive spot for travel and holiday.
Seven things you may not know about Senegal are:
7 Things You Did Not Know About Senegal-The People who Love To Bake
A common sight in Senegal is waking to the aroma of warm pastries in the morning. You can see women carrying bundles of freshly baked baguettes in the morning as if you are on holiday in France. Senegal resembles France in this manner.
The aroma from the bakeries of pastries and bread is a pastime. This is the legacy of the French on the Senegalese and it flows to the hotels that serve warm croissants and pains du Chocolat as breakfasts in many of the hotels, resorts, and homes in Senegal. Baguettes are served with almost all meals. When served with patisseries, there is an emphasis on the impressing cakes and mouthwatering desserts. You savor the fragrance as you walk the streets of Senegal.
7 Things You Did Not Know About Senegal-Camp under a sky full of stars in the village called Lompoul
A place called Lodge de Lompoul is in the middle of the desert and worlds away from the capital city of Dakar. This is the perfect place to take a cool beer in the evening and sit and relax watching the beautiful dunes change from yellow to orange as it reflects the setting sun.
This amazing location is located three hours north of Dakar in the small village of Lompoul. It sits on the edge of a desert bearing the same name. A smattering of huts made with concrete and corrugated iron structures describes this location best and is a great getaway for the conservative. The empty patch of yellow sand dunes in the middle of a forested landscape is a great spot for tourists.
Regular vehicles will not do to explore the village of Lompoul. The best vehicle for the exploration of this village is a 4X4 truck to help travel the precipitous, rippling, foliage-clad dunes – an adrenaline-charged adventure in itself – before spending the night in a luxury tent for a night in the wild.
7 Things You Did Not Know About Senegal- natural attractions include a vivid pink lake
Senegal has bright pink waters. This phenomenon happens due to the high salt content, almost 40 percent in some places. The algae dunaliella salina causes it.
Lake Retba resembles a cloudy pink lemonade. It is not safe for swimming though because salt is terrible for the skin. Workers who spend time gathering the minerals cover themselves in shea butter before jumping in the water. This lake is even brighter at certain times in the year, especially during the dry season. This makes the lake even more striking and parts of the banks are made up of bright-white salt.
The lake is a buzz of activity all year round and men dig for salt under the water while women in bright colored dresses carry buckets full of salt on the head from the water to the high mounds on the shore.
7 Things You Did Not Know About Senegal-twitcher’s paradise
Senegal has a haven for hundreds of winged creatures. They are known for the exotic birds that gather. The Parc National de la Langue de Barbarie is located at the southern end of a long, thin, sandy peninsula. It is near the border of Mauritania. This fascinating reserve of over 160 different species of bird from different terns and gulls to pelicans and flamingoes is a national treasure. Pirogues, also known as traditional canoes can be hired to glide through the calm waters all afternoon for conservative observation of birds.
7 Things You Did Not Know About Senegal-Visit an island made from millions of shells
One hundred kilometers from Dakar, in the south of Senegal, is a place called Ile de Fadiouth. It is one of Senegal’s many islands, set in the ocean between a peninsula and a warren lush of mangroves.
It is different from other islands that dot the Atlantic coastline in that it is made of shells. The streets are paved with shells and the houses are decorated with them. The adjoining mini-island houses the Christian-Muslim cemetery.
Take a long walk to the top of the seashell mountains in the cemetery for a glorious view over the mangroves and azure waters.
They Have a Famous Jazz Festival
This beautiful city of St Louis, often sleepy, comes alive with strumming, scatting, and singing musicians ready to set the jazz standard high. The popular Saint Louis jazz festival has seen some of the prime names in jazz take to the main stage in the city centre and plenty of smaller acts performing in many venues around the city. There are many restaurants, hotels, and bars constantly abuzz with lots of excitement during certain seasons.
A walk down the street will have you listening to jazz on every corner. It could be blaring from the sound system in a shop or from a lovely session in some fellow’s back garden.
You can spot enormous baobabs over 1200 years old
There are baobabs everywhere you go in Senegal. No wonder it is also in the coat of arms. You can find baobabs in the city centre and the dry areas in the countryside.
Baobabs are distinctive trees with fat trunks. They grow up to 25 metres in circumference and have short stubby branches. They can live for more than a thousand years.
The baobab is a symbol of wisdom and longevity. Its fruit is used to make a sweet, deep-red juicy drink. They are called bui.
The baobab bark is used to make strong ropes. Whether they look like they are bursting out of the tarmac of a busy city road or they are standing silhouetted against the burning red Senegal sunset, Baobabs are beautiful. They are beautiful and are everywhere in the country of Senegal.
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