Montgomery College Program to Senegal and Gambia, Africa
Itinerary
Note: Listed sites and activities in this itinerary will take place, and additional time and visits to Cheikh Anta Diop University, the West African Research Center (or IFAN) and Fatick are under consideration. This itinerary will be further updated in June. B, L, D, =Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner provided at no cost
Day 1: Washington to Dakar
Overnight, direct flight on South African Airways.
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Day 2: Dakar
Arrival at Dakar airport. Meet and greet by ACT’s staff and transfer to hotel
Novotel Dakar. Accommodation at the hotel. Rest, or have options provided for exploring the city.
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Day 3: Dakar/Goree
Breakfast in hotel. Leave at 9:30am and take ferry to Goree Island. Goree island presents a powerful image of the history of the Transatlantic slave trade. The island has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO and was the largest slave-trading center on the African coast. Historically, it was ruled in succession by the Portuguese, Dutch, English and French. Will visit the House of Slaves; the Auction block, and the Door of No Return. Also, explore the Fort and the Ethnographic Museum. Lunch at native restaurant of Goree. Early afternoon visit the school of Goree, meet and interact with students and faculty. Attend lecture by Senegalese Professor of History on the theme “300 years of Slave trading in the Senegambia area.” Return to Dakar at the end of the day. Welcome dinner will be in a local restaurant and you will enjoy a lovely Senegalese dinner. Overnight at the Novotel. B, L, D
Day 4 : Dakar
Breakfast in hotel. Full day tour dedicated to the visit of Dakar in the morning: the main squares, the markets, handicraft centers, the popular districts that are quite picturesque and alive. Lunch in a local restaurant of Dakar. Afternoon visit to University Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), one of the oldest and most respected universities in West Africa. It’s divisions include science and technology, humanities, law and political science, business and economics, and medicine and pharmacy. In addition, it houses the seven national professional schools charged with the education and training of teachers, technicians, archivists, and journalists. Also home to several esteemed institutes, including institutes for the study of tropical medicine, applied mathematics, environmental studies, African political studies, and the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire (IFAN), which was founded during the 1930s, and which includes an important center for research on women's issues. IFAN manages three museums, including a renowned collection of more than 13,000 pieces of West African art. With the tour, comes meeting with faculty, student and staff of the university. Lecture by faculty tour leaders on site at the university, followed by discussions on the biology of Malaria parasites, the mosquito vectors and recent advances on malaria treatment and chloroquine resistant strains. Dinner in a restaurant of Dakar. Overnight at the Novotel. B, L
Day 5: Dakar/Kaolack
Breakfast in hotel. Leave Dakar at 9:00am for Kaolack in the Center of Senegal. Visit the Pink Lake, a shallow body of water whose distinctive color is due to salt deposits. Also explore Retba with its traditional Serer villages. Picnic lunch on the way. Arrival in Kaolack in the afternoon. Visit the town, capital of the “Peanut belt,” and visit its market rich with medicinal herbs and colorful African fabrics. Dinner and overnight at Relais de Kaolack lodge. B, L
Day 6: Kaolack/Banjul (the Gambia)
Breakfast in hotel. Leave Kaolack at 9:00am for the Gambia. Will cross the Gambia River by ferry. Arrive in Banjul around noon. Accommodation at hotel Atlantic and lunch. Afternoon visit Banjul, the central market, the National Museum, thetraditional tye-dye factories, the districts of Bakau and Serekunda. Dinner in a typical restaurant of Banjul. Overnight. B, L
Day 7: Banjul
Breakfast in hotel. Full day tour visiting the villages surrounding Banjul. Visit these Mandingo
villages deeply rooted in their African traditions. Meet with the populations and chiefs of villages who will welcome and interact with guests. Lunch in a restaurant in the surroundings of Banjul. Afternoon visit to the SOS Orphan Children village of Banjul. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Banjul. B, L
Day 8: Banjul/Saloum
Breakfast in hotel and leave the Gambia for the Saloum area. The Saloum islands are classified “Man and Biosphere” (MAB) by the United Nations. The Sine Saloum National Park, and the Niumi National Park are a single ecological complex, featuring wetlands and mangrove forests. The Saloum Delta National Park contains the largest mangrove forest is West Africa. Among the abundant wildlife are many species of birds, including flamingoes. The biosphere reserve is an enchanting region which extends over 180 acres. The delta is formed by the confluence of two rivers (the Sine and the Saloum) into the Atlantic. There are many lagoons and small islands fringed by palms and little fishermen villages which you can visit. Mangroves are dominant, but sand dunes, open forest on sandy soils, coastal waters and sand islands also characterize the area. Accommodation at the Paletuvier lodge. Lunch at the site. Afternoon visit by motor canoe the bird sanctuaries and the natural sites. Meet with fishermen of the Niominka ethnic group in the islands. Dinner and overnight at Paletuvier lodge. B, L
Day 9: Saloum/Saly
Breakfast in the hotel. Leave the Saloum for Saly beach resort. Visit traditional Serer villages and have lunch in Joal Fadiouth where the former President of Senegal Leopold Senghor (famous African Poet and novelist) grew up. Visit Joal and Senghor’s family home. Arrive in Saly at the end of the day. Dinner and overnight at Le Bougainvillées hotel. B, L
Day 10: Bandia
For one half day you will visit the Bandia Nature reserve near Saly. Wildlife with lions, panthers, gazelles, wild buffalo, and other animal groups. Fullboard in Saly. B, L
Day 11: Saly/Dakar
Return to Dakar in the morning and visit the West African Research Center. With its home in the African Studies Program of Boston University, the West African Research Association (WARA) was founded in 1989 to enhance collaborative research and scholarly exchange between U.S. and West African scholars, educators, and institutions and to increase knowledge about and interest in Africa in the U.S. It overseas office in Senegal is located in downtown Dakar. Lecture and discussion with our tour faculty, and those at the Center. Overnight on Dakar. B, L
Day 12: Dakar
Breakfast in hotel. Depart for the Mosque of Touba. The enormous mosque is the most visited Islamic pilgrimage site in West Africa. The Murridiya order of the Sufi branch of Islam is based in the city of Touba. Founded by Sheikh Amadu Bamba in the 1880s, Touba is a holy city and the center of the Murridiya order, which is devoted to spiritual purification and social reform. It is one of the largest and most prominent Sufi orders in Senegal, and was constructed to house the tomb of the Senegalese saint, Cheikh Ahmadou. Late afternoon return to Hotel. Dinner at local restaurant. B, L
Day 13: Dakar
Optional activities provided for those who want to explore the city. Preparation for departure back to the US. Farewell group dinner. Transfer to the airport. Assistance for check –in and departure. B, D
Day 14: Return to US
Board at 2:10am and depart for non-stop overnight flight to Washington, DC; arrive at 6:00am. B, L, D
