Post: #1

Some weeks ago, I visited Dakar for 10 days and I stayed for 10 days in other regions in Senegal.

How to get in:
There are several european airlines going to Dakar. The airport is conveniently located just 10 minutes away from Ngor and Almadies districts (that's the places you probably want to stay anyway). No visa needed for US or EU citizens.

About Dakar:
No other city between Casablanca and Abidjan competes with Dakar in terms of infrastructure. There are good roads, a ferry port, a railway that is actually in use, although most passengers use a minibus or a taxi. There are many french supermarkets and even a (small) western-style mall. I was in other countries on that continent that do not provide all of that (except the minibus).
But don't misunderstand this: Dakar is a horrendous shithole.
Even Manila will offer you 100 times more amenities than the senegalese capital.
Most cars on the roads are Peugeot and Renault makes from the 1980's (read: no catalytic converter), and those vehicles are very poorly maintained. There's a lot of smoke coming from them and dust is everywhere due to its location near the Sahel zone. Air pollution is much much worse than in SEA or EE.

Culture:
95% of the senegalese are muslims. Most of them are tolerant people but they're still conservative, even in the capital. The same could be said about the women, sadly. The men can be a real pain in the ass - lots of self proclaimed tourist guides and other shady dudes who want to sell you stuff. Not to mention the notorious talibés - pertinacious children begging for money. True hospitality is not to be experienced here - locals see you as a walking ATM.

Language:
In Dakar, most girls speak french (the only official language), but the predominantly spoken local language is the Wolof, an annoying language. When you hear locals talk, you may think they're arguing. I only spoke french with the ladies. My guess is that only one out of three girls speak any english. Therefore, going to Senegal without french skills is not unlike visiting Russia without speaking any russian. You'll have to let go the majority of girls and the stunners as well.

Nightlife:
Not much to do, and overpriced in my opinion. Every experienced traveler has seen better. Nightlife is concentrated at the Almadies area, not far from the airport. There are some good nightclubs such as Barramundi, Five, Buzz and others. Cover charge can be as much as in western Europe, and I witnessed a to-see-and-be-seen vibe with people going out in bigger groups. For African standards, nightlife here is nothing special.
I only went to clubs with friends and therefore didn't game the girls. I probably didn't miss much - girls at big sitting tables with bottle service aren't my target anyway.
Some clubs are totally overcrowded and you cannot move at all, unless you have table service.
Outside of clubs are at times hundreds of senegalese dudes, hanging around with no intent to go inside one of those clubs. Lots of beggar children too, so watch your wallet.

Value for money:
Fail. Public transport is inefficient, even the locals use taxis, which cost more than in any Asian metropolis. Basic hotel rooms are usually at 40-50 Euros, upscale hotels start at 200 Euros. A small beer in a club in the Almadies is 5€ or more. Man I missed SEA!

Girls:
Tall and slim. Six feet tall girls are not uncommon.
Unfortunately, some are materialistic and have a "I'm not a hoe but give me 20€ for transport" approach. Not many girls have a fun personality.
Easiness I'd rate a solid 3.5 / 5. Some women required persistence and at least immediate game. Two girls I met played mindless games for an hour before they'd give up LTR.
For dates, I took girls to a bar or to a place with live music. During daytime, an invite for lunch at a simple snack bar didn't do me any harm. Bear in mind that Senegal is a man's world. The men have horrendous game and use lines such as "Nice tits, gimme your number." Don't be one of those guys. Girls here indeed value a nice guy, even more than in SEA or EE. An invite for lunch is absolutely okay as long as you have an exit strategy that directly leads to your place.

Things to do:
Not much to see or to do. Dakar is not a fun place. The best experience I got at a local market, which of course includes hassles galore. The beaches at at upscale hotels are okay but not free; the other beaches are dirty. With so few options, Gorée island is a must see, but it is riddled with aggressive souvenir vendors.
There are few neighborhoods in Dakar you want to visit, and even fewer places outside Dakar. 95% of the action in Senegal is in Dakar.

Nature:
Almost no interesting wild animals in Senegal unless you like birds, turtles and straying goats.
North of Dakar, at the Grande Cote, are sandy beaches and a small dune desert.
The villages offer no charms - rubbish everywhere.

Summary:
I've been to several African countries and Senegal is the most boring one. There can still be some thrills for an African newbie though. In addition, Dakar is expensive for a third world country, and offers little in return.
If you decide to visit this country, you need be aware that you end up paying more than in Thailand. You won't find as many english speakers as in the Philippines or Hong Kong. The local dudes will play on your nerves and the girls won't be as easy as in most SEA. Malaria, yellow fewer and air pollution are potential risks. Infrastructure is good for this region, but poor for anyone living in the west or SEA. Last but not least you probably won't be able to meet a fellow RVF member in here.

If you have any questions, I'll be glad to help.

- Selembao

Post: #2

Thanks man! The place doesn't sound too promising but I'll go there anyway. Did you get the bang?

Post: #3

Got the bang, and the senegalese flag.

Post: #4

I'm just wondering how much do you stand out if your not black? if so, is it in a good or bad way? and the terms of safety besides pickpockets

Post: #5

A white expat does not stand out very much, neither in Dakar nor in smaller villages.
But westerners who act like a clueless / lost tourist will stand out. Pickpockets and beggars LOVE tourists.
Therefore, do not set up a meeting or a date in public. Waiting in public is recipe for annoying experiences. Always meet inside bars, restaurants or just any guarded / fenced venue and wait there for the other one to show up.
As a white guy, I dealt with surprisingly many gold diggers...
All other than that Dakar is pretty safe as long as you apply common sense.

White people do have a higher SMV in general, but the effect is rather small. You need game if you want to succeed here, pussy won't fall into your lap.

Post: #6

I just got back from Dakar and add my 2 cents. Selembao's datasheet is on point, so I'll be brief. Also, bear in mind that I only spent 5 days in the city and hence, my experience is rather limited.

Communication:

It was very difficult to communicate with the locals. Almost nobody speaks proper english and if they do, they'll probably want to sell you stuff. You'll be able to get around and have some fun, but I feel that I missed out on most of the action because of the language barrier.

Girls:

Fine girls are plenty in Dakar, but I was unable to get the bang because I couldn't talk to them. Only the pros/ semi-pros spoke english and I'm not down with p4p much less in Africa. Being white didn't give me a big SMV boost. Too many expats around.

Stuff to see and do:

Like Selem said, not much in the conventional sense. For me though, as an Africa-newbie, just heading to downtown, watching people go about their business was fun enough. Also, the beaches are nice enough to have a few beers (I wouldnt go into the water, looked pretty grimey).

Nightlife:

Full of pros/semi-pros. It felt a bit like the Dominican north coast (Sosua). One place I liked was the Just 4 U, great live music and normal people.

Food:

Rather basic in total. Great grilled fish and seafood, though.

Value for money:

Almost everything is very expensive for a 3rd world country. If you are on a budget, go elsewhere.

Safety:

I mostly felt safe. The city looks like a shithole but nobody approached me aggressively. Use your brain and you'll be alright.

In conclusion:

It was my first time in Africa and as such, despite all the negative points mentioned before, I enjoyed my stay. I'll head back to the continent, but next time to a country where I speak the language.

Post: #7

Thanks for keeping your word and reporting about your experience.

Post: #8

BoiBoi, if I am not mistaken, I advised you and others on this forum to skip tourist-trap Senegal (and preferably head to Ivory Coast)... you now know why... You'd have spent a bit less in Abidjan, seen splendid green nature nearby, and easily gotten local women, if it is your thing.

Also, regarding Senegal, do note that Western agencies think that the new wave of terrorists will be trained in, and come from, Senegal. They'll mingle with the annoying-at-hell Senegalese illegal street-sellers in Europe, and shoot holidaying Westerners on beaches, this Summer, or so are assorted intelligence agencies hinting at...

Post: #9

(04-29-2016 12:09 PM)Going strong Wrote:  BoiBoi, if I am not mistaken, I advised you and others on this forum to skip tourist-trap Senegal (and preferably head to Ivory Coast)... you now know why... You'd have spent a bit less in Abidjan, seen splendid green nature nearby, and easily gotten local women, if it is your thing.

Also, regarding Senegal, do note that Western agencies think that the new wave of terrorists will be trained in, and come from, Senegal. They'll mingle with the annoying-at-hell Senegalese illegal street-sellers in Europe, and shoot holidaying Westerners on beaches, this Summer, or so are assorted intelligence agencies hinting at...

Yeah, indeed you did. I went to Dakar mainly because I got the flight for almost nothing. Next time, I'll head elsewhere for sure. Anyway, thank you for your piece of advise!

Regarding terrorists, I have no clue. People for sure were mainly muslims, but they didn't strike me as overly religious (maybe 30% of the women wore headscarfs, lots of people drinking beer and smoking weed). Then again, I couldn't understand a word of what they were talking about and was only there for 5 days, so I might as well be completely mistaken.

Post: #10

(04-29-2016 12:18 PM)BoiBoi Wrote:  

(04-29-2016 12:09 PM)Going strong Wrote:  BoiBoi, if I am not mistaken, I advised you and others on this forum to skip tourist-trap Senegal (and preferably head to Ivory Coast)... you now know why... You'd have spent a bit less in Abidjan, seen splendid green nature nearby, and easily gotten local women, if it is your thing.

Also, regarding Senegal, do note that Western agencies think that the new wave of terrorists will be trained in, and come from, Senegal. They'll mingle with the annoying-at-hell Senegalese illegal street-sellers in Europe, and shoot holidaying Westerners on beaches, this Summer, or so are assorted intelligence agencies hinting at...

Yeah, indeed you did. I went to Dakar mainly because I got the flight for almost nothing. Next time, I'll head elsewhere for sure. Anyway, thank you for your piece of advise!

Regarding terrorists, I have no clue. People for sure were mainly muslims, but they didn't strike me as overly religious (maybe 30% of the women wore headscarfs, lots of people drinking beer and smoking weed). Then again, I couldn't understand a word of what they were talking about and was only there for 5 days, so I might as well be completely mistaken.

You are not mistaken as to the fact that the vast majority of Senegalese are not fanatical islamists. The Senegalese are not, in general, crazy people.

But, would they denounce or expel "active islamists" hiding within their community, that's the troublesome question.

Anyway, best of luck for your next trip!

One last word of advice, though: sometimes, plane tickets are cheap because the proffered destination is (currently, and for various reasons) shitty. Think, cheap tickets to Senegal or Tunisia. Just don't go.

Post: #11

Thanks BoiBoi for reporting. I'll comment on some of your points:

(04-29-2016 09:51 AM)BoiBoi Wrote:  I just got back from Dakar and add my 2 cents. Selembao's datasheet is on point, so I'll be brief. Also, bear in mind that I only spent 5 days in the city and hence, my experience is rather limited.

Communication:

It was very difficult to communicate with the locals. Almost nobody speaks proper english and if they do, they'll probably want to sell you stuff. You'll be able to get around and have some fun, but I feel that I missed out on most of the action because of the language barrier.

Selembao: I can absolutely confirm this. The locals speak their own language (Peul/Wolof) and use french as a lingua franca. English is not widely understood.

Girls:

Fine girls are plenty in Dakar, but I was unable to get the bang because I couldn't talk to them. Only the pros/ semi-pros spoke english and I'm not down with p4p much less in Africa. Being white didn't give me a big SMV boost. Too many expats around.

Selembao: Prostitution is legal, the girls just need a registration. Senegal is a stable country too, so those factors attract whores from Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria...

Stuff to see and do:

Like Selem said, not much in the conventional sense. For me though, as an Africa-newbie, just heading to downtown, watching people go about their business was fun enough. Also, the beaches are nice enough to have a few beers (I wouldnt go into the water, looked pretty grimey).

Nightlife:

Full of pros/semi-pros. It felt a bit like the Dominican north coast (Sosua). One place I liked was the Just 4 U, great live music and normal people.

Selembao: I was in bars where 90% of girls were pros. But I think it also depends on the day and venue. I remember a club in which were almost no pros.

Food:

Rather basic in total. Great grilled fish and seafood, though.

Selembao: The grilled fish is very tasty. But I stopped eating it altogether when I found out that almost all restaurants get their supply from the local markets, and the hygienic conditions over there are, let's say, not good.

Value for money:

Almost everything is very expensive for a 3rd world country. If you are on a budget, go elsewhere.

Safety:

I mostly felt safe. The city looks like a shithole but nobody approached me aggressively. Use your brain and you'll be alright.

In conclusion:

It was my first time in Africa and as such, despite all the negative points mentioned before, I enjoyed my stay. I'll head back to the continent, but next time to a country where I speak the language.

Post: #12

In response to some PMs I received, some sources:
http://www.ibtimes.com/after-ivory-coast...ke-2337915

"The government beefed up security in Dakar and other major cities following the January terror attack in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, but the country must also consider softer targets, like the seaside resort area of Saly that is popular among expats.

“Senegal needs to pretty dramatically increase security in these resort towns,” Meservey of Heritage Foundation said. “There’s a trade-off there because you don’t want to scare tourists and that has economic implications. But it’s far worse to have an attack where lives are lost.”"

But much more worrying is the following, and it should have its own Thread in the travel section I think (number 1 global threat this Summer):

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/...r-sunbeds/

"German newspaper Bild reports that the jihadists planned to conceal themselves in tourist resorts posing as (note: Senegalese) refreshment vendors.

They would detonate suicide belts and bombs placed under sunbeds at ... Italian and German resorts, German newspaper Bild reported."

"The suspects are understood to be based in Senegal and are supporters of the Isil-allied jihadist sect Boko Haram, Bild reported.

As they regularly travel between Africa and Europe on business trips, they are already capable of embedding themselves in European resorts under the guise of selling snacks and souvenirs.

Seck Pouy, a police chief from Senegal, told Bild: "They want to strike Italian... and (other) beaches. They will exploit certain radicalized vendors who travel regularly between Italy and Senegal, apparently for work.”"

Post: #13

Another country in a war against terror, sadly.

I visited African countries with very tight security...police checkpoints on almost every intersection, security equipped with metal detectors at hotels, supermarkets, even very basic snack bars.
Dakar is surprisingly easy. Doormen at clubs don't sift through your bags, you can enter even upscale hotels without hassles. Heavy armed policemen only in front of places of national interest.

Every year, we have more and more countries "increasing" security, hassling and monitoring their own citizens.

(04-29-2016 02:58 PM)Going strong Wrote:  “Senegal needs to pretty dramatically increase security in these resort towns,” Meservey of Heritage Foundation said.

Post: #14

Going Strong, weren't a bunch of Euro tourists slaughtered at a beach resort in Grand Bassam near Abidjan recentley?

Post: #15

(04-29-2016 07:52 PM)scotian Wrote:  Going Strong, weren't a bunch of Euro tourists slaughtered at a beach resort in Grand Bassam near Abidjan recently?

Kind of. The terrorists were in any case and very probably aiming at European high-society members, who were congregating at the famous Hotel Ivoire at around the same time... among the likely targets of the attack was, obviously, Carla Bruni, starring at the Hotel Ivoire (well protected) global conference... eye bleach: