Delight with the best of Dakar, keeper of Africa’s history

Sprawled across the Cap-Verde Peninsula, in the far west of Africa on the Atlantic Ocean, Dakar is the grand capital of Senegal also commonly known as “le Paris d’Afrique” due to the modernized changes the former French colonial city went through.

From Kigali on the RwandAir’s feel and experience touch, the travel proved relaxing and refreshing. The homey feeling I received from flight attendants made me feel like I was practically at my neighbor next door, with the sole difference being on a moving aircraft.

It was 13- hour entertaining flight as RwandAir flew from Cotonou-Bénin, Douala-Cameroon, Abidjan-Côte d’Ivoire to finally land in Dakar. You’d wonder why I said entertaining –well, Joseph, the waiter was ever so charming while making sure that I missed nothing, and I was no exception for he did so with everyone. From tea to water; everything I was given beheld Rwanda’s imprint, the only thing I may have not yet checked is the provenance of the tasteful fish I ate, although I would bet it was from Rubavu’s waters. A generous applause goes to RwandAir’s team.

Arrived at my destination, I reveled at the beauty of the exotic capital of Senegal. The catching beauty was not really in its architecture nor the dusty streets or the roads collapsed by traffic: but rather in its atmosphere and cheerful people.

It is a friendly city with a very complex native language known as ‘Wolof’. I would even say that anyone would get a bit lost trying to understand this language. During my stay, I tried to learn some of it; like saying I’m good is ‘Maa ngi fi’ [Spelled as Mængiːfiː], saying Yes is ‘waaw’ [Spelled as Wæwu], Saying ‘My name is Philbert’ is ‘Maa ngi tudd Philbert’ [Spelled as Mængiːtudu].

As I toured the country, here are some of the places that make the nation so singular and that will definitely mark you if you ever decide to travel to Senegal.

Goree Island is a small 45-acre island located off the coast of Senegal that is only three kilometers away from Dakar. This quiet and quaint island was a prominent place for the development of Atlantic slavery trade and served as a center for expanding slavery trade by the Europeans.

The island which is considered as a memorial to the African Diaspora had over 20 million African slaves passing through it between the mid-1500s and the mid-1800s. During the African slavery trade, Goree Island was a slave-holding warehouse where African men, women and children were jailed before being shipped to the Americas.

The slave house that was built to keep the slaves had a small door called the “door of no return” through which every man, woman and child walked to the slave boat to be taken to the ‘New World’. The slave house built in 1776 remains intact to this day with cells and shackles, and is a major tourist attraction of Goree Island.

Chosen to be a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Goree Island still retains and preserves all the traces of its terrible past and displays to the world the miserable life once led by their ancestors.

Goree Island, located off the coast of Senegal was a prominent place for the development of Atlantic slavery trade and served as a center for expanding slavery trade by the Europeans.

The African Renaissance Monument, also referred to as Monument to the African Renaissance, is a bronze statue perched on Mamelles hill in Dakar, Senegal. The representation of a man, woman and child emerging from a volcano stands erect against the skyline in Senegal at 164 feet high, taller than the Statue of Liberty in the U.S.A.

Visiting this place will only cost you 4000 CFA which is Rwf6500 and you are free to roam around and inside this monument.

The monument that was built by the former president Abdoulaye Wade in 2010 is about the culture and future of the African continent. It’s represented by a man and his wife together holding the hand of the young one, which means the next century is better than the past. The whole monument encompasses all generations for the future of the continent.

Upon entering, the “lobby” of the monument has a distinct presentation dealing with African, and African diaspora history, covering various renowned leaders such as Léopold Senghor or Toussaint Louverture and various historically important events such as the slavery trade or colonialism.

The African Renaissance monument was built by former president Abdoulaye Wade in 2010. It’s represented by a man and his wife together holding the hand of the young one, which means the next century is better than the past

Saly is a beach resort area in the Petite Côte region of Senegal. A former Portuguese trading post, Saly Portugal village features restaurants and bars.

It is the “Rubavu” of Rwanda. It is one of the touristic resorts in Dakar and detains a much more relaxed energy than the center of the capital.

It is relatively clean and quiet. It is usually full of young people playing with street vendors and families.

A piece of advice would be that you stack some pants, since everyone in Senegal covers their legs pretty much. Also, the wind blows practically everything…dresses and skirts not spared.

Saly is a beach resort area in the Petite Côte region of Senegal. It is the "Rubavu" of Rwanda and one of the touristic resorts in Dakar.

To finish, le “Paris d’Afrique” may not be the most beautiful place on earth or a holiday destination for those seeking comfort but it has everything for a fascinating experience as a whole. You will be rendered speechless by the epic vistas of a gorgeously tropical and stunning natural beauty that is Africa.