Informations on African countries:

You are invited to discover Senegal country of the Senegalese «Téranga» where hospitality is present everywhere and guest is King. Joyfulness, nice mood and cheerfulness will accompany you during your whole stay and will fill records you will bring with you back home.We will offer you all opportunities to organize unforgettable holidays in Senegal according to the place you would like to stay: in hotel, in hotelier residence or in camping (rural tourism) and time available for your trip.

Position: Ouest Africa Senegal has 11126332 residents, and a surface of 196190 km2. The country is divided in 11 areas: Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, and Ziguinchor whom the Capital is Dakar.   The Official language is French while national languages are: Wolof, Peul, Sereer, Diola, Mankagne, Mandjacke, etc...
The currency in Senegal is CFA franc: (€ 1.00 = 656.00 F.CFA). Senegal has a presidential government; the president of Senegal is Me Abdoulaye Wade since March 2000. 

Climate: Senegal is located between the Sahel and the tropical forest. It has an ever-shining sun, beautiful natural sites, numerous parks and reserves all well provided in fauna and flora, 700 kilometres of fine sandy beaches from the north to the south of the country.Its landscape is mainly flat (200 m of altitude on average) with only few exceptions: the Cap- Vert volcanic peninsula, the “falaise” of Thies and the Fouta Djalon Mountain. Four rivers have their sources in the Fouta Djalon: Senegal River, Gambia, Saloum and Casamance.

The maritime area goes from Saint Louis to Gambia. There, the coast is made of dunes, separated here and there by fertile shoals, the “Niayes”. In the southern part of the Cap- Vert Peninsula, the coast is more indented: we will find there the “Toubab Diallao” cliffs and Sine- Saloum, the earth of the mangroves. Senegal has flourishing vegetation, with its hundred - years old baobabs and many natural sites.There are 2 climatic seasons in Senegal:-The dry season (October to June).: during this period there is basically no rain but sometimes a dry wind during the period from December to June.- The raining season (July to September): during this period it's quite always raining. Parcs of Djoudj and Niokolo Koba are closed and  also a few hotels in Casamance. With rain and water all over, there are also many mosquitoes and risk of malaria...Anyway, the best period to visit Senegal is between November and march. 

To see

l  Dakar: a cosmopolitan city: Formerly, Dakar was a fishermen village. Its inhabitants were then Lebou and Wolof. Dakar actually means “tamarind” in Wolof. During the 19th century, the colonists settled down in the city as Goree Island was becoming overpopulated. Thus in 1857, the army was transferred on to the mainland and installed on the present “Place de l’Indépendence”, as decided by Captain Protêt. From then and with its natural port as main asset, Dakar grew and developed to become a major administrative, political, military, economic, social and cultural city. More than 2 million people presently live in this cosmopolitan African city. To visit the presidential palace, facing the ocean, it is in the middle of a very beautiful garden. The IFAN museum it is dedicated to the West African arts and traditions, the picturesque covered market of Sandaga with its neo- Sudanese architecture; the coloured Tilene market, located near the “Medina”; and the Kermel market. Around the “Place de l’Indépendence” are the town hall, built up in 1914, the railway station, the very animated port and also the pier for Goree Island, the “Grande Mosquée” (Great Mosque) is one of most beautiful religious buildings in Africa. Outside city downtown there are Soumbedioune with its market of crafts and its important fishing port,“Les Mammelles”. two hills and former volcanoes, with the most occidental of the two supporting the most powerful African lighthouse. the “Pointe des Almadies”, the most western headland of Africa; Ngor, the island of artists is also a very animated small fishing port.

·         The Pink Lake «Lac Rose»: 30 km north- east of Dakar, the “Lac Rose” is one of the most visited spots of the Cap- Vert Peninsula. There are many camps around the lake to accommodate visitors. The “Lac Rose” also called Lake Retba, is famous for its pink natural colour due to the high mineral concentration and the presence of micro- organisms in the water. It is also the last stage of the Paris- Dakar rally.

·         Goree Island is less than four kilometres away from Dakar that you will reach in only fifteen minutes with the ferry. It is located in the middle of the natural harbour formed by the south coast of the Cap- Vert Peninsula and was since the 15th century and for centuries, a high stake for different European countries which successively used it as stops and slave markets.

·         The Small Coast: here is the most touristic area of the country: Saly Portudal with numerous hotels. It extends on nearly 70 kilometres between Rufisque and Joal Fadiouth. In the villages of Yene, Toubab Diallao, Ndayane, Popenguine, Somone, and Ngaparou, you will find wonderful beaches, small fishing villages and an ever-shining sun. The “Petite Côte” has also a calm sea as the Cap- Vert Peninsula protects it from the high wind.

·         Kaolack: full of tradition: you will visit the vestiges of the city, old capital of the Saloum Kingdom with its famous baobab of the initiated, often called “Gouye Ndiouly” and charming islands.

·         Saint– Louis & Senegal’s River: old capital of Senegal, you will find there also birds' parc: Parc de Djoudj.

·         The Eastern Senegal: the region of the Bassari population, a nation that has conserved intact its tradition and costumes.

·         Casamance is a region located in the south of Senegal, between Gambia and Guinea- Bissau. Most of the local activity is organised around the Casamance River. Palm groves, forests, mangroves and paddy fields are the region’s main characteristics.

·         Parcs & Reserves: The Niokolo Koba Park extends on about 900.000 hectares of land in the Eastern Senegal, the Djoudj national park is the third ornithological park in the world in the north of St-Louis, National park of the langue de Barbarie and Fauna reserve of Guembeul: south of St-Louis, the Saloum delta national park at 80 km west of Kaolack, the National park of the Madeleine or the small island of Sarpan, is a small island just a stone's throw away of Dakar. The Mbour nature reserve created in 1946. with 57- hectares is a protected site since 1987. Center of Tortoises protection in Senegal located in Sangalkam (at 6 km of Rufisque, on the road to Bambilor), Bandia private reserve: about fifty kilometres away from Dakar, Popenguine natural reserve on the small coast. The Basse Casamance national park and the Kalissaye ornithological reserve, temporarily unoccupied due to unrest in the region.

Practical advices

FormalitiesA valid passport is enough for U.E citizens and Canadians. Attention, passport has to be valid at least 6 months after the return. Visa is obligatory for Switzerland citizens. Usually, you have to show your return ticket upon arrival, otherwise, they may ask you a caution (equivalent to the cost of your return plane ticket.) On arrival, you will receive an unloading form to fill; you can give your embassy’s address if you haven’t reserved a hotel.For a journey longer than three months once in the country, you need a request written to Senegalese ministry of Intern Affairs explaining the reason of the extension joining the passport and one photo; you may wait 10 to 15 days.

Before your departure for Senegal

Before your departure, you can go to numerous hospitals for medical visit; usually there is at least one service for infectious and tropical diseases in each hospital. It’s better to visit the doctor before than after your trip…Don’t forget to visit the dentist, to get your vaccines, to take with your doctor’s address and phone number and to subscribe to a company of international assistance, take also with you a medical kit.

Once back in your country: if you have any problem, don’t forget to mention to your doctor that you are coming from Senegal: it’s important. Some travel companies will give a small paper showing your recent trip; that should be kept together with your Identity Card.First of all, you have to follow your anti-malaria treatment (during 4 weeks after your return.) Then don’t think that you have got all existing illness. You don’t have any reason to go systematically to the doctor at your return.

MONEY: Senegal is part of the zone Frank CFA whom the rate change is fixed: € 0.15 for 100 FCFA. Traveller checks may be changed only in banks and hotels with a pretty high commission….

Credit and Debit Cards: you can go in any bank you will find in main cities, they accept Visa and MasterCard. Get enough money in order to be sure to carry cash in case ATM is out of service. With Visa and MasterCard, you can get 200 000 F CFA (€ 300.00) with or without cheque book.

Shopping Throughout your stay, you will be tempted to buy a lot of wonderful thinks. «Sous-Verre» (scenes of life or typical frescos painted on a pane’s back) and pictures of sand painted are made by Senegalese people. Obviously as everywhere else nice works are expensive. If you want to buy large objects, wait by the end of your stay so you will not burden yourself with them. Dakar offers the largest choice.

Attracting paintings of the small trade: all over in Senegal, houses walls are enlivened with signs, publicities and decorations, that popular imagery has been created for passers who often cannot read. It emphasizes the trades of an entire community composed by craftsmen and tradesmen. All those frescoes express with realism, naivety and humour, all the Senegalese imagination and invention.

Good manners and habits: be informed that in Senegal, it’s extremely important to say hello before beginning any conversation and to tighten the hand of the person you would like to talk to.For sure: an honest Senegalese will never approach you by himself.Religion and beliefsToday 90% of Senegalese people are Muslims; the 10% left are Christians and animists. Religion is very important in Senegal. You don’t need to coveryour head, Senegal is a laic country.

Time Shift: the time shift with Europe is 1 hour in winter (when in Europe it’s 12h, in Senegal it is 11h) and 2 hours in summer.

Telephone: in Senegal, telephone works well and is efficient. You will find numerous calling points principally in west, in Casamance until Tambacounda, calling cards of 2000 to 25000 FCFA (€ 3 to 38.20). They are numerous private telecenters where it’s very easy to send and receive fax or message in case there is no telephone in your accommodation. You can also buy a cell card.

From Out of Senegal to Senegal: 00 + 221 + number of the correspondent
- From Senegal to Out of Senegal: 00 + country code + number of the correspondent (without 0 initial).If you have a mobile, get information from your operator to know if your subscription covers Senegal. For people who don’t have included in their subscription the “world” option, they are numerous card suppliers in Senegal.InternetYou will find everywhere internet point in big or medium cities, good internet speed, rates change according to the competition more or less 400 to 500 FCFA per hour (0.60 to 0.75 €) .

General Hygiene: wash hands and feet as often you can-Feet: if they have to be protected from insects, plants or mud by closed shoes, those shoes shouldn’t have any synthetic material in order to avoid your feet to sweat, same for sockets.-Wear only clothes in natural fibres, large enough to avoid them to stick on your skin and a large hatSun
Don’t hesitate to protect yourself with clothes covering all your body and to wear a hat, sunglasses filtering UV and a protective solar cream with a maximum filtration.

TRADITIONS: Feasts and public holidaysLocal feasts-

The «Fanal»: between the 24^th and 31^st December (get information before), Parade with the sound of tom-toms and songs, lampers made by residents.
- The «Fil» : in June to Touba-Toul (near Thiès). Dances and songs where are predicted events of the year: Four days, from Saturday to Tuesday.
- «Masque Kankourang»: in May, in Casamance. Fête malinké.
- Initiation Feasts: in Casamance and in bassari’s cities. They are often held during the school holidays (March –April) when initiates don’t go to school. You cannot assist to the ritual ceremony but you can assist to dances following and you can even take photos. Get information in villages especially if you hear songs or shots!
- Manidan: in April, in the area of Kédougou.
- Nit : in April, initiation fights of young Bassari.National Feasts civil & religious - 25^th December
- 1^st January.
- 4^th April: Independence Feast
- Easter Sunday & Monday.
- 1^st May: Labour Feast.
- Ascension Day.
- August 15^th: Assumption.
- Korité: important feast marking the end of the fasting period for Muslims according to lunar calendar.
- Tabaski (or mutton feast): according to the lunar calendar. Commemoration of Abraham’s sacrifice.
- Magal : to Touba. The “ Big Magal” commemorates exile departure date of the mourid confraternity’s founder, Cheikh Amadou Bamba and the “Small Magal”, his death. Impressive.
- Maouloud: Celebration of the Prophet Mohamed birth. At this occasion, there are also important pilgrimages towards mosques of each confraternity.
- Christian Pilgrimage to Popenguine : Whitsun Monday. In south of Dakar going towards the Small Coast.

TRANSPORT: transports are cheap, you will find taxis in different regions of Senegal: Folklore guaranteed.
Advices:  before leaving, think about your arrival time, the best is to leave early in the morning, as soon as the journey is a bit long; they are a lot of probabilities that you reach your destination late maybe during the night. Be organises consequently.

Taxis-brousse: they are breaks 505 not always comfortable but are the best way to discover landscapes and hidden villages in the heart of baobab’s forests. Anyway with the minibus, it’s the faster and cheaper way. Attention, taxis leave only when they have 7 travellers and don’t stop during the trip. You will find them to service station or to road stations. In case of accident, taxis have a very bad insurance, it’s quite impossible to get recourse.«Cars rapides», “mille-kilos”or “22-places”Under these terms you will find a lot of vehicle very different to each other. They are generally minivans painted in yellow and blue not comfortable and fitting more or less twenty people same as taxis-brousse, vehicles leave once full reason why you cannot schedule them. Usually they are stops shorter than taxis-brousse and are cheaper.

Rent a car: interesting only for 4 people but you have to know that with an ordinary car for tourism you are not authorized to frequent large streets. If you decide to rent a car, verify if it’s not preferable to hire also a driver (25% more). In all cases, if you rent a car check the inclusive insurances and who is responsible of eventual damages. Finally the frequency of control and contravention can discourage individual tourist. A small advice: in order to get back your documents as soon as possible, pay the contravention and don’t forget to ask kindly a receipt. You may not thing about it but you can sometimes take the plane, flights are scheduled by Air Senegal International from Ziguinchor to Dakar.

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EGYPT

The Arab Republic of Egypt is located in the north-eastern corner of Africa and south-western Asia. It is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by Palestine and Israel, on the south by Sudan, and on the west by Libya.
The country is about 1. 085 km from north to south and about 1. 255 km from east to west. It has a total area of 1.001.450 km2 and has a global population of 77.505.756 millions habitants. Egypt, commonly known as “The Motherland of the World”, “Land of Civilizations” and “The Greatest Power in Human History”, is reputed worldwide for its distinct 7,000-year-old record of civilization and immense wealth of knowledge.Amongst all civilizations and nations, Egypt has always maintained a unique position. Historically, Egypt is universally acknowledged as the world's most ancient state with a unified societal entity within its current geographical borders. Through this area there runs the River Nile starting from the Great Lakes in the heart of Africa, through northern Sudan where the Ethiopian tributaries collecting rain water flows into its main course. Running past the cataract area south of Aswan, it calms down, flowing smoothly down to its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea. Egypt has been referred to as the "Gift of the Nile" due to the river that has nourished the desert land and sustained one of the most ancient, continuous civilizations in the world. The country has long captured the world's imagination as the magical land of the Pharaohs and their awe-inspiring Pyramids of Giza, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to survive.

Egypt has been always a country of tourism where people used to ‎visit and see its antiquities dating back to the various eras and ‎civilizations. In the recreational tourism domain, there are scores of ‎unique tourist destinations such as Sharm -el-Sheikh, Hurghada, Safaga ‎and others. Moreover, Egypt is renowned for therapeutical and ‎environmental tourism as well as other kinds such as Safari, conferences ‎and sports.‎CharacteristicsCairo -the Triumphant City - is the glorious capital of Egypt, the cradle of civilization and the beacon of religion. It is the largest city in the Middle East and Africa and lies at the centre of all routes that lead to and from Asia, Africa and Europe. Cairo is the meeting point between past and present. On its east side stands the evidence of 2000 years of Islamic, Christian Coptic, and Jewish culture still flourishing till this day. On its west side lays the Ancient Egyptian city of Memphis (Giza), the renowned capital of the Old Kingdom and the site of the Pyramids. Indeed, a journey through Cairo is a journey through time, a journey through the history of an immortal civilization.Throughout Egypt, days are commonly warm or hot, and nights are cool. Egypt has only two seasons: a mild winter from November to April and a hot summer from May to October.TopographyEgypt is divided into four major parts:
1. The Nile Valley and Delta: extends from north of the valley to the Mediterranean Sea and is divided into Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt: extending from Wadi Halfa to the south of Cairo and from North Cairo to the Mediterranean Sea. The River Nile in the north is divided into two branches, Dumiat and Rashid which embrace the highly fertile agricultural lands of the Delta.

2. The Western Desert: extends from the Nile Valley in the East to the Libyan borders in the west, and from the Mediterranean in the north to Egypt's Southern borders.

3. The Eastern Desert : it extends from the Nile Valley in the West to the Red Sea, Suez Gulf, and Suez Canal in the East, and from Lake Manzala on the Mediterranean in the North to Egypt's southern borders with Sudan in the south.

4. The Sinai Peninsula: Sinai is shaped like a triangle with its base at the Mediterranean in the North and its tip in the South at Ras Mohammed, the Gulf of Aqaba to the East and the Gulf of Suez and Suez Canal to the west.

The Suez CanalThe idea of a canal linking the Mediterranean to the Red Sea dates back to ancient times. Unlike the modern Canal, earlier ones linked the Red Sea to the Nile, therefore forcing the ships to sail along the River on their journey from Europe to India.

The River Nile: is the longest river in the world, stretching for 4,187 miles. The Nile flows from south to north and is formed by three major tributaries: the White Nile, the Blue Nile and the Atbara.

AttractionsCultural TourismCairo is an Arab city that enjoys a remarkable standpoint among other cities of the world. Now, it constitutes a cross point of Arab and Islamic cultures. Beside its ancient glories, modern Cairo reflects the great renaissance achieved by Egyptian people. Cairo is the only city in the world that hosts antiquities of four civilizations: Pharaonic, Romanian, Christian and Islamic.

The Pyramids of Giza: they are situated about 10 km from Cairo, and comprise:
The Great Pyramid: The most famous structure in the world was built by King Cheops (IV Dynasty) around 2650 B.C., on an area of 13 feddans. Close to the eastern flank of the Pyramid of Cheops lie three small pyramids dedicated either to his wives or family members. Its height now is 137 ms (original height: 146 ms).

The Second Pyramid: built by Kephren, south-west of his father's pyramid though lower in height: 136 ms, it still retains, on some of its upper parts, the remains of the limestone that had once covered it all.

The Third Pyramid: built by Mycerinus (Menkaure), south-west of the Great and Second Pyramids. It is much smaller than either one (62 ms).

The Sun Boats (The Boats of Cheops): the Ancient Egyptians carved spacious areas in the rock, near the Pyramids. There they placed wooden boats, to be at the disposal of the King when he went on his journey of Day and Night with the sun god, Ra, in the after world.

The Sphinx: On the way to the Temple of the Valley, (of the pyramid of Cipher) lays the large statue of the Sphinx. It is one of most famous monuments in the whole world. It is, indeed, a legendary statue for it has the body of lion and the face of a man. It is 70 ms long and 20 ms high.
Saqqara:  is the oldest Ancient Egyptian cemetery. It lies on a desert plateau, south-west of Cairo. Above rises the step-pyramid and mortuary compound, built by the engineer Imhotep for King Zoser the first of the III Dynasty pharaohs. The pyramid is composed of six receding mastabas on top of each other.

Egypt on beach. Egypt has a wide range of beaches situated on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea that extend to over 3,000 km. The Red sea has serene waters, coloured coral reefs, rare fish and beautiful mountain. The Akba Gulf beaches also provide facilities for practising sea sports.Safaga tops the Red Sea zone with its beautiful location on the Suez Gulf. Last but not least, Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada, Dahab, Ras Sidr, Mars Alam, Safaga and the northern coast of the Mediterranean are major tourist's destinations of the recreational tourism.

Sharm El-SheikhSharm El-Sheikh, the biggest and most important city of Sinai, lies at the southern flank of the Peninsula where the two gulfs of Aqaba and Suez meet with the Red Sea. Coral reefs, under water and marine life, unmatched anywhere in the world, offer a spectacular and dazzling time for divers. There is wide room for scientific tourism with diversity in marine life species; 250 different coral reefs and 1000 species of fish.

Therapeutic TourismEgypt is considered one of the richest environments of therapeutic value by virtue of its natural resources and dry warm weather, Egypt is home to several unique sulphurous and mineral springs: in addition to the miraculously healing ability of the black sand found in the city of Safga.

Ecological TourismReserve of Saint Catherine: is situated in the zone of the valley of El Asbaéa and Al Arbeïne.  The mountain of Saint Catherine is the highest of Egypt 2.6411m  In the reserve of Saint Catherine there are mountains of Al Séfsafa, Sona'a, lthe red mountain and the mountain Kasr Abass.

Sport Tourism: Golf tourism brings high level tourists from the entire word in Egypt where many sportive championship have been held and continue to be.

Religious TourismThere are many religious sites in Egypt visited by millions adepts of the three celesta religions. There are on sites: Islamic records, copte, the monastery of Saint Catherine, tombs of prophets Saleh and Aaron, the monastery of Al Banat.