Budget & Tips
Campsites, hotels, lodges, guest houses and inns - there's a wide choice of accommodation in Senegal. Although there's something to suit every budget, prices will depend on the comfort you're looking for, and also on the city where you're staying.
In Dakar, for example, you'll be hard-pressed to find cheap accommodation, and will often have to pay twice as much as inland. As for hotels, there are several categories to choose from, from family-run structures to large luxury chains. Mid-range hotels combine good services (swimming pool, wifi, indoor bathroom...) with unrivalled friendliness. This type of accommodation is a good compromise, but you'll have to pay between €45 and €100. In Dakar, Saly and Cap Skirring, luxury hotels offer all the comforts a Westerner would expect to find in Senegal, but without the local ambience: stores, private beach, swimming pool, restaurants and entertainment. Apart from Dakar, most of them offer their guests excursions to parks or reserves, pirogue trips, deep-sea fishing... Prices vary according to the services offered, but you'll often have to pay between €80 and €150 for one night. For more or less the same price, you can also stay in luxury lodges or ecolodges, offering exceptional settings in the heart of nature, such as in the heart of the desert at Lompoul, on the edge of the mangrove swamp or on an island in the Sine-Saloum. A number of guesthouses have sprung up in recent years. They are run by Senegalese families, but also by Europeans. The atmosphere is warm and friendly, and you'll be able to benefit from all the advice and tips your hosts have to offer! Prices generally vary according to the comfort of the accommodation, from €20 to €50 per night. Campsites, too, have sprung up like mushrooms in recent years. They can be found in the interior of the country, usually in remote locations. They're the best way to discover Senegal and immerse yourself in the culture. They're charming, friendly and sometimes close to the "hotel" category. However, you may have to put aside your Western comforts for the duration of your stay. Rooms are in huts or bungalows, equipped with the bare minimum. Often, sanitary facilities are located outside, and you'll have to shower the African way, with a bucket of cold water, which tends to be lukewarm, or which you can ask to be heated. In Casamance, village camps are managed by the Fédération des Campements Villageois (FECAV), which ensures uniform prices and whose profits are used for activities of community interest. Prices vary widely according to location and the condition of the huts, ranging from €10 to €15 per person. You should also be aware that establishments are required to charge a tourist tax of 1,000 FCFA per day and per person, which may or may not be included in the advertised rate.
For food lovers
In guesthouses, inns or camps, you can sample local juices and homemade jams made from bissap or bouye. Hearty Senegalese specialities, such as yassa chicken or thié bou dienne, are also on the menu!
Tourist traps
Beware: in some big cities, Senegalese may accost you and offer you cheap but often unsanitary accommodation. These guest houses are illegal, and have no authorization. In the event of a problem, needless to say, you'll have no recourse.