I write this report as a small travelogue to the West African country of Senegal. I read all of these sites and I find the information very useful but all of it seems to be coming from the same places. While I can’t provide specifics or pictures because I am writing this information from memory, I think I can contribute good information that may be useful to a future traveler. This information is based on approximately 7 trips I made to Senegal between 10/98 and 01/03. The first part is mostly practical travel information, later I discuss more useful information. I focus on practical information because this is the most difficult part of travel in Africa, should you go to Africa for sex, you will most likely spend more money on beer than pussy.

Senegal is a Muslim country on the coast of West Africa. There are direct flights on South African airlines 2 or 3 times per week for less then $1000RT from NYC. It is a good flight, less than 8 hours.

Senegal is very, very safe and hassle free for the experienced traveler.

Upon arriving at Mohamand Segnor airport in Dakar, you will pass through most friendly customs. They will tax obvious consumer goods but nothing like Nigeria or Cameroon. Africa is well known for customs agents trying to extract bribes from travelers. I have traveled to Africa more than 50 times and problems with customs officials is very true but in Senegal this is not an issue for the normal tourist. You simply check through customs as you would in NYC on a busy day. I only carry a small backpack, your mileage may vary.

Upon exiting the customs area, it is usually early morning; you walk into a small but relatively modern arrivals area with regular things you would expect to see in an airport; car rental counters, money exchange, cafe, duty free, a couple of guards with automatic weapons but nothing too intimidating..... Most of the hustlers are not allowed in the airport, only official hustlers are allowed in the airport. I always have a buddy pick me up but I talk to these guys, they are not criminals, they only want to make a buck or two to help you with your bag, I never need this service because I only have one bag but I would keep an eye on them. They will try hard to get you to hire them.

As you leave the airport, on an AM, you walk outside to little activity for an African airport. I have traveled to most int'l airports in West Africa, places like Lagos, Douala and Accra there are thousands of people leaning over the gate. It is quite intimidating for the lone, first time traveler, even when you are sitting behind the security gate waiting for your ride. When you walk outside people are tugging at your bag wanting to help you. Maybe they just want a small tip (25 cents), maybe they will run off with your bag. In Dakar, you have none of this. It is very sleepy and relaxed outside of the airport. Of course some people will ask you if you need taxi/change money/hotel but a simple "Non s'il vous plait" (NOH SEE VUU PLAY) is fine.

What I do is to see one taxi driver out of my peripheral vision and pick him out, I say this is my taxi, this is my friend and I want to go with him, negotiate a price (IMPORTANT!!!!!!) and go. Actually think when you were a little kid, you were taught to be suspicious of people who approach you but it is ok to approach stranger if you have a problem. First principles brothers.

Ride into Dakar is interesting, about 30 minutes, about $15, desert, architecture that is Africa/Arab/European. You don't get to see the people carrying eggs/car tires/soccer balls/water cans on their heads like you do in other African countries but it is a mellow ride with light to medium traffic.

Hotels suck. I would NEVER, EVER< EVER pre-pay for a hotel more than 2 nights in advance. Get there, get your stuff in order, when you are in the street, you can find another place. Is important to have a night in advance (I travel to Bogota or Rio with no prior reservations but in Africa if you don’t have a friend it is a necessity.). If your hotel is $80 and it sucks but it doesn't suck that bad then you did pretty good. You should be able to find a $50 hotel that is about comparable to what you would find in Mississippi for $20.

Safety; Violent crime is non-existent. If you are alone, constantly people try to hustle you pulling all kinds of shit on the street. Heymyfreind, heymyfreind, whereyou from...... I walk very fast like I live there and don't talk to strangers (unless I initiated the conversation in which case people are nice) and put paper or dirty socks in my pockets. Learn how to be clever about hiding your money, only bring things you are prepared to lose.

Girls: Ground zero is Africa Star Nightclub. Dakar is fairly centralized; you have your downtown section and some suburbs. Basically the centre revolves around Place de la Independence. If you go there, just pick up a taxi and ask him to go to Africa Star. You need to be able to speak French enough to say "how much to go to.....". maybe $1 taxi to Africa Star from there. If you can’t speak French at all you will always be able to hire a friend on the streets for a small tip, he will tag along with you everywhere and only leave when you ask him to. Sometimes these guys can be helpful but trust on a case by case basis only after you know then very well. Don’t worry about finding him, he will find you.

Africa Star is on a little street with another bar across the street (Texas Bar) about 5 blocks from the Place de la Ind.. You walk inside, on weekends they have a cover ($3), looks like a white trash bar you would find in the US, go to the bar, order a beer. They have urban dance music playing. Nothing like being the only white guy alone in a crowded African dance club at 2AM with music blaring (WHATCHU WANT FROM A NIGGA!) but I felt completely safe and I have been here at least 10 times. In the back they have couches (someone hides condoms in the couches). Girls will mob you, or you can brush them off and approach the one you want, buy her a drink and take it from there. Most of the girls here are from Sierra Leone, Gambia and Liberia and speak English pretty well. Price depends on you, maybe 10000CFA ($16), maybe 20000 ($32), maybe free. If the girl is a nice girl this will be for as long as you want, if the girl is on drugs then she will try to leave so she can immediately smoke the money you gave her or go back to make more. On any given night there are 20-40 girls here with 3:1 girl/guy ratio.

There are many other bars in Dakar and chances are 99% if the woman is alone she will go with you. Regular pretty brewpub type establishments. Hit/miss ratio here is like 90%. Maybe buy a drink, maybe will want a tip like money for taxi but I think it is the only reason she is there, it is a Muslim country so unlike the US girls can't just be out at night alone in bars.

I am not into black girls at all but if this is your thing, you will find more of what you need fast. For example in Africa Star last time I was there in January, I sat at the bar, ordered a cold Flag beer. One girl sat on one side of me (very nice girl, little chubby from Gambia, when I say chubby I don’t mean pookie, I mean 10 extra pounds, my standards are brutal), another sat on the other side (dead on, I mean dead on Whitney Houston look-alike from Senegal, lived in Spain for 5 years, spoke English as good as me, wow, hot, hot, hot). I just played it cool. I talked to both of them at once in English, bought them both a beer, said I was tired, we will have another beer, dance a little and Whitney suggested maybe both would give me a massage to make me feel better. Well the beers are only $1.25, I said I only have $50 and I need to pay by beers and taxi home and motel, so what is left you can have. We go to a motel 2 blocks away, it is $11, the girls are not into each other at all, the chubby girl I think it is her first time out, the Whitney Houston girl I think is addicted to something, she is all asking for more money, more money, chubby licked me everywhere while Whitney blew me 2 times to completion sans condom (poor judgment). Then we all made plans to go out, I met them in the bar 30 minutes later, Whitney never showed up but I hung out with chubby all night at an outdoor place near the pier (any taxi can find), didn’t take her home but she showed me a lot of cool places (Samba club, Bar Havana), she begged be to take her to my hotel so she can give me a massage but I was afraid to bring her there. Two nights later, I ran into Whitney and she was pissed, where the hell were you…… I came to the bar an hour later and the bartender said you left with the other girl…… Apparently she waited all night for us. I got to know her a little better and she is addicted to something, bad news.

Only problem is the food sucks, the hotels suck, nobody speaks English but the people are very friendly and the weather is nice. For safe adventure it is top notch, within 3 hour drive there are so may unusual things to see, pink lakes, beaches made of seashells, deserts, jungles, beaches, slave forts, etc, etc, etc, I don't believe it is worth a trip specifically for sex but if you made the trip 50% adventure, 50% romance then it would be worth your while. See, if I travel I don’t care about busting a nut, I don’t visit the thermas or massage parlors, I like the head games, the bullshit, the temporary love, I love chasing girls in my own country. It is more troubling but to me it is more rewarding. I am young and I would like to learn my lessons the hard way myself. I like to go to someplace like Brazil, you can meet a girl, temporarily fall in love, escape to Buzios or Saquerema and live like James Bond. That’s why I read these boards, to find places like these for easy romance but that’s just me. In Africa, not possible but in Africa the sky is the limit, you are not James Bond here, you are king. Forget whores, to find a beautiful Naomi Campbell look-alike girlfriend who wants nothing more than your company, to be taken out to simple dinners and a little respect is like free candy, easier than shooting a fish in a barrel. If this is your cup of tea then go for it, you won’t be disappointed.

I hope your name doesn't imply anything about what you post. This was an excellent report about a place that no one ever goes to. Trip reports on Africa on any monger board are almost nonexistent. I knew Senegal was in West Africa and that was about it. Feel free to write more about the place or other African countries. You are opening virgin territory here.

MI,

Great info on Senegal. Now about your James Bond fantasy. It can happen but in a places like Rio and SP, with so much pussy floating it may be hard to resist.
Remember, time is your enemy. If you were there for over a month, then maybe but for a week or two I'm going full throttle.
You can still go to Buzio with a girl from Rio. may cost you some $$.

CN

Thanks for the good information.

I've always been curious about Africa. This helps.

Just browsing & thought that I would throw in my two cents on Sengal. I was in Dakar for a few days on business last year. Stayed at the Le Meridien President, next door to Club Med. Nice hotel to international standards but NOT cheap. Anyway, Africa is a lot more fun if you have money. Didn't have a chance to go out on the town but the hotel bar was good enough. Found a nice, pretty young Senegalese girl who was squeeky clean head to toe. Great sex, no hassle. Dakar is the most cosmopolitan city in West Africa with good restaurants & clubs. I would recommend it. Also, see my trip repoort of Sierra Leone.