Dakar: Where the Sahara Meets the Atlantic

Dakar sits on the westernmost tip of Africa — a peninsula jutting into the Atlantic where the Sahel meets the sea. It is loud, colourful, musical, and deeply proud of its culture. Senegal is known as the "Land of Teranga" (hospitality), and in Dakar you'll understand why within hours of arriving.

Île de Gorée

A 20-minute ferry ride from Dakar port takes you to this tiny UNESCO-listed island. Pastel-coloured colonial buildings, bougainvillea-draped walls, no cars, and the House of Slaves — a museum in a former slave-trading house with a "Door of No Return" overlooking the ocean. It is one of the most powerful and devastating places I've visited. Allow a full afternoon. The ferry back runs until 10pm.

The Music

Senegal is the birthplace of mbalax — the rhythm invented by Youssou N'Dour that underpins all West African popular music. On any Friday or Saturday night, live bands play in clubs across the Plateau and Medina neighbourhoods. Drinks are cheap, the music is extraordinary, and the dancing — the Senegalese can dance — goes until 4am. Ask your hotel for recommendations; the scene moves.

Thieboudienne

Senegal's national dish is rice cooked in tomato sauce with fish, cassava, eggplant, and bitter tomato. It is served communally from a large platter and eaten with your right hand. Every household, every restaurant, every street stall has its own recipe. I ate it every day and it was different every time. A plate at a local tangana (street restaurant) costs 1,500 CFA ($2.50). It is one of the great dishes of West Africa.

African Renaissance Monument

The 49-metre bronze statue overlooking the Atlantic is the tallest statue in Africa. Love it or argue about it — Dakarois do both — but the panoramic views from the top are extraordinary. Take the elevator up, then climb the last stairs. On a clear day you can see Gorée.