Before I start with some photos I’ve taken during my stay in December 2021 (which is in fact a great time to go there as it is not too hot any more), I want to give some advice:
- It’s kind of easy to reach. Either you fly to Dakar and take a connecting flight to Ziguinchor’s small airport or take the ferry from Dakar (which takes more than a day though) or you fly to Banjul in The Gambia, stay there for some nights and travel to Ziguinchor by car. We actually did that and it was easy Just hire a driver in The Gambia that brings you to the Giboroh / Selety border crossing which cost us 1200 Gambian Dalasis (about 20 Euros) for the one-and-a-half-hour drive. At the Gambian side of the border just get your passports stamped and let your driver bring you to the Senegalese side. Let your passports get stamped there as well (as a EU citizen you don’t need a visa, e. g.), head on to the Gare Routière and grab a taxi or board one of the buses to Ziguinchor. You can still pay in Gambian Dalasis there but will for sure get a tourist price then :-). Be careful: The buses and sept-place taxis will only bring you to the Gare Routière in Ziguinchor and not to your actual place. You have to take a connecting taxi from there.
- And here’s the reason why I would suggest travelling to Ziguinchor by land: Simply because the landscape is overwhelmingly beautiful! You won’t be able to notice that from an airplane obviously.
- As you might already know, Sénégal is a francophone country and so is its southern part, the Casamance region. I advise you to practice some French before traveling there as in this region most of the people will not be able to help you with English. In my opinion it’s also a matter of respect to at least have some very basic knowledge of the host country’s spoken language. Of course you could also learn Wolof :-).
- Payment is made in CFA-Franc BCEAO (XOF) which has a fixed exchange rate of about 656 XOF = 1 EUR. You should always carry around some cash money in this region. Unlike Dakar, in Ziguinchor most of the places don’t offer card payment. But you can easily access a lot of secure ATMs there.
- The range of accomodations in Ziguinchor is manageable but doesn’t lack anything in my opinion. I mean, of course you won’t find a five-star champagne spa there but who would really need that. Back to the facts: You can stay in one of the hotels, e. g.: Kadiandoumagne, Le Perroquet, Nema Kadior. Or you try your luck on Airbnb or similar platforms to find a local host (which I did an preferred).
- If you follow a certain diet (e. g. vegetarian or even vegan) it will be hard for you to follow that as the regional cuisine relies on meat and fish mostly. I would definitely suggest finding a holiday apartment with a kitchen and cook by yourself.
- Don’t expect large supermarkets like in the Dakar region of Sénégal. You will find small Superettes and a local market. But you can find anything there to prepare proper meals, so don’t worry about that. Be prepared that any imported products are quite pricy.
But now I’ve bored you enough with all the facts and stuff. Let’s get to the photos to give you a more lively impression!
A boat tour on the river Casamance
That’s such a great activity you shouldn’t miss, just ask your host for that. The Casamance river offers a great biodiversity, especially when it comes to birds. But just let the pictures speak (we took a half-day tour in the afternoon/evening).
City stroll
Apart from the surrounding nature, the city itself also offers some nice sights. For example if you stroll along the fishing harbor, you can witness the curing of fishes or how the traditional fishing boats are manufactured. Also you shouldn’t miss out a visit of the French Alliance with its great architecture!
Cap Skirring
Easy and fast to reach from Ziguinchor, Cap Skirring is a popular tourist destination located by the sea. Thus it offers some very nice beaches you can enjoy the sunset at. We hired a local driver who took us there and picked us up after a few days. The round trip in a private taxi was 20000 XOF (about 30 EUR).
I hope I could give you some interesting insights to my view on the Casamance region around Ziguinchor. If you have any questions about the region, feel free to contact me.
Have fun exploring!
Philipp
