One of the most stable countries in West Africa, Senegal has long shone out as the safest travel option in this part of the world.

A country of 2 parts, the north where capital Dakar lies is located in a dry arid area, not surprising given how close the Sahara is!

Flanked by the Atlantic Ocean, don’t miss spots in this part of Senegal that include the UNESCO-listed Saint Louis in the north and leisurely Lake Somone in the south.

The other part of Senegal is known as the Casamance and lies below The Gambia (which is a separate country surrounded by Senegal on 3 sides).

The Casamance region is much more lush, tropical and green, boasting a huge year round rainfall and some seriously stunning coastline.

If you’re looking for a tropical beach getaway, this is the place!

A conservative, Islamic-majority nation, travelling in Senegal means dressing conservatively, especially in towns or cities, but local transport, namely buses and shared taxis, known as Sept-Place, are easy to navigate.

I travelled in Senegal as a solo female and even with basic French, managed to get around safely.

You do, however, need to be used to travelling alone as, despite visiting Senegal in the country’s high season from November to March, I met hardly any other travellers at all, let alone other solo females!

Nevertheless Senegal was a country I’d wanted to visit for ages and I spent a great week there ticking another African country off my list.

Learning more about my adventures in these blog posts I wrote…