French Language Immersion in Senegal

Your overseas adventure has begun as you travel to Dakar. As your plane descends, keep an eye out for the country’s magnificent coastline and rolling foothills. This gorgeous landscape will be your new home for the next week! A local guide will wait to meet you at the airport and transfer you to your safari lodge. 

You have the rest of the afternoon to rest, unpack, and explore. Take a dip in the infinity pool, look for wildlife on the observation deck, or grab some coffee in the lobby café. In the evening, you will regroup with your guide to enjoy a buffet dinner, which is an excellent opportunity to get to know your guide who will be with you throughout your trip.

Begin your morning with breakfast and a French language class. This how you will start all your days on the trip. Learn essential French words before formulating more complex phrases and sentences. Be sure to apply what you learn to your experiences on this trip! 

Today, you will explore Dakar!  Begin at its colorful markets where locals sell fruits, art crafts, and fish. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a perfect souvenir to bring home. Next, view the city’s contemporary buildings and historical colonial homes. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant to test your French language skills. Following this, you’ll visit the independent square garden, African Renaissance Monument, Presidential Palace, and Fondamental d’Afrique Noire Museum. After a busy day of education, head back to your lodge for free time. 

It’s out of the city and into the desert on today’s tour. Can you say sand, desert, oasis, and cactus in French? Well, you’ll be able to after your morning lesson! You’ll pass many African villages on the way to the desert, so keep a lookout. Once you reach the orange dunes, jump on a quad to ride through the never-ending sandy terrain. Next, you’ll hop on a camel for a trek to a nearby oasis. Splash in the water to cool off before lunch. After having more free time to explore the area, you will head back to your lodge.  

Jump on a boat as you cruise to Senegal’s famous Goree Island. A guide will take you back into the dark ages of slavery in this area, where you can view former slave houses. The island is unique in that there are no roads or cars, allowing for a calm and quiet experience while you reflect on the sad legacy of slavery here and in the United States. Enjoy a home-made lunch prepared by the locals. Merci! Take some time to further explore the island and its people before heading back to your lodge. 

Lac Rose is a pink lake in Dakar, and one of the country’s most popular attractions. Today, you will head via jeep to Noflaye village where the park’s guide will educate you regarding various endangered tortoise species. Following this, you’ll proceed to Lac Rose. The lake gets its pink color due to the rare algae that reside in the water. Take a dip in Senegal’s wonder. Next, you will enjoy a game drive on dunes to visit a Fulani village and cruise along pristine beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy lunch at Lac Rose Restaurant before heading back to your resort. 

You can’t go to Africa without going on a safari! Today you will head into the  Foret de Bandia to do just that so be sure to touch upon your animal vocabulary. Jump on a 4×4 with a guide to sport hyaenas, giraffes, warthogs, buffaloes, green and red monkeys, and lions. Visit the Baobab Cemetery, which was a tree used as a graveyard centuries ago. End the tour at a gathering point for crocodiles. Be sure to absorb the spectacular beauty of the African savanna on this day tour. 

Time has flown by, and you have reached your final day in Senegal. Enjoy an early breakfast with your group and guides to reflect on your favorite moments of the trip, as well as what knowledge you will bring home with you. Following this, you’ll be transported to the local airport to head back to your country.