Is Senegal Safe for Tourist?

Sineta George - SenegalStyle

Security Concerns for West Africa in General & Senegal in Particular!

(Guest Blogger Sineta George owner of Senegal Style. Original post Thorn Tree Travel Forum)

 Hello again and Greetings from Senegal!

It's as safe now in Senegal (and Casamance) as it ever was as long as you stay away from obvious hot spots, political rallies and/or protests.

I originally did a post this summer on another online travel forum when there were protests about power shortages (which we don't have anymore) and now, here we go again.

We've got another travel advisory flagged for Senegal (because of the elections), in big red letters, a 'Travel Alert' - Safety Concerns and you have raised an important issue to many people that have never been to West Africa and therefore pay a lot of attention to these types of warnings. I wish to put this issue into perspective however.

Having said that, let me state for the record that I am an America woman, single parent of 3 young American adults that spent 12 years of their lives here in Senegal, with me. 2 are back in the US and I have one 18 yr old still in school, here in Dakar.

I moved here in 1999 BECAUSE it is such a peaceful and tranquil country.

Most people have never heard of Senegal because there's not been any wars, famine, epidemics (HIV/AIDS rate is less that 0.7%!), capital punishment, child pornography rings, slavery or anything else that would normally get a country in the news.

The Senegalese people are guilty only of exercising their civil rights - the freedom to protest against their government and every time they do, Senegal gets slapped with a travel advisory by western embassies, namely the US and Canada and then everyone else follows suit.

HOWEVER, and this is really the crux of the matter, in light of all the 'Occupy' wherever protests going on in the US and other places - why aren't there travel warnings to Washington, DC? New York? Greece? The Italian people are always having a protest about something and so is France but there isn't any (serious) travel warnings about those countries.

Did you ever wonder why?

To make another point, the 10 cities with the highest murder rates in America are (and I just googled it and you can do your own research, the results may change but the point is the same):

Jacksonville, FL
Miami, FL
Memphis, TN
Orlando, FL
Birmingham, AL
St Petersburg, FL
Tampa, FL
Dallas, TX
Los Angeles, CA
Atlanta, GA

As I said previously, I'm American and my home state is Florida. If you do a google search for a list of the top ten cities with the highest murder rates like I just did, you will find that Florida has 5 of the top ten per capital , (and to me, that's a 'security concern' ). Has anyone ever seen a 'Travel Advisory' to the state where Disneyland is located? (Number 4!) Atlanta, GA, Dallas, TX and Birmingham, AL are right next door and throw in Tennessee to the mix then it becomes 9 of the top 10 are in the south. That's sad.

If you look for the top ten LOWEST murder rates, Senegal comes in 2nd from the bottom. Iceland has the lowest murder rate, followed by a bunch of West African countries (6 all together out of 10) that ALWAYS get travel warnings issued against them!

This is where I got the info above from:
chacha.com/question/…comments

And again, using online states going from the bottom, being Iceland to #10, Oman:

Iceland
# SENEGAL
# BURKINO FASO
# CAMEROON
Finland
# GAMBIA
# MALI
Saudi Arabia
# MAURITANIA
Oman

Think about that. All these places (I put in caps for emphasis) are West African and have travel advisories against them. In some cases, yes a few people, adventure travelers in remote places and ngo people not following their security guidelines have died in some type of random violence in a year. Count them all up for 2011 and it's less than the body count over New Years in the US. Where I come from, a few people are murdered every weekend and random violence... let's not even go there! At least once a month someone goes 'postal' and shoots several people at once.

What's the difference but you're worried about safety over here?

Just because you have a visa to travel doesn't mean it's a safety shield from destiny or plain bad luck. Adventure travelers, people who meet a stranger, call him a friend and then go off in to remote locations with no plans, no local contacts, nothing, truly expect that nothing should happen to them BUT WHAT'S SURPRISING, is that nothing usually does.

Try doing this in your home country and see what happens to you. Africans are much more forgiving of western mentalities for 'thrill seeking' and adventure travel and put up with it every day.

This link:
mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/countries-with…

Senegal is number 2 in the world with the fewest murders and Orlando (Disneyland) is the 3rd highest in America. Those crime rates are never reported on CNN or BBC or even Aljazeera are they?

What's wrong with this picture?

Don't change your travel plans folks, stay away from political rallies and exercise the same judgment here that you would if you were at home in a large city and you'll be fine.

The places we come from in the western modern world are way more violent than Senegal or any other '3rd world country' in West Africa will ever be!

Do your homework online and feel free to email me at SenegalStyle@gmail.com.

Doin' it SenegalStyle!
Sineta George - Google me; I'm legit!
Website: http://senegalstyle.wordpress.com/http://senegalstyle.wordpress.com/

Pink Lake - Senegal

Pink Lake - Senegal

One of the most interesting, beautiful attractions and rare natural phenomena in all of Senegal lies just 30 minutes (about 32 kilometers) north of the capital city of Dakar and a few hundred meters off the Atlantic Ocean. Located in the middle of small villages in the midst of a baobab forest, the Pink Lake (also known as Retba in Wolof and Lac Rose in French) is a warm, large but shallow lake with a high salt level that makes it possible for virtually anything to float on it.

As its name implies, the Pink Lake has a stunning, mineral-rich, pink-to-reddish color caused by a unique combination of microorganisms and a high concentration of salt crystals. Time of day and position of the sun further determine periodic changes in its color. Perhaps the water’s most stunning colors are apparent at dusk or dawn, during which the interplay of sunlight with rock-forming mineral deposits (know as feldspar) produces a shimmering effect through the water, emitting a pervasive violet tinge. This staggering brilliance is intensified by the patches of white foam that gather at its borders.

A leading tourist attraction, the Pink Lake appeals greatly to locals and visitors who flock there to float in its calm waters, relax on its sand dunes, or explore its surrounding baobab forest and nearby villages. This way, they are able to have ample insight into local village life, lively vegetable markets, and traditional Fula culture. The lake also served as a standard terminal for the Dakar Rally, where some competitors swim and cool off after taking part in the race at breakneck speeds. (Formerly known as the Paris-Dakar Rally, the Dakar Rally is an annual off-road, automobile race that has traditionally taken place from France to Dakar since its inception in 1978. Due to a number of security concerns, however, other regional locations are now being considered for the race. In, 2009, for instance, the rally took place in South America.)

For a significant number of the indigenous men and women, the Pink Lake provides a means of livelihood as they extract, gather, and sell its abundant buildup of salts. Approximately five kilometers along its shoreline—known as Niaga-Peul—there is a booming, salt mining cottage industry. Women are typically the salters (or producers) while men are the wholesalers and transporters. Besides containing vast quantities of commercial salt, the lake is also a principal trading spot for seafood. In the afternoon, hundreds of fishermen return from the high sea where they usually spend the night, bringing in tons of fish, shrimp, and lobsters in their dugout canoes.

Experts say that the Pink Lake was formed after the seas retreated many thousands of years ago, thus leaving the body of saltwater behind. It is truly a natural oddity and compares with the likes of the Dead Sea, which is also known to contain extraordinarily huge amounts of salt. The Pink Lake thus forms part of the Senegalese national heritage. For biologists, this body of water is in the category of ecological extremes because of its strong salt concentration, which is one of the highest worldwide—(approximately 380 grams per liter).

Dakar Day Trips

African American Woman Moves Family to Senegal

Sineta George  I’m ‘Doin’ it SenegalStyle

Go West Young Woman (with your children!) to West Africa!

(Guest Blogger Sineta George  owner of Senegal Style)

Greetings from the ‘Dark Continent,’ ‘The Motherland,’ my own personal paradise!
I’m a single woman, Southern Belle by birth, born and reared in the Gulf Coast of America and have lived in my adopted home town of Dakar Senegal for about 12 years now. I moved over in 1999 with my 3 children (13, 9 & 5 at the time) to educate my kids in the excellent international baccalaureate program that is standard, throughout the entire country!

Two are now grown and back in the US and the youngest is 17 and still in school here. When your children graduate from any Senegalese High School, they start college in the US and Europe as a junior (check out IB for yourself)! We didn’t even have IB when I was growing up, within 500 miles of our home (and even if we did, because of the school district laws in the US, I wouldn't have been able to attend anyway).

Throw in the safety and security of living in a Muslim country, (2nd from the bottom of the world for murders), drug, alcohol & gang-free environment, and beautiful weather every single day (nice beaches, cosmopolitan population of every nationality...Dakar reminds me of Atlanta actually).

I came originally as a tourist and just loved it! Watching thousands of men & women go to Friday Prayer with their children, both girls and boys, was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I wanted my children to grow up around strong, black, religiously motivated (but free to cover or not cover, and be Christian, Muslim, or agnostic!) so moving here was a no brainer and a lot easier than you think!

Many people are hesitant about visiting Francophone West Africa, even though this part of Africa is where Black Americans come from. Not South Africa! We have absolutely zero cultural connection to South Africa, but we go there by the thousands every year! It's like an Irish man going to Italy to find his roots - same continent, wrong area. West Africa, particularly Senegal & Gambia, Mali, Nigeria, Guinea & Ivory Coast (remember hearing your grandparents using the words 'geetchie' talk or black people from South Carolina being called 'geetchies'? They came from Guinea!). These places are our roots and we need to come here with our children and show them a different, better life. In my opinion, South Africa is more violent than South Central, and the people of South Africa are not even 'us.'

So young women (and men), don’t be 'skeered.' If you are thinking of adventure travel, Senegal is your place. Volunteer tourism  to get your feet wet? They are always looking for English teachers here!
If you want to learn French, Senegal is cheaper than France and 

Sineta @African Renaissance Statue

friendlier, too! Want to perfect your African drumming? Learn with the best of the best, Senegalese Drummaker and Master Percussionist, Ibou Sene (google him!)

There are many places to go and things to do: tours, by motorscooter and car, both inside and outside of Dakar, as well. Animal wildlife reserves, the tallest statue in the world is located here in the city (The African Renaissance Statue shown in the picture), a Pink Lake, village life, zip-lining and bungee jumping at Accrobaobab park, the beautiful beaches, African markets & Goree Island, Senegales wrestling, cheap hair weave & braiding(smile), upscale restaurants, clubs and nightlife and so much more!

If you want to import/export African textiles, gold or silver jewelry, art, drums and baskets, herbal products like Shea Butter & African black soap, or other items, Senegal has a professionally run flat rate port system so importing or exporting by container or air is not problematic.

Do additional homework online and feel free to email me at SenegalStyle@gmail.com.

Doin' it SenegalStyle!
Sineta George - Google me; I'm legit!
Website: http://senegalstyle.wordpress.com/

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