Palace Travel Inc
Senegal
Islands And Cultures Voluntour, 14 Days

Islands And Cultures Voluntour, 14 Days

Included

Meals as indicated, guides, entrance fees, airport to hotel transfer.

Not included

Airfare to Ziguinchor, travel insurance, gratuities.

Note

Experience a true African adventure, through the islands, rivers and landscapes of the Casamance region of Senegal. This tour starts in Ziguinchor, where our excursions will begin along incomparably beautiful rivers and forests. Visit the Diolas villages Affiniam and Djibelor, and discover their cultural richness, ancient and enchanting beliefs. Participate in one of our unique community projects, for five days of unique cultural integration.

The community projects you may participate in are adaptable to your sensibilities. Choose what you wish to accomplish among the following options, according to your preferences and affinities:

Provide school provisions and equipment for a class of junior highschool students.

Deliver sports gear and equipment to local teams.

Provide assistance and musical instruments to local artistic organizations and organize a show with them.

Attain the construction of a well for water supplies.

Improve working conditions of saleswomen from local food markets.

Bring supplies to local farmer's families and participate in the harvest.

Donate materials to fisherman families and and join them in a fishing day.

These options are available to anyone who would like to get involved. They are the pretext to experience an inspiring and meaningful trip.

We then continue the tour towards the Casamance river's estuary, visiting the islands of Diogue, Carabane, and Hitou e Catie. Two days are dedicated to the most beautiful West African beach resorts of Cap Skirring, Abene and Kafountine, for many well-earned moments of rest on spectacular and deserted beaches. The trip ends in Ziguinchor, when you will have the opportunity to visit fishing villages and local arts & crafts markets.

Details

Tour Operator: Palace Travel Inc

Duration: 14 Days

Escorted: Escorted - Yes

Itinerary: Day; Destination; Description; Day 1; ZIGUINCHOR; Arrival in Ziguinchor, Senegal. Transfer and settle into your guesthouse.
Meal(s) Included: Dinner; Day 2; ZIGUINCHOR; Breakfast, first visit of the main spots of Ziguinchor, and then departure for a river excursion; we take all of the time necessary to meet pelicans, herons, flamingos and all of the other species inhabiting the bolongs and the mangroves. According to season, a chance is given to have a close look at nests and baby birds... We visit then Djilapao Island and the Michelangelo of Casamance Museum House. Next Stop at Affiniam, lunch in a typical 'Impluvium' house restaurant. Visit to the local village, encounters with the population, return on pirogue at sunset. Dinner and night at the guesthouse.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Day 3; DJIBELOR AND INTRODUCTION OF THE COMMUNITY PROJECT; Breakfast, departure for a visit to the nearby vast Teak forest. We head then to the Djibelor Farm, where countless species of exotic flowers, healing plants and fruit trees are cultivated. Lunch in the Farm' restaurant, with the possibility of trying crocodile meat plates... In the early afternoon, we introduce you to the Community Project, and all of the people involved in it.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Day 4; COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: PREPARATION AND REALIZATION; One of our tour-leaders and where appropriate one or more local guides accompanies the participants towards the discovery of local communities and accomplishment of their humanitarian action. Volunteers are given information on arrival about cultural differences they may experience while on a project and also ways in which to deal sensitively with these differences. We gladly adapt the project according to your preferences and affinities, and thoroughly prepare it before your arrival, as to make sure you will fully enjoy the completing of this experience during your stay with us.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Day 5; COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: PREPARATION AND REALIZATION; Continued from day 4.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Day 6; COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: PREPARATION AND REALIZATION; Continued from day 5.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Day 7; THE DIOLAS VILLAGES AND THE ISLANDS; Breakfast and departure to the discovery of Diolas Villages, Enampore and its Impluvium Houses, Seleki with its rice cultivations and telephone tam-tam, and arrival for lunch at Oussouye. After the meal we continue to Mlomp and its 'Fromagers' huge trees, its multilevel houses and the Diola Museum. We leave then to Elinkine where a pirogue takes us to Karabane or to Diogue Island, and we settle there on a beach hotel. Visit of the island, dinner and night at the hotel.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Day 8; DIOGUE, HITOU AND DESERTED BEACHES; Breakfast and departure in pirogue towards the animistic island of Hitou, where we visit the local powerful shaman. The following excursion is wonderful, as we sail along the shores where tropical trees from the nearby forest lie on the waters. We pass then through bolongs and mangroves, towards the large Katie Islands, inhabited by one family only. The island is located at the estuary of the river, with one side facing the Atlantic Ocean: the choice is where to take a bath, in the ocean waves or in the calm river waters... We enjoy a lunch with Paletuvier oysters and grilled fish that we had captured along the way. After a nice and cool relax on this deserted island we eventually head back to Elinkine, and return to Ziguinchor through forest paths, among rice cultivations and palm trees lands.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Day 9; COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: COMPLETING AND CELEBRATING; The search of authenticity permeates all of our projects, meeting the demand of both villagers and visitors who will mutually benefit from all of the inspiring moments spent together. A series of events, celebrations and performances will be attended by the participants, while the project is in progress, and at the completing of it: all of these ceremonies will be held in their honour, according to the exquisite hospitality manners of local populations
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Day 10; COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: COMPLETING AND CELEBRATING; Continued from day 9.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Day 11; CAP SKIRRING; Breakfast and early departure to Cap Skirring and its wonderful sandy beaches. Visit of the Kabrousse and Djembering Villages and lunch in a restaurant facing the ocean. Afternoon dedicated to the ocean waves and fresh waters, sunbathing, total relaxation under the cool shadows of coconut trees. Return to Ziguinchor in the early evening, free time.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Day 12; ZIGUINCHOR, ART & CRAFTS MARKETS AND CULTURAL IMMERSION; Breakfast and discovery of the local arts & crafts markets, visit to a Batik factory and the Craftsmen Village, where souvenirs and art works can be purchased. Lunch at the Guesthouse and afternoon dedicated to the discovery of some Senegalese unique cooking, dance or musical skills.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Day 13; ABENE, BIGNONA AND KAFOUNTINE; Breakfast and departure to Abene : we visit the small town of Bignona and the villages of Baila and Diouloulou. We arrive for lunch at Kafountine (Senegal' little Jamaica). In the afternoon we visit Abene and enjoy its deserted beaches. Return to Ziguinchor at the end of the day. Dinner and free time.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner; Day 14; Depart; Breakfast and departure on the antique road of Kolda, stop in a typical fishermen village and walk along the river shores. On the way back we drive along different cultivation fields... In the afternoon, some free time is given: a chance for the last purchases and visits... In the early evening, transfer for the return flight.
Meal(s) Included: Breakfast, Lunch