Dakar is the capital city of Senegal, located on the Cape Verde Peninsula, on the country's Atlantic coast. It is Senegal's largest city. Its position, on the western edge of Africa (it is the westernmost African city), is an advantageous departure point for trans-Atlantic and European trade; this fact aided its growth into a major regional port.
According to December 31, 2005 official estimates, the city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 2.45 million people.
Dakar is a major administrative centre, home to the National Assembly of Senegal and Senegal Presidential Palace.
Dakar is a major financial center, home to a dozen national and regional banks (including the BCEAO which manages the unified West African CFA currency), and to numerous international organizations, NGOs and international research centers. Dakar has a large Lebanese community (concentrated in the import-export sector) that dates to the 1920s, a community of Moroccan business people, as well as Mauritanian, Cape Verdian and Guinean communities. The city is home to as many as 20,000 French expatriates. France still maintains an air force base at Yoff and the French fleet is serviced in Dakar's port.
PLACE TO VISIT
Check out the incredibly rich musical scene.
Ile de Goree, or Goree Island, was the location where slaves were transferred to slave ships headed to the Americas. The island has interesting colonial architecture including the landmark "House of Slaves" museum.
The Dakar Grand Mosque (also Grande Mosquée de Dakar) is one of the most important religious buildings in the capital of Sénégal. It is situated on Allée Pape Gueye Fall. Designed by French and Moroccan architects, The Grand Mosque was opened in 1964 by Hassan II, King of Morocco and Senegalese President Léopold Sédar Senghor.
IFAN Museum of African Arts in Dakar, Senegal is one of the oldest art museums in West Africa. It was promoted by Léopold Senghor, the country's first President. In December 2007, its official title was changed to The Théodore Monod African Art Museum. The museum is one of the regular venues used in the Dakar Biennale exhibition, showing art by contemporary African and diaspora artists.
SHOPPING
Islam Couture/ Embroidery Dakar has some amazing (and amazingly expensive) stores specialised in haute-couture, embroidered traditional west African Muslim clothes.
Marche Sandaga Madness. A decrepit concrete structure that has - despite appearance - three levels of activity: meat and vegetable stalls on the main floor, fish in the basement dungeon and - surprise - restaurant stalls on the roof. You will need to brave the crumpled stairs and step around guys cleaning dead chicken to make it up. Around the market building a sprawling network of stalls offer everything from copied music CDs, Manchester United shirts, electronic gadgets and islamic books - but be aware the hawkers can be very aggressive. The place is also famous for pickpockets, so take only the amount of money you need and keep it in a safe place.
Marche HLM A smaller market geared primarily towards fabric vendors, Marche HLM is slightly less crazy than Sandaga. Hundreds of options for fabric that you can buy and then get tailored into perfectly fitting traditional Senegalese wear (if you will be in Dakar for awhile, ask a Senegalese person who his or her tailor is, and go there. A little less convenient for travellers who will only be staying a week). Most vendors won't sell less than 3 to 6 meters of fabric. A reasonable price is 1000CFA/meter.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - From South Africa: SAA (Johannesburg), Delta (Johannesburg), Delta (Cape Town begins June 3, 2008 pending government approval)
From Europe: Air France (Paris-CDG), TAP Air Portugal (Lisbon), Air Sénégal (Paris Orly, Marseille, Milan), Alitalia (Milan), Iberia (Madrid, Las Palmas), SN Brussels (Brussels)
From Africa: TACV Cabo Verde (Praia and Bissau), Royal Air Maroc (Casablanca), Air Ivoire (Abidjan), Ethiopian (Addis Abbaba via Lome and Abidjan or via Ndjamena), Kenya Airways (Nairobi via Bamako), Virgin Nigeria (Lagos), SN Brussels (Banjul), Delta (Nairobi begins on June 3, 2008), Air Sénégal (Abidjan, Accra, Bamako, Banjul, Bissau, Cap Skirring, Casablanca, Conakry, Cotonou, Gran Canaria, Lomé, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou, Praia, St. Louis, Tambacouanda, Zigunchor), Tunisair (Tunis), Air Algérie (Algiers), Air Mali International (Bamako), Air Mauritanie (Nouakchott), Bellview Airlines (Lagos).
By rail - A railway connects Dakar and Koulikoro in Mali. It stops at many cities in Senegal, including Thiès. Stops in Mali include Kayes and Bamako. More information on ausenegal.
By road - The main method of travel around the country is by sept places (from French, "seven seats," literally questionable station wagons in which they will pack seven people so that you are basically sitting on the next person's lap throughout the journey). You can also come with a group and rent out an entire sept place, but this will be expensive. If you are obviously a tourist, they WILL try to rip you off, so make sure to set a price before you agree to a driver. There are set prices to often-travelled locations. The main sept place station in Dakar is Gare Routieres de Pompiers. Watch out for pickpockets!
