Set at the very western tip of the African continent and surrounded by water on three sides, Dakar is quite simply West Africa’s most spectacular city. In centuries past, the Mali Empire (of which Senegal was a part) was known as the Bright Country for its wide-open skies and savannahs – and while wide-open spaces are a rarity in metropolitan Dakar today, the city still shimmers in a crisp oceanic light, bathing all corners of the Lego-block cityscape in a dazzling glare.
Thanks to the independent-minded Lébou fishers and farmers who inhabited the peninsula for centuries (and continue to retain great influence), the first European presence in what would become Dakar didn’t arrive until 1857 – more than four centuries after the Portuguese set up their first trading post just across the water on the island of Gorée. At the time, Ndakaaru was a village of barely 300 souls; within 50 years it officially became capital of France’s vast West African holdings, and shortly after, the terminus for the famed Dakar-Bamako railway.
Today, Dakar’s four million-or-so inhabitants are the inheritors of a city that wears its heritage with pride, and takes comfort in its diverse history and identity. The Plateau district is dotted with French colonial relics such as the 1936 cathedral and 1912 railway station, and even in a country where less than 5% of the population is Catholic, and with no currently operating train service, these buildings are lovingly tended and considered proud parts of the Senegalese patrimony.
Further up the four-lane Corniche road, towards Africa’s westernmost point, is a somewhat more controversial edifice: the unmissable Monument de la Renaissance Africaine. Brainchild of former president Abdoulaye Wade, this 52-metre-high, North Korean-built statue of an über-heroic man, woman and child looms on a prime oceanfront hilltop and was inaugurated in 2010. It’s the tallest statue in Africa and visible for miles around, but despite its grand pretensions, most Senegalese seem to just think it’s a bit naff (and a waste of money to boot).
Given its location, life in Dakar is often oriented towards the sea, and in a city with precious few public parks or green spaces, the many beaches provide a well-loved respite from the perpetual din of commerce and traffic in some of the city’s more crowded districts. As such, the whole population seems to decamp to the beaches at weekends to picnic and swim with family and friends, to work out or wrestle on the sands (traditional wrestling is huge here), or even to bring their sheep to the water for a full scrub-down in the surf. The city’s army of fishermen also haul their multi-coloured wooden pirogues ashore every evening, their catch quickly bound for plates
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Love and marriage may be the ultimate gift, but just beyond those cherished vows and celebratory toasts comes the unforgettable honeymoon. Unlike the nuptials themselves, the honeymoon is intimate; a private dessert for two. It’s chapter one of a love story. Better still, it’s the newlyweds’ first chance to voyage together in wedded harmony. For LGBTQ+ couples, planning a romantic honeymoon comes with familiar choices—beach or city, resort or B&B, adventure or light recreation—plus considerations about feeling welcome as well as safe.
One aspect of the Paris Métro is minimalism. Most stations are simply white subterranean vaults with no surface building to sully the beauty of the streets. Sometimes, a station entrance is indicated by art nouveau iron flowers of no known genus (except possibly triffid), and these – the creations of Hector Guimard in the early 1900s – signify the flamboyance that coexists with the minimalism.
Cruising is one of the best ways to take in multiple destinations on a single trip, not to mention some killer ocean views. For those reasons and more, we look forward to Cruise Critic’s annual Cruisers’ Choice Destination Awards. Based on port ratings from avid cruisers and readers, Cruise Critic picks 15 destination winners each year.
Travel website, Trippy, has put together an awesome infographic showing prices for food, beer, taxis, and hotels in the most and least expensive countries. And the best part is that it updates daily, so you can see the average price of something when you’re planning a trip or once you’re in the destination.
Halfway through my international journalism program at City, University of London, COVID-19 hit. I was forced to move back in with my parents in rural Wales for three months. I then made the impulsive decision to fly to any airport that would take UK travelers. I found myself on the last flight out to Belgrade, Serbia.
We might not have a Kardashian-level budget, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have an equally luxurious vacation to Morocco. And the “Red City” of Marrakech is the perfect place to start. With over a million people calling it home, and millions more visiting every year, Marrakech is one of Morocco’s most popular cities. The city’s culture is reflected in its architecture, which includes traditional Islamic designs as well as influences from Europe and North Africa. This extends to the city’s luxury hotels. From riads — a traditional property set around a central garden or courtyard — marble clad opulent palaces accommodations, to big-name hotels, there’s an impressive collection of stunning properties scattered across the bohemian city. To help you make an informed decision about your vacation to Morocco, here is a list of some of the best Marrakech hotels.
American trains are not the fastest in the world. They also severely lack the network of tracks necessary for people to ditch their cars or forego flying to rely on them entirely for their domestic travel needs.
Life on two wheels is a beautiful thing, and travel on two wheels can be epic. Here are a few of the world's greatest cycle routes to consider for your next big trip.
Twenty years ago the facades of the wood-built buildings in Lunenburg, a UNESCO-listed fishing town in Nova Scotia, were white with black trimming. The only exceptions were the red buildings down by the wharf.
Travel booking site Hoppa have just released a list of the most expensive cities to visit in Europe. Looking at the cost of hotels, food, drink, transport and entertainment, they've analysed the affordability of 48 European cities.
Central Portugal is the authentic heart of the country.Olivia Rawes escapes the Algarve and discovers Centro. The information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Portugal, your travel guide for Portugal.