Foto: Warthogs in NiokoloKoba National Park (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Senegal - After breakfast, we drive for about half an hour to Niokolo-Koba National Park. This nature reserve is the largest park in Senegal, located near the river of the same name. The area covers nearly one million hectares. At the entrance, an old military truck is waiting. In the back is a bench where eight people can sit on each side. We enter the park in the truck. The guide sits on the truck’s cabin to spot animals. The route through the park follows unpaved roads. We are frequently shaken around. The guide occasionally has to duck to avoid low-hanging branches. Due to the rainy season, the vegetation is dense and the trees are full of leaves—ideal hiding places for animals. This, however, makes it harder for us to spot wildlife. Given the park’s immense size, it’s difficult to see animals anyway. The first animals we encounter are a troop of baboons. They move from tree to tree. It’s funny to watch the young monkeys chasing after the group. A bit further on, a group of guinea fowl crosses the road. The old truck makes a lot of noise, so most birds flee before we arrive. A pair of Southern Ground Hornbills, however, remain in place—perhaps out of curiosity. The truck regularly brushes against tree branches, which swing into the open bed. I try to dodge them, but a few times I’m too late and get a slap in the face. The truck continues to rattle along. Everyone holds on tightly to avoid injury. As we approach the river, we see more deer and antelope. Still, wildlife is relatively scarce. In the middle of the park lies the Simenti Hotel—round huts on the banks of the Gambia River. It’s a fantastic location to stay. However, the hotel went bankrupt before the COVID pandemic and now stands abandoned and dilapidated. From the terrace, we look out over the river. Birds fly overhead, but we see no hippos or crocodiles. Back at the truck, we discover that a vervet monkey has raided an unattended bag. Up in the tree, it tears open the packaging of its loot and eats it. We have lunch under a shelter. Several monkeys look on curiously. One monkey carries a baby on her belly; another appears heavily pregnant. They enjoy the bits of banana tossed to them by the crew. While we eat our lunch—chicken, potatoes, and bread—a group of warthogs suddenly walks past, sniffing the ground in search of food. Funny how we spot more wildlife around the lunch spot than during the safari itself.
Goree Island
Senegal - Gorée Island (Île de Gorée) is a small island off the coast of Dakar, the sprawling capital of Senegal. It’s an oasis of calm compared to the busy streets of Dakar. There are no cars on the island, and it is small enough to navigate easily on foot. ...
Kankurang masquerade
Senegal - As we are about to turn right to head back to our hotel, we hear drumming from the other direction. A large group of children runs through the streets. We follow them. Suddenly, they turn around and dash past us. We are witnessing the Kankurang masquerade, ...
SineSaloum Delta
Senegal - The Sine-Saloum Delta lies in the southwest of Senegal. It is a nature reserve covering 180,000 hectares. Located north of The Gambia and about 100 kilometers from the Senegalese capital, Dakar, the area includes the Saloum Delta National Park. This vast ...