A Week of Pink Lakes and Baobab Trees in Dakar

Delta has direct flights from JFK to Dakar that take about eight hours. I arrived in the morning and had a taxi waiting for me (I called ahead, and the hotel booked it). Dakar is four hours ahead of NYC, so I was ready to start the day after decompressing in my room at Terrou-Bi (Boulevard Martin Luther King), which a local friend recommended for its proximity to the city center. It also has its own private beach as well as a casino (which I didn’t use).

Terrou-Bi Hotel

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On my first day, I made my way to one of Dakar’s local islands, Ngor. I took a 20-minute taxi ride (the hotel coordinated this) to the Village de Ngor on the northern tip of the peninsula. Once you arrive at the beach, you’ll see boats lined up waiting to take you across the turquoise-blue waters. When your boat is full, the ride will take about 15 minutes and costs about $1. Before getting on the boat, I met a local guide, Papa Samba, and hired him to be my tour guide for the day. You can find guides near the drivers handing out life vests before boats are boarded.

Ngor is known for its landscape — lots of bougainvillea, volcanic rock formations — as well as its art and surf community. Surfers from around the world come to catch the waves or learn at the surf schools. (Fun fact: The island is electricity-free and runs mostly on solar power.) Here in Ngor, you can walk almost endlessly to explore the island, and you’ll find a lot of local street art honoring important African figures. Papa Samba told me that from the western part of the island during the winter, you can watch dolphins migrate from Europe to South America. Also, part of ’60’s surf doc The Endless Summer was shot here.

I visited Alkimia (Route des Almadies), a restaurant and music venue, which is located in the nightlife area of the city. I chilled on the terrace, ordered the tataki de saumon and wok de langoustes and a glass of wine while I watched the performers get ready for the evening’s performance. There are both English- and French-speaking bands that sometimes do covers, and other times there will be an original set with an orchestral blend of West African soul and jazz sounds; thankfully, we got the latter that night. This place is definitely on the pricier side.

The next day, I woke up early to travel to the famous Lake Retba, or Lac Rose, which translates to “Pink Lake.” I had the hotel book me a taxi, and it was about an hour’s drive. It’s suggested that you get there early, as the sunlight has an effect on how pink the lake will appear to the eye. The lake’s color is attributed to microalgae, called Dunaliella salina, which makes it the perfect shade of blush pink. It also has very high salinity, more than the Dead Sea, and the salt is mined and sold. At the lake, you are allowed to swim after using some shea butter like the local miners do to protect the skin from the drying effects of the salt water and also from long days in the sun. Or you can take a rowboat out over the lake.

Near the lake, you’ll stumble across a local market that is filled with treasures made by local artisans: sand art, malachite sculptures, masks, bowls, and more.

I bought some textiles and clothing for my parents from a shop called In Africa (Boulevard Canal IV). I also ended up buying traditional Senegalese day clothes called mbubus (more commonly known as boubous) from a small shop nearby. They’re traditional kaftan-style robes worn by men and women and made from a single piece of rectangular fabric with a neck opening. Typically, they’re hand-dyed or embroidered.

We had lunch at Lagon 1 (Route de la Petite Corniche Est), one of the most delicious and popular seafood restaurants in Dakar. It’s located on a beach with this amazing kitschy design — the tables are decorated with all kinds of boat paraphernalia and shells. The menu is extensive, and the portions are huge, so brace yourself! Some traditional Senegalese highlights from the menu are the maffe, which is a lamb or chicken dish with peanut butter and tomato sauce, and the poulet yassa, which is chicken in caramelized-onion sauce. But I wanted something light, so in the end I ordered the fried shrimp and snapper, which I highly recommend.

After lunch, we went to check out one of the many baobab trees, often referred to as the “Tree of Life,” that reside near the beach-top restaurant. At this point, I was with friends, so they drove me around the bend to check it out. Baobab trees are famous in Africa. They’re a succulent, so they store water throughout rainy seasons in order to produce nutrient-rich fruits in the dry season. This one we encountered was enormous, and they can grow up to 75 feet.

Before dinner, we visited Galerie le Manège, which is located at the Institut Francais (89 Rue Joseph Gomis), because I really wanted to see more pieces by designer Ousmane M’Baye. I first discovered his work, an incredible sideboard made of welded iron in primary colors, at Alára boutique in Lagos, Nigeria. In the courtyard of the gallery, you can find a few of his pieces, providing a balance between the former military building they are housed in and the curated exhibitions indoors. For dinner, we went to a quiet beachfront restaurant called Le Cabanon (Corniche des Almadies, Dakar, Senegal). The ambiance is upscale, so it’s perfect for a romantic dinner. It felt like a restaurant you might see in Malibu. The entrance is decorated in planks of beachwood and stone. Having dinner with the backdrop of a starry sky and waves crashing against the shore is a win in my book.

We caught an early ferry to explore the Island of Goree. The ferry is called Liaison Maritime and leaves every two hours from Dakar to Goree. African passport holders pay $5 for the ferry, and all other international travelers pay $10. Goree is a UNESCO World Heritage site that is incredibly picturesque and almost feels like the countryside compared with Dakar.

Here, you can see the architectural colonial influences of the Portuguese, Italian, and French. The streets are lined with colorful homes painted in sorbet tones of pinks, yellows, and greens with vines or local textiles covering the walls. It’s a must visit not solely because of its beauty but because of its historical importance.

Goree is home to IFAN Museum of African Arts (Rue Place 18), the Henriette Bathily Women’s Museum (Place du Souvenir Africain et de la Diaspora), and the House of Slaves or Maison des Esclaves. The last is a sobering experience, where, with a guide, you can learn about humanity’s greatest atrocity: the exploitation, enslavement, and torture of millions of West Africans for the transatlantic slave trade. Thousands of Black Africans were forcibly removed from their homes and sometimes families and brought here to cross through what is called a “Door of No Return,” where ships docked to load the captured for a life of forced servitude.

Beyond its historical significance, the island is quite beautiful. Order a chicken-and-rice dish at Anne Sabran (Isla de Goree Sur le Port), located right near the docks, before heading back into town. Or visit Malian-Senegalese artist Boubacar Dia in his studio, where he produces art sourced from sand all over Africa, such as Niger and Mauritania, to name a few. The best way to locate it is to follow a tour guide — they are all waiting at the dock wearing crossing-guard vests. We gave ours about $40, since it was two of us, but it’s up to you and the guide to find a price you agree on. The tour does not include the entrance fee for the House of Slaves. The entry there is $1 for non-Africans and 50 cents for Africans.

After a full day, it was time for dinner. I met with Sarah Diouf, founder of the fashion line Tongoro, who suggested the Radisson Blu (Avenue de la Corniche Ouest Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar Sea Plaza), which has a beautiful restaurant called L’Avenue, which you can just drop into without a reservation, and also a pool bar for after-dinner drinks. We ordered chicken hassan, a specialty in Senegal, and grilled grouper. We shared a bottle of red wine. Later on, the pool is illuminated to an Yves Klein blue and a local band plays into the warm summer night.

At my hotel, the Terrou-Bi, there is a small private beach with white sand, thatched umbrellas made from dried palm fronds, and calm translucent water, which I hadn’t yet taken advantage of. So with a fresh bissap in hand (hibiscus juice and the local nectar), a book, and a playlist, I took some time to relax and lock in my tan. Terrou-Bi is a small resortlike property with plenty of spots to just watch the ocean and relax. The beach is small and quiet, never crowded.

For lunch, I wanted to check out some of the other local hotels because I’m curious and always want to see what other spots are like for future trips. So I headed to the Teranga Lounge & Restaurant at the Pullman Dakar Hotel (Place de l’Independance, 10 Rue PL 29). Walking through the lobby, you realize it’s designed as a gallery space featuring local artists. The restaurant sits above the private beach, so you can enjoy your meal with views of the Atlantic or, from the right spot, see Goree Island. Since it was my last day, I had to make sure to order poulet yassa, one of my favorite Senegalese dishes, made with marinated chicken, sauteed onions, and olives, and, even though the restaurant is known for thieboudienne, a savory tomato rice dish. It’ll be a must on my return.