Saint Louis – Djoudj Birds Sanctuary Tour

Saint Louis – Djoudj Birds Sanctuary

Departure this morning for the Northern to St Louis, along the Mauritanian border

StLouis was the former colonial capital of Senegal and French West Africa before Dakar from 1902

Ndar, by its original name, St Louis, is linked to the mainland by the controversial Faidherbe Bridge. Faidherbe was a governor of Senegal till 1865.

Settled in the middle of the Senegal River, the island of St Louis is made up of houses, built of bricks, red tiles, and wrought iron balconies

By horse carriage riding, let us explore the narrow streets of this Unesco world heritage by its rich and mythic colonial past.

Stop at the governor’s palace, a fortress built in the 18th century

Let us observe the only mosque in the world with a bell under its minaret, dating colonial period.

St Louis is also the settlement of the Signares: some mixed peoples, descendants of black African mothers who were the slaves and European fathers who were the slave masters.

Visit Guet Ndar village, a populous area where the fishermen are called Lebou. This village is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the west bank of the Senegal River. Here, the common daily activity is fishing, meeting and interacting with them before going back to the hotel for the night.

Early breakfast and departure deeper into the North.

The Djoudj National Birds Sanctuary is located on the southeast bank of the Senegal River, and is the first point of water for migratory birds, just after flying over the Sahara Desert.

By boat, we can sail to observe more than 400 species coming to this place each winter: cormorants, pelicans, kingfishers, flamingos, eagles, crocodiles, varans, warthogs, jackals….

Djoudj, the third world bird reserve, is also a breeding and resting area for the white pelicans.

Covering a surface of 16 thousand hectares, this wetland comprises a large lake surrounded by streams, ponds, and swamps.

Way back to St Louis, then continue to the hotel.