The main tourist season extends from the months of November to February. The dry season ranges from roughly October to May and the rainy season is usually from June to September.

Around 7 – 10 days is needed to visit Saly or Dakar alone, to get the best mix of relaxation and exploration. Between 2 weeks and a month would be needed to explore the entire country.

French, Wolof, Arabic

Not required

National dish: Theiboudienne (a piece of fried or grilled local white fish, fluffy seasoned rice and a flavour-rich tomato sauce, accompanied by a mixture of steamed vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, manioc, aubergine and a sweet-sour tamarind called dahkar) Fonio (really small ancient West African grain, gluten-free, similar to couscous) Mafé (Usually made with beef, but occasionally with lamb, chicken or vegetables, mafé is a spicy stew with a tomato and ground-peanut base. Served with rice) Chicken Yassa/Poulet Yassa (mildly spicy dish prepared with an abundance of onions. The onions are traditionally marinated in Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and herbs and spices such as cayenne pepper, parsley, and garlic then it's cooked into a thick comforting stew with grilled or fried chicken) Dibi (smoked lamb (and sometimes another meat) is seasoned and roasted on large, wood-fired grills, before being hacked to pieces and served in bite-sized chunks on grease-stained paper. Smothered with grilled onions in a tangy-mustard sauce and often accompanied with alokko (fried plantain), attieké (manioc couscous) or chips) Capitaine (Capitaine, derived from the French for Captain, may also be referred to as Hogfish. An edible marine fish found in the western Atlantic) Thiof (large white grouper caught off the Atlantic coast - considered one of the "noble fish" by the Senegalese, usually eaten with spices and vegetables) Lotte (monkfish) National Drink: Bissap (hibiscus/sorrel) Bouye (Baobab powder, sugar and milk) Ditakh (Ditakh pulp, a green fleshy fruit mixed with water and sugar)

Na nga def – Hello/How are you? Yendu ak jàam – Have a nice day Dégguma – I don’t understand Baal ma – Sorry/Excuse me La neexee – Please Ñaata lay jar? – How much is this? Bayyi ma! – Leave me alone!