| Day 1 |
Depart JFK Airport in New York via South African Airways.
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| Day 2 |
Early morning arrival in Dakar, Senegal. Transfer to the Novotel Hotel. Time for relaxation. Mid-morning departure on a full day city tour of Dakar. The tour will pass some of the colorful markets, the Great Mosque, the Presidential Palace, the Cathedral, the Grand Corniche, the Ifan Museum and stop for shopping at various places to buy fabric and local souvenirs. Tour will stop for lunch a local restaurant (cost of lunch not included). Early evening return to hotel. Evening is at leisure.
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| Day 3 |
Breakfast included at the hotel. Morning departure for tour to Gorée Island. Less than 2 miles off the coast of Dakar, a brief 20-minute ferry ride, Goreé Island stands as a reminder and memorial to the slave trade. From the 16th century to the 19th century, thousands of men, women and children were gathered on this island, locked up in cells and either died or were shipped off into slavery. Tour will visit the slave house that retains all traces of its terrible past, the historical museum and leave time to explore the island on your own. Mid-afternoon return to the hotel. The remainder of the day is free to pursue individual interests.
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| Day 4 |
Breakfast included at the hotel. The entire day is free to pursue individual interests.
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| Day 5 |
Breakfast included at the hotel. Full day tour to Touba. Meet with the Murid (Moslem) leaders, visit to Touba traditional villages and see the great Mosque. Lunch is included on tour and is hosted by a community leader and their family. Early evening return to hotel. Evening is at leisure.
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| Day 6 |
Breakfast included at the hotel. Morning departure for full day excursion to Saly, 90 minutes away via motorcoach. Spend the day at the beach. Enjoy windsurfing, jet skiing, water-skiing, snorkeling or scuba diving in a warm and clear ocean cooled by gentle sea breezes.
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| Day 7 |
Breakfast included at the hotel. Morning departure to the Benedictine Monastery, built in the early 1900’s, located in Keur Moussa. The Benedictine Monks celebrate Sunday Mass with an accompaniment of traditional African instruments allowing visitors the opportunity to celebrate, pray and meditate to the sounds of the Kora, Balafons and soft drums. Mid-afternoon return to hotel. The remainder of the day is free.
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| Day 8 |
Breakfast included at the hotel. Full day tour to the Pink Lake. Retba, a warm, salty and shallow lake that turns from pink to purple depending on the sun. The lake, surrounded by sand dunes and a Baobab tree forest, has a high density of salt that forms a crust on the bottom that provides revenue for those villagers nearby who make their living crushing the salt to sell at the market. After lunch, tour will visit a nearby village and witness traditional life and meet the people. During this visit, there will be a naming ceremony and participants will be given Senegalese names. Early evening return to hotel. Evening is at leisure.
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| Day 9 |
Breakfast included at the hotel. The day is free to pursue individual interests.
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| Day 10 |
Midnight checkout of hotel and transfer to airport for South African Airways flight from Dakar to New York. Arrive New York at 7:10am.
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