O/B Bou El Mogdad

This cruise aboard the Bou El Mogdad, is an invitation to travel over the time, between palm trees and sahelian landscapes along the former colonial  trading posts :Richard Toll, Podor ,Dagana,the capital of the Walo. Constructed in Holland in 1950  , the Bou El Mogdad has been entirely renovated in 2006 and takes exclusively care of discovery cruise. It  still remains a mythical ship for all the inhabitants of the region and in spite of few canoes, the unique means of transportation on the  river  Senegal , 1000kms long. Besides cruising, take a  visit to Saint Louis, a real architectural  treasures classified as a  world heritage by Unesco. Relax  on the stretched beaches of Northern Senegal. For lovers of fine trips, quiet place and security  warrented.

DETAILED PROGRAM

DAY 1 ARRIVAL AT DAKAR (FRIDAY)
Arrival  at the international airport of Dakar and transfer to the Hotel Onomo. Check in and Overnight at Hotel Onomo.

DAY 2 : DAKAR – SAINT-LOUIS (ABOUT 240 KM/4H30) .Overnight on board
After breakfast , departure to Saint-Louis.  Lunch  at  hotel Residence , then  Check-in on board and installation in the cabins. In the afternoon, city-tour of  the former african Francophone area capital, by traditional horse carriage. The northern part of the island is separated from the southern district by the Governance and Place Faidherbe. We offer the visit of the City Hall and the Courthouse ( first trial in 1875 ), the Hospital (1827), which is a beautiful building in yellow ocher and a former Hospital from year 1840, the famous Faidherbe Bridge (500 meters long ), it was shipped to Saint-Louis in 1897 after an enormous administrative error .Dinner and overnight on board.

 DAY 3 : SAINT-LOUIS – DIAMA – TIGUET (DJOUDJ PARK) .Overnight on board
Departure of the boa t .You wille sail on the Senegal River all the way down to the dam of Diama on  the border of the salted water .The dam prevents from the salted water to coming up . Gate way of the Lock and visit of the dam while cruising .Upward sailing the river along the reserve of Diouling sided by wild vegetation from where one  can watch many species of birds .Stop at the mouth of the bolong of Gorom and  enter  the bird Park of Djoudj .Reach the dock by using the annex of the ship .This reserve was created in 1971 .It is the 3rd ornithologist reserve in the world .It’s 12000 acres big and stretches in the delta of the river Senegal and has an irresistible attraction on both the avifauna of Europe and Africa .From november to March ,three million bird meet  for their winter stay . Add up to twenty  species of other animals. While slowing down  , the boat moves deeper   in the heart of the Djoudj when all of sudden springs up a fantastic ballet : Flamingos taking off in tight rows ,flying pelicans ,diving cormorans .Return back on to the ship. Dinner and overnight on board which will be staying on the big arm of the river.

 DAY 4 : SAINT-LOUIS – DIAMA – TIGUET (DJOUDJ PARK) .Overnight on board
Continuation up ward the water of the Senegal River located in between  Senegal and Mauritania. The senegalese river sides are fitted to grow rice but slightly cultivated on the Mauritanian side. Stop at Rosso, a bordering city between Senegal and Mauritania, where people animals and vehicle  can cross with pirogues or ferryboat. The arrival or departure of these shawls  create high ,colorful and intense activities and specially noisy. Lunch on board. Arrive Richard Toll in the evening( Richard’s garden). Its name comes from the colonial French occupation when they  in search  new agricultural methods in 1822. Horse cart ride of the city and visit of the sugar cane factory(10000 acres of sugar cane) the main resource of this area.  Dinner and overnight on board.

 DAY 5 : RICHARD TOLL – DAGANA .Overnight on board
Discovery of French style castle currently closed ,surrounded by Banco construction ,traditional architecture of the region. Navigation up to the mango tree areas by the village of Goumel, in a mouth of the Senegal river. Traditional lunch (fish and rice ) known as “thip bou djen” in the middle of the mango and palm trees on the river  banks . Canoe ride to  the Wolof village  of Dagana (capital of the walo) .Visit  of the former colonial trading with  remains of the former  fort and few trading warehouses. Visit of the market place of Dagana. It happened  to see  the Banny or the Ponty loading up gum or dropping off soldiers. Dinner and overnight on board.

DAY 6 : DAGANA – THIANGAYE. Overnight on board
With the canoe, access to the river banks for a two kilometers  walk   in the forest of Goumel. Visit the traditional Fulani village built up with high stiff huts by the women. This will be an opportunity to discover many species of trees along the  shores. Return to the ship. Upward sailing the river and visit  the kingdom of the Toucouleur. The beauty of the landscape and quietness of the nature will not be  disturbed  by nothing else  but the  noise of few kids with brown colored eyes, the women  with their colorful skirts washing  clothes  and hirds coming along the shores for a drink. Lunch on the ship With small boats, move ahead a small arm of the river. Stop and visit the Toucouleur village built with sand on the river banks of Senegal.T hese villages are the oldest ones on the river .From the13th century. Visit of Salde, a maurish village located on the other side of the river Senegal. Return on board. Night departure for a mechoui  BBQ dinner  on the banks of the river with torch lamps. Over night on  board. 

 DAY 7 : BRAS DE THIANGAYE – PODOR. Overnight on board
Sail onto Podor,  former french colonial post. Nowadays ,trading activities are no longer taking place on the river and its concrete docklands  can’t wait until they see you arrive. The trading posts all along the  docks with big inside  courtyards and warehouses filled up with arabic gum, firewood ,ivory and slaves are today the remains of a past which is not so far away. Visit the  fort built by Faidherbe that is now being renovated  . Witness a little bit of  this history.Lunch on board .By the end of the aternoon, walk around the market and the peaceful streets , around those old houses and watch  the sunset on the other side of the Mauritanian river banks.Dinner and overnight on board

DAY 8 : PODOR – SAINT-LOUIS – DAKAR
After breakfast, return to ST louis (3hrs )and have lunch by the ocean in hotel Mermoz or similar. Afternoon relax on the beach or by the pool. A room will be ready  to change or to freshen up. Dinner before  transfer to the airport in Dakar( 4hrs drive).  Access to the VIP lounge at the airport before boarding.

RATES IN EUROS PER PERSON (Tarifs donnés à titre indicatif et susceptibles de modification sans préavis)

Welcome  and assistance at arrival.  Accommodation in Fullboard during the entire trip. Transportation air conditioned minibus .A driver/tour guide or a driver and a tour guide according to the size of the group during your entire trip. Visits and excursions  as mentioned in French / English or Spanish  Day use the last day . Vip lounge access at the airport of Dakar(drinks offered +TV).Basic insurance.

Remark : From July  to October, there  will be  slight changes  because of the Djoudj park  closed. The tour  will be replaced by a 4×4 drive to  the park’s entrance.

The cruise will  operate one week  from Podor or St Louis  and one week from St Louis to Podor

Figures of the ship :

Length : 52 meters, width :10 meters /Decks : 4 with 2 for cabins

3 generators / 28 cabins equipped by mosquito nets.27  and restrooms with hot water(7 total) are common and located on different decks. Set up on board :1 dining room inside with air condition and 1 outside.2 bars, a small swimming pool a covered porch,  280m2 of solarium,  shop. Warm decorationAnnex.1 big boat that can accomodate up to 80 passengers