Senegal Vacation Rental Resort Condos and Houses.

Senegal is situated on the western bulge of Africa and has borders with Mauritania to the north and northeast, Mali to the east, Guinea and Guinea Bissau to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It surrounds Gambia on three sides.

The northern part of the Senegal coast is made up of dunes and to the south are muddy estuaries. Behind the coast is a sandy plain, which extends north to the floodplain of the Senegal River. The Casamance Region in the south, isolated from the rest of Senegal by the Gambia, is low but more varied in relief, while to the southeast lie the Futa Jallon foothills, which rise to a maximum altitude of just above 1,600 ft. Much of the northwest of Senegal is semi-desert, but the center and most of the south, except for the forest of Casamance, are open savannah country. The major rivers - the Senegal, Saloum, Gambia and Casamance - flow from east to west.

Tropical Senegal is lauded for beauties both natural and urbane. With its suave capital, Dakar - many travellers' favourite amongst the larger African cities - and its entourage of internationally known musicians, Senegal brings in more visitors than any other country in the region.

Most of them head to Senegal for its stunning coastline, where lazy beach days can be followed by cocktail-fuelled nights. But just around the corner from the busy resorts, tiny fishing villages tempt with a slice of real life and winding estuaries invite solitary pirogue and bird watching trips.

Senegal shows an unusual mixture of Moslem and French influence glued upon the African culture. It is the most touristic of all countries in West Africa , with tourists coming mainly from the Latin parts of Europe . Most of the tourists probably come for the sandy beaches, but for travelers with wider interests the country also has many other things to offer both in culture and nature.

Senegal is the westernmost country in Africa. The Gambia nearly dissects it in two parts but Senegal also borders Mauritania, Mali, Guinea-Conakry and Guinea-Bissau. The borders were drawn by the French, British and Portuguese colonialists and do not at all follow ethnic borders. The dominating group in Senegal is the Wolof but there are also Fula, Mandinka, Serer and Jola. All of these also occur in neighbouring countries. Senegal has distinct rainy and dry seasons. The best time to visit the country is during the dry season from December to April.

Clothes are colourful on both women and men, and the country has a rich music tradition. The country has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites related to its history: St. Louis, the first French settlement, and Île de Gorée which once was an important harbour for the export of slaves.

Two of the country’s national parks are also UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The one is Djoudj National Park in the north, considered one of the best bird watching sites in the world. The other is Niokolo-Koba National Park in the southeast part of the country, considered to be the best game park in West Africa .

Much of the coast of Senegal is an endless sandy beach but most of the tourists are concentrated along the Petite Côte south of Dakar and at Cap Skiring in the south. It is easy for foreigners to travel in Senegal but local advice must be sought before setting out on excursions in Basse Casamance where separatists are active.

http://www.africaguide.com/country/senegal/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/africa/senegal/
http://wikitravel.org/en/Senegal
http://www.world66.com/africa/senegal