February 8-9: We drove from Lompoul-sur-Mer to Dakar. We wanted to skip the capital this time since we knew the traffic heading into the city would be heavy, and we had already spent three days here two years ago. However, we had no choice but to enter to get our Carnet de Passage stamped on Monday morning (CDP is essentially a passport for the car that guarantees, with a deposit, that we won’t sell the vehicle without paying import duties). The small border crossing couldn’t handle this process, this is why we had to come to the capital.

The traffic heading into Dakar was indeed overwhelming, but it was fascinating to see how the road transformed into a bustling market – vendors were selling various goods through loudspeakers. We managed to arrive in the city around 7 PM, so we stopped by our favorite seafood spot in Yoff, right by the beach. Since the tide completely floods the small restaurants after dark, we knew we had to hurry. The different eateries offer charcoal-grilled fish, which they baste with a spicy marinade while grilling. It comes with fries and various onion-based salads.

Yoff is our favorite part of Dakar because, after making it through the busy market areas of the suburbs, the peninsula itself becomes very modern and wealthy, whereas Yoff still has that authentic, slightly chaotic African vibe. We stayed here two years ago, but this time, we couldn’t book a place because the prices at our previous accommodation had skyrocketed—over five times higher. One reason could be that the beach has been cleaned up significantly. Two years ago, trash was a huge problem, but now it’s almost completely gone, and people were even swimming in the water. This is actually true for all of Senegal; it’s clear that a lot of effort has gone into waste collection and removal.

The life on the beach, however, hasn’t changed at all. Dakar stretches along a long coastline, and in the evening, it comes alive: kids and young people (and not just them) play football, run, and work out, while couples and families stroll, picnic, and enjoy grilled fish or various street foods. We really liked the snacks sold by women: one evening, we had a baobab-flavored creamy dessert, which was delicious, and the next day, we ordered mango. To our surprise, it was sweet, salty, and spicy all at once – a combination that took some getting used to!

Finally, we found an affordable stay in one of the city’s wealthier neighborhoods, where a kind family rented out a room to travelers. Luckily, they had a washing machine we could use. After that, we walked to the westernmost point of Africa. Since most of Dakar consists of modern residential areas, the walk itself wasn’t particularly exciting, so after reaching the westernmost point, we decided to head back to Yoff to people-watch and enjoy another great fish meal.

All the pictures were taken in Dakar and are our own shots, though some of them are from two years ago in Dakar and on Île de Gorée.