SENEGAL: A Cultural Odyssey

SENEGAL – A CULTURAL ODYSSEY: OVERVIEW

Wild Images Senegal Cultural Photography tours visit one of the safest and the most peaceful countries in West Africa. Situated at the very western edge of the African continent, Senegal surely the antidote to the stereotypical view of African states as both authoritarian and dysfunctional.  Hidden deep in the myriad of different environments in Senegal, from deserts to dry shrublands in the Sahel, from tropical forests to the coasts of the Atlantic, live many different cultures that are mostly off the radar for photography tourism.

Wild Images is proud to pioneer Senegal as a destination for cultural photography.

This new tour explores the vibrant national sport of Wrestling, visits the vibrant villages, seashell houses and salt pans of coastal Senegal, traditional architecture and the former slave island of Goree.  The crowning glory of our tour will be attending masked dances and initiation rites from the Bassari, Malinke and Diola cultures in southern and central Senegal.

The Senegal Wrestlers (La Lutte)

Senegalese wrestling is a national sport that dates back to the 14^th century where it was once used by warriors training for battle.  It originally began with the Serer people but is now widely practiced amongst the country’s Wolof people and other cultures.

Senegalese wrestling differs from wrestling in western countries mostly through rituals. The mystical act involve the presentation of amulets, the use of magic potions, hypnotic drum sounds, songs and dance. In many  ways it closely resembles the acts of Voodoo but in Senegal it is simply called “Gris Gris”.

Wrestling has become so popular that it has surpassed football in terms of crowds and matches between prized fighters can even shut down whole villages. Our tour features an exploration of the wrestling scenes in Dakar and southern Senegal, allowing you to gain a privileged glimpse into this mystical world that transfixes the people of this incredible West African nation.

Bassari

Deep within the mid-altitude hills of central Senegal live the Bassari.  Their name is thought to date back to the 11^th century when they arrived in the foothills of the dramatic Fouta Djallon Massif and the local Manding people called them “Basa” or Lizards.

Prinicipally animists, the Bassari people of Senegal still live in beautiful hand built villages featuring circular mud huts and thatched roof buildings.

They follow a matrilineal lineage with a complex number of age initiation rites compared to other African cultures.  Bassari men alone have to pass through seven different age grades to become adults, as opposed to the three or four practiced by other cultures.

* We hope to witness one of the most visually spectacular rites of all, the Lukuta, where young men must fight initiated men to prove they have left their childhood behind. The ceremony begins with the warriors entering an arena wearing cartwheel-shaped masks  to meet the initiates.  Once there, the mask is replaced with head and body protection and the young Bassari men must fight like men for the first time.  Regardless of whether they win, they are considered a different person after the battle and almost appear as strangers to their families after the ceremony.

The Bassari also practice beautiful body adornment and nasal piercings which we will explore during our visits to traditional Bassari villages.

* Please note that the chiefs of the Bassari people determine when the Lukuta will take place.  We will try to attend a Lukuta during our tour but we cannot guarantee one will be taking place during our time in Bassari territory.

Bedik

Traditionally hunter gatherers, the minority Bedik people of eastern Senegal and Guinea now mostly live in the foothills of the magnificent Fouta Djallon Massif, a gigantic sandstone escarpment that acts as an ecological boundary between the moist coastal forests of West Africa and the harsh Sahelian and Saharan climates to the east of it.

The Bedik originated in Mali but when Fula slavers came after them centuries ago they fled to the mountains of the Fouta, found a huge baobab tree and settled.

These days their beautifully hand built villages lie in the verdant foothills with tiny thatched-roof houses radiating outwards from the Baobabm which lies as the sacred heart of Bedik communities.

The Bedik are known for their traditional piercings in their ears and noses, along with intricate and beautiful beaded jewellery.

Mandinka (Malinke)

The Mandinka people, also known as the Mandingo or Malinke, belong to one of the largest ethnic groups in Senegal and the rest of West Africa. Their origins trace back to the powerful Mali Empire, which flourished in the 13th and 14th centuries under rulers like Sundiata Keita and Mansa Musa. The Mandinka played a pivotal role in spreading Islam and establishing trade networks across the region.

The Mandinka people speak the Mandinka language, a key part of the Mandé linguistic group. Oral traditions, including storytelling and proverbs, are central to their culture, preserved by griots, who are both historians and musicians. Traditional instruments like the kora, a 21-string harp-lute, are emblematic of Mandinka music.

Their society values family, community, and respect for elders, with structured rites of passage marking life stages. Though predominantly Muslim, some Mandinka communities still incorporate traditional spiritual practices. Agriculture, particularly peanut farming, is the backbone of their economy, along with fishing and trade.

The Mandinka are celebrated for their contributions to African history, music, and storytelling. Today, they balance preserving their rich heritage with adapting to modern lifestyles, playing a significant role in Gambian and West African society.

Diola

The fascinating Diola people of the Casamance region of Senegal have perhaps the most beautiful physical manifestations of any culture in the country.  Known for their sophisticated architecture, intricate pottery and sculpture, the Diola also produce palm oil products, weavings and basketry.

During our time in the region of Diola people we will be formally welcomed by their king before we explore traditional Diola homes and clay pottery makers.

We will also be attending two important cultural celebrations – wrestling and the otherworldly masked dance of Kumpo.

Wrestling plays an important part of life in Diola culture.  It is thought that some of Senegal’s finest national wrestlers emanate from Diola people and we will witness a training match during our tour to learn about this culture first-hand.

Kumpo – The most mysterious masked dance of Africa

The prominent highlight of our visit to Diola areas will be witnessing the dramatic masked dance of Kumpo, surely one of the most athletic and mystifying dances in all of West Africa.  In Kumpo a masked dancer adorns himself with hundreds of raffia stands and a ‘head pole’. It is often possible to hear Kumpo before you see it.  The ceremony begins with women singing and beating music on metal claves.  They are then joined by men beating drums and then finally the Kumpo dancer enters, his face completely hidden and his head pole adorned with a decorative, colourful flag.  What happens next is a mesmerising series of spins and contortions blurring the spirit world with reality.  It is perhaps one of the most intense ceremonies you can witness anywhere in Africa and is a mindblowing highlight of our trip.

Sea, Salt and Slavery on Coastal Senegal

Fishing Villages

The Senegalese are famous in West Africa for their seafaring abilities and their endless numbers of brightly coloured, huge wooden fishing boats.  This artisanal fishery is highlighted by numerous harbours and villages along the coast where children play amongst fishing nets, boats, fish drying racks and on the beach.  We will visit the prolific fishing community of Djiffer with its hundreds of colourful boats and hardy fishermen who brave the waters of the Atlantic every day to catch fish which is eaten both fresh and also dried for local and export.

The Seashell Village

Imagine an island with streets and buildings constructed almost entirely from seashells.  Centuries of cockle harvesting in Senegal have led to the creation of Fadiouth, a fascinating island community whose entire infrastructure revolves around fishing for shells.  It is here we will explore the whitewashed pavements, ancient cemetery and over-water, stilted granaries and the industries still surviving through families that have lived here for many generations.

Salt of the Earth

When the harsh environments of coastal Senegal kiss the saltwaters of the Atlantic, the most spectacular result is salt.  Senegal’s salt mines are mostly still worked by hand.  During our tour we will be visiting salt areas that feature strawberry milkshake coloured lakes and colourful paint-pot indentations to photograph these beautiful places both by drone and on foot.

Senegal’s History of Slavery

While it was never as large as other slavery regions in West Africa, the tiny island of Goree, off the coast of Dakar, nonetheless still played an important role in the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade during the 15^th to 19^th Centuries until French colonialists finally abandoned slavery.  Today the island is home to a museum and slave holding cells that stand as a stark reminder to the history and tragedy of the trade, which we will visit for photography during our time in Dakar.

Dakar

The vibrant capital of Senegal, Dakar, sits on the beach in the central coastal area of the country.  It is a city bustling with coastal style, great fish restaurants, the imposing Monument of the African Renaissance, chances to shop and enjoy delicious Senegalese food.  There is no finer place to start and finish our tour and it is here, that we will explore museums and galleries showcasing stunning West African art.

Join us on this pioneering exploration of Senegal for photography!

Why travel to Senegal with Wild Images

Wild Images has had a tourism relationship with Senegal, through its parent company Birdquest, since 1985!

Your tour leader, Inger Vandyke has over 20 years of experience with Senegal after supporting a family of Fulani people in the country for 23 years.  This will be her fourth journey to Senegal so she knows the country intimately.

Accommodation & Road Transport

Road transport is by modern airconditioned minibus.

Accommodation is in comfortable hotels and guest houses

Walking

The walking on this tour is mostly easy in villages.

There is one strenuous hiking section of this trip to a village that is uphill and around 1.5 hours to reach on foot.  The hike is on uneven ground so we suggest you bring a walking pole if you feel unsteady on your feet.

Climate

The weather in Senegal will be hot and dry. There is likely to be a mixture of sunny and overcast conditions. Rain is unlikely.

Photographic Equipment

For most photography of the people in West Africa, a travel lens of around 24-105mm on a full frame DSLR or mirrorless body will be essential. A wide angle lens of around 16mm or smaller will be perfect for working with the people inside smaller rooms.

If you prefer to photograph people from a distance, then please consider bringing a larger zoom or telephoto lens. It is our experience that sometimes people can feel a bit intimidated by large cameras and lenses so you may wish to bring a smaller sized zoom lens like a 100-400mm which doesn’t appear as intimidating as a large fixed focal length telephoto lens. Such a lens can also be useful for the ceremonies we will attend as you will often be standing in a crowd and a longer lens will allow you to shoot past other onlookers.

If you bring a good quality bridge camera instead of a DSLR or mirrorless it will be best if it has an optical zoom of 18-20x or more, combined with a reasonable wide-angle at the other end of the zoom range.

If you have a phone or tablet that can be used for photography, you may find these quite useful around people.

Drones are particularly wonderful to use in Senegal, especially in the salt mines and fishing villages. Senegal has very few restrictions on flying drones, however, there are a few limitations you will need to consider when you fly. Please contact our office should you wish to bring your drone.

Important Note:  There will be a small amount of wildlife to photograph on this tour.  We will make a stop to break up our journey, on the upper reaches of the Gambia River where we will take a canoe trip to see one of the northernmost populations of hippopotamus in Africa.  We may also see some lovely birds on this boat trip, including the rare African Finfoot, Egyptian Plover, Yellow-crowned Gonolek and the smart looking White-crowned Lapwing.  Although this part of the tour is small, you may wish to bring a larger zoom or prime if you wish to photograph the wildlife.

If you would like to talk over suitable equipment, please contact our office. We will be happy to advise.