SENEGAL: A Cultural Odyssey

SENEGAL – A CULTURAL ODYSSEY: OVERVIEW

Wild Images Senegal Cultural Photography tours visit one of West Africa’s safest and most peaceful countries. Situated at the very western edge of the African continent, Senegal is 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 vibrant villages, seashell houses, and salt pans in 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 dating back to the 14th century, when warriors used it to train for battle.  It originally began with the Serer people but is now widely practised amongst the country’s Wolof people and other cultures.

Senegalese wrestling differs from wrestling in Western countries mostly through rituals. The mystical act involves 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 explores the wrestling scenes in Dakar and southern Senegal, giving you 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.

Principally 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 set of age-initiation rites compared to other African cultures.  Bassari men must pass through seven age grades to become adults, compared with the three or four practised 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, they replace the mask 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.

Today, their beautifully hand-built villages lie in the verdant foothills, with tiny thatched-roof houses radiating outwards from the baobab, which serves as the sacred heart of Bedik communities.

The Bedik are known for traditional ear and nose piercings, along with intricate, 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, underpins 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 Senegal’s Casamance region 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, weaving, and basketry.

During our time in the Diola region, we will be formally welcomed by their king before exploring 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

A major highlight of our visit to the 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 strands and a ‘head pole’. You can often hear Kumpo before you see it.  The ceremony begins with women singing and beating music on metal claves.  Men then join in with drums, and 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 mind-blowing 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 among fishing nets, boats, fish-drying racks, and the beach.  We will visit the prolific fishing community of Djiffer, with its hundreds of colourful boats and hardy fishermen who brave the Atlantic every day to catch fish, which is eaten fresh and dried for local and export markets.

The Seashell Village

Imagine an island with streets and buildings constructed almost entirely from seashells.  Centuries of cockle harvesting in Senegal have created Fadiouth, a fascinating island community whose entire infrastructure revolves around fishing for shells.  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 salt waters of the Atlantic, the most spectacular result is salt.  Senegal’s salt mines are mostly still worked by hand.  During our tour, we will visit salt areas featuring strawberry milkshake-coloured lakes and colourful paint-pot indentations, and 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 of 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 country’s central coastal area.  It is a city bustling with coastal style, great fish restaurants, the imposing Monument of the African Renaissance, and chances to shop and enjoy delicious Senegalese food.  There is no better place to start and finish our tour, and here 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 in Senegal, having supported a Fulani family 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 air-conditioned minibus.

Accommodation is in comfortable hotels and guest houses

Walking

The walking on this tour is mostly easy in villages.

One strenuous hiking section takes you uphill to a village and takes about 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. Expect a mix of sunny and overcast conditions. Rain is unlikely.