Africa

Senegal

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania.

Pickpocketing and street crime (including in taxis). occasionally involving violence, are common in parts of Dakar. Avoid travel to the Casamance region. Frequent checkpoints. Speed restrictions are strict. Muggings, weapons (various), vehicle security, personal security, general travel, navigation, off road driving, building / office security, hot weather injuries, personal hygiene, sanitation / sterilisation, clothing & equipment, emergency first aid, helicopter safety, cultures / customs, communications, emergency shelters.

Use bottled water, avoid ice cubes.

Generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in south-east.

Tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong south-east winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind.

Lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts. Rainy season July to October.

Bacterial and protozoal diarrhoea, bilharzia, cholera, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, dengue fever, hepatitis A, malaria, meningococcal meningitis, polio, rabies, Rift Valley fever, schistosomiasis, typhoid fever, yellow fever.
Hospital: Hopital Principal, Ave Nelson Mandela, Dakar. Tel: 232 741

Wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing.

While some main roads are of good quality others can be poor, especially during the rainy season. Driving standards are unpredictable. Traffic in Dakar is heavy. If involved in an accident you must wait for police to arrive at the scene.

For more in-depth general information please download our Preparation and Training document.