Rivers of West Africa 7-night Cruise Dakar

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Gambia & Senegal Tours | Saly

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What we love

Harmony G (2025 departures) is an elegant and modern vessel with just 21 cabins split across three decks. There is a naturalist on board to answer any questions on the wildlife you are sure to encounter.
Harmony V (2026 departures) with 25 cabins split across two decks is a modern yacht with main deck lounge and dining room providing beautiful views of the ports of call.

Good to know

This cruise can also be experienced as part of a Gambia holiday with embarkation in Banjul - contact us for further information.

Travel dates and more about the Harmony G Mega Yacht

Departing Dakar on Saturdays

- 11th, 18th & 25th January 2025; 1st, 8th, 15th February 2025. 22nd February FULL

- 10th, 17th, 24th January 2026; 14th February 2026

Departing from Dakar in Senegal, guests can enjoy a seven-night cruise aboard this beautifully elegant, fully equipped modern yacht. With contemporary, light guest cabins, a sundeck, a classy dining room and lounge bar among some of the boat’s facilities, you’ll enjoy excellent service and comfort during your exploration. With an English-speaking cruise director and a maximum of 42 guests, this is an opportunity to experience unique cruising in an intimate environment.

Seven-night cruise itinerary and optional excursions

Day 1: Late afternoon embarkation in Dakar. After dinner, we set sail southward towards the Saloum River Delta. Overnight at sea, south along the coast.

Day 2: This morning we reach the Sine-Saloum Delta in Senegal, a place of incredible biodiversity and birdlife. You can choose to enjoy an excursion which begins at the fishing village of Djiffere, before heading onto Joal Fadiouth, set on an island of clam shells that are also used in local buildings and crafts. In the afternoon we leave Senegal and the Saloum Delta and sail south to The Gambia to reach Banjul, the capital of The Gambia and gateway to the 700-mile River Gambia.

Day 3: The morning in Banjul will give you the opportunity to take the optional half day excursion offered to Bakau with its crocodile pool 'Kachikally', its Botanic Gardens and a short Banjul tour. Mid afternoon we leave Banjul to sail upstream to Tendaba. We reach Tendaba late into the evening.

Day 4: From the yacht we take motor pirogues in order to reach Tendaba, located on the south bank in the Lower River Division, our starting point of our two optional excursions. One explores Tendaba and Kiang West National Park along with its wildlife, the other to discover Baobolong Reserve aboard motorised pirogues - both offer stunning birdwatching opportunities and you will be accompanied by expert guides.

Day 5: Early morning, set sail along the River Gambia to reach Kuntaur, a small Gambian port and base for further exploration upriver. During the afternoon, you can embark on an optional river excursion which passes Baboon Islands in the River Gambia National Park to witness the amazing resident chimps in their natural habitat, alongside other wildlife such as hippos, crocodiles, birdlife and monkeys. You’ll also get the chance to meet the local dance group, ‘Kankurang’. Stay overnight in Kuntaur.

Day 6: With the yacht staying in Kuntaur, you can choose to enjoy an excursion to Janjangbureh, one of The Gambia’s oldest towns and rich in slave trade history, afterwards visiting the school of Lamin Koto. You’ll also get the opportunity to visit the stone circles in Wassu, a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site believed to be an ancient burial ground. In the afternoon, after lunch, we sail downstream to Kaur a small fishing village on the banks of the river. You will have the opportunity to walk around this small commuity and see how Gambians live today. In the evening, we leave Kaur and sail towards Banjul.

Day 7: We will anchor at St. James Island in the middle of the Gambia River, which was an important slave trading post under British rule in The Gambia. In 1976 James Island became famous due to the author Alex Haley and his best seller book 'Roots'. An optional walking tour is available with a local guide telling you more about the history. After lunch we leave 'Kunta Kinteh' to reach Banjul around 4pm. Later in the evening we will sail out of the Gambia estuary into the Atlantic Ocean northwards to Dakar.

Day 8: Early morning arrival in Dakar. After breakfast, you’ll disembark the Harmony G Mega Yacht.

What's included in your booking

Full board accommodation for seven nights
Services of onboard Cruise Coordinator and naturalist
Unlimited filter coffee, tea and drinking water
Transfers to/from port
All port charges

What's not included in your booking

Optional excursions (payable locally)
Crew tips
Beverages (except those mentioned above)
Travel insurance
Single and upgrade supplements
International flights

Harmony G Mega Yacht Facilities

Bar lounge and dining room
Sun deck with sunloungers
Restaurant serving either buffet or à la carte meals in a single sitting; may be served al fresco and meals have a local flavour
Wi-Fi available (local charge)
21 cabins

Cabin Facilities

Twin or double beds (twin only category A & B, C & P either can be requested Harmony G)
Air-conditioning
Mini fridge
Television
Safety deposit box
Hairdryer

Activities

Full programme of optional excursions are listed below. You can register your interest at the time of booking but they can also be booked on board 24 hours in advance.
The optional excursions described are subject to change and provide an indication only of what is available

This seven-night cruise is designed as an add-on to a longer holiday in Senegal; pricing does not include flights - additional nights can be added at any of our resort hotels. It is also possible to embark in Banjul as part of a Gambia holiday - visit gambia.co.uk/rivers-of-west-africa-7-night-cruise for further information.

Due to the nature of the itinerary, only children aged seven and over are accepted.

Harmony G Cabins

Category Cabin C - A contemporary double or twin bedded cabin with two port holes, located on the lower deck, will sleep up to three - a third adult or child aged seven years or above can be accommodated in this cabin.

Category Cabin B - a contemporary twin-bedded cabin with windows, located on the main deck, will sleep up to two.

Category Cabin A - a contemporary twin-bedded cabin with windows, in a good location on the main deck, will sleep up to two.

Category Cabin P - a contemporary double or twin-bedded cabin with windows, located on the upper deck, sleeps up to two.

Harmony V Cabins

All cabins are premium and contemporary and are decorated with soft colour furnisings with large windows, en-suite bathrooms with shower and elegant finishing on walls and floors. Each cabin is equiped with a television, DVD player, mini fridge, hairdryer, individually controlled A/C and safety deposit box.

Category Cabin C - Located on the main deck.

Category Cabin B - Located on the main deck.

Category Cabin A - Located on the upper deck (can be twin or double beds).

Category Cabin P - Located on the upper deck (can be twin or double beds).

About the Local Area (Saly)

The resort of Saly is located on the 'Petite Côte', approximately 80 kilometres south of Dakar and 65 kilometres north of the Sine Saloum Delta. Saly is an ideal holiday destination that has long been popular with French and Belgian tourists and as such has a very established feel, with its variety of hotels, palm-fringed sandy beaches, calm clear waters, bars,restaurants, shops and a wide range of activities.

The smaller resort of La Somone is only a short drive from Saly and enjoys an idyllic location beside a stunning lagoon, home to the Réserve de la Somone, a birdwatcher’s paradise. Nearby you can also visit the Bandia Nature Reserve, a small but perfectly formed wildlife park where you can see roaming freely: giraffe,rhino, zebra, ostrich, antelope, buffalo, bush pigs, impala and many other birds and animals. For the more active, both Saly and La Somone have several excellent water sports centres offering a range of activities such as jet-skis, water-skiing, catamarans, kayaks and windsurfing, and several excellent fishing clubs offering world-class deep sea fishing. Quad and buggy tours or horse treks are available in and around the resorts and Saly is home to an attractive 18-hole golf course as well as the Accrobaobab Adventure Park, where you can climb, swing and slide on a series of nets and ropes amongst the baobab trees.

Activities

In Saly there are a number of water sports centres located at regular intervals along the bay and several centres offering world-class ocean fishing. Most of the hotels also offer sporting facilities such as table tennis and volleyball. Saly also has an 18 hole, 72 par golf course, and children and adults alike will enjoy a trip to the Bandia Nature Reserve, where you can see wildlife such as zebra, giraffes and rhino up close, followed by a few hours in the Accrobaobab Adventure Park, where you can climb, swing and slide on a series of nets and ropes amongst the baobab trees. A varied excursion programme is also on offer from each hotel to ensure you see the best of the local area.

Nightlife

In Saly, most of the hotels offer some form of evening entertainment. There are several nightclubs and discos where you will typically find lots of mirrors, fancy lighting, huge amps and, yes spinning disco balls! It's in the energetic dancing and music where you will really notice a difference to back home, consisting of African, R&B, Western pop and Techno. Saly also offers a selection of bars and restaurants within easy reach of the hotels.

Activity Information

You can register your interest in these shore excursions by contacting our expert reservations team.

Djiffer, Senegal - Joal Fadiouth

We reach the Saloum River Delta and Djiffer. Disembarkation takes place by local tenders, called motor pirogues. Then we board a bus and drive to the village of Joal. During the one and a half-hour journey you can enjoy spectacular panoramic views, watch local everyday life and might observe various species of birds. After arriving in Joal, a quaint fishing village small pirogues are boarded for a 20 minute row across the shallow bay to the granary huts on stilts; then on for another 10 minutes to the seashell cemetery. There we continue by foot over the wooden bridge to the small island village of Joal Fadiouth, also made from seashells and have a look around there. After lunch we take the same road back to Djiffer, stop shortly at a giant Baobab tree and return to the ship by motor pirogues. Special note: In case of bad sea conditions, the motor pirogues might not operate the tour.

Operation and prices require a minimum of 14 guests, and are subject to changes due to site restorations, weather, heavy traffic or other conditions. The tours are quite active and require good physical condition. Due to slippery sites, we recommend comfortable shoes, suntan lotion, hat and water.

Includes: Full day, lunch included
€112 per person