Niokolo-Oubadji

Day 1: Dakar - Tambacounda

8:00 am Breakfast
8:30 am Departure. On the way, quick stops at either, Ndiass, Sindia, Nguekhokh, Mbour, Ndiosmone, or Fatick.
11:30/12:00 am arrival in Kaolack. We take a City tour with a stop at West Africas’ biggest indoor market.
12:30/1:00 pm lunch
2:00/2:30 pm departure. We make quick stops at Kaffrine and Khoumpentoum on the way. 
6:30 pm (approx) we arrive in Tambacounda. We have time to relax in the swimming pool.
7:30 dinner

Day 2: Tambacounda – Niokolo Koba

7.30 am Breakfast

From now time is not run the same, and no precise schedule can be established. Welcome into Deep Africa.

We depart early for the Park Niokolo Koba. Taking about an hour by road from Tambacounda, passing by rural villages and open countryside.

Arriving at the entrance of the reserve, we commence our discovery of the real African Bush of this region. We drive 35km off road to reach the remote hotel, ideally situated beside the River Gambia.

For those who want to walk around, there is the Mare Simenti only minutes away where you can relax and observe the animals at the waters’ edge. If you prefer, you can relax on the terrace overlooking the river, or take a swim in the pool.

Lunch/Dinner and night hotel based.

Day 3: Safari Day

7.00 am Breakfast

We take a morning drive taking in mares, bamboo forest, open plain, rivers and gorges. At any time an unexpected animal coming into view around the next bend. This is nature in the raw so we never what we are going to see next.

By mid morning it starts to get hot so we head back to the Hotel for midday and lunch.

After lunch we can relax around the hotel or take a walk. Later in the afternoon we have the opportunity to take a boat on the River Gambia where we get a close-up view of the Crocodiles and the birdlife and if we are lucky we see the Hippo family. They play their game with us, always submerging just as we are ready to take the picture.

Dinner/night hotel based.

Day 4:

7.00 am Breakfast

We leave the hotel early for the drive deep into the reserve, because we are going to cross the River Niokolo at Passage Koba and follow the River Gambia all the way to Malapa where we will cross the river to get to the village of Oubadji.

We will be taking a picnic lunch along the way. It is not possible to pinpoint where because it depends on conditions of the road as to how much time it takes. We may even have to cut a route, but then that is all part of the experience.

Once out of the reserve we soon find the Bassari village of Oubadji. Our first night we will spend in a local lodge so we can discuss the formalities of the next 2 days and have a meeting with the people who will be helping us.

Dinner/night local lodge based.

Day 5: Meet the People.

7.30 am. Breakfast.

This morning we will be taking a walk together and for those who will be spending the rest of the time here within a family, we will be placing them with the family as we go round.

This region is the most remote because it is the furthest from Kédougou, the nearest town, and it is very close to the Guinea border.

Lunch with the family.

The afternoon will give you the opportunity to get to know your family and how they live.

Dinner will be with the family and after dinner we will have a group meeting with us, the strangers, and the villagers in the village itself.

Lunch/dinner/night family based. Anyone who is not happy to remain with a family will be able to stay in the lodge.

Day 6:

Breakfast.

Deliberately no precise time for the breakfast because it depends on the schedule of your family.

You will be involved in the daily life of the people, meal preparation, work and it will give an opportunity to ask questions about all sorts of things. There is much to see and learn here and much depends on you how much you put in and how much you get out. (No money, just enthusiasm). This village is renowned for its’ beehives and the harvesting of “wild honey”.

Another evening spent together. No set programme because the people have the habit of giving their “little surprises”.

Lunch/dinner/night family based.

Day 7:

Breakfast.

Second day spent with the family. We will do a group walk today to go as far as the frontier with Guinea and look at the countryside beyond the village. We will learn what the villagers have to do in the rainy season to get food. It cannot be further from our “luxury” life.

Some people will keep these memories for the rest of their life, with differing results.

Lunch/dinner/night/family based.

Day 8:

Early Breakfast.

We have to say our goodbyes. We have quite a long way to go to Kedougou for lunch, 107km of track.

Leaving Kedougou by the National road back towards Tambacounda.

Early evening arrival in Tambacounda to a hotel.

Dinner/night hotel based.

Day 9: Off again.

7.30 am. Breakfast.

An early departure back to Dakar or onto the next option.