La Somone lagoon, about an hour from Dakar: bird reserve, boat ride through the mangrove, quad tours and how to organize your trip.

A half-day 4×4 safari from Dakar to Bandia Reserve: giraffes, zebras and white rhinos, plus how to plan the trip and the best time to go.

🌅 Excursion · Lac Rose Lac Retba, known worldwide as Lac Rose (the Pink Lake), lies around thirty kilometres north-east of the Senegalese capital. A legendary former finish of the Paris-Dakar Rally, this exceptional natural site, separated from the Atlantic Ocean by vast golden sand dunes, is a must-do day trip. Planning this visit well means choosing the right transport, budgeting for activities and understanding the current realities on the ground. Salt extraction can be discovered during a pirogue ride on Lac Retba. ▸Off-road exploration: Exploring the surrounding dunes on a quad bike, buggy or 4×4 lets you soak up the spirit of the former motorsport competition, weaving through forest tracks and sandy crests. ▸Discovering salt extraction: A ride in a traditional pirogue gives you the opportunity to get close to the men and women who manually extract salt. These workers break up the minerals from the bottom of the hypersaline water before carrying them to the shore. ▸Swimming and floating: Bathing in Lac Retba provides a unique floating sensation, similar to that of the Dead Sea, due to its extreme salinity. It is essential to rinse with fresh water immediately after swimming. ▸Horse and camel rides: For a more relaxed experience, horse or dromedary rides along the lake shore are regularly on offer. Activity Estimated duration Estimated price (FCFA) Estimated price (€)** Quad bike ride (Short tour) 40 – 45 min 15 000 FCFA ~23 € Quad bike ride (Long tour) 1h 17 000 to 20 000 FCFA ~26 to 30 € Combo: Quad + Pirogue + Horse/Dromedary Approx. 1h30 total 20 000 to 25 000 FCFA ~30 to 38 € Simple horse ride 20 – 30 min 6 000 FCFA ~9 € Organised excursion from Dakar (Transport + Activities) 5h (incl. 2h30 travel) 30 000 to 80 000 FCFA / person* ~45 to 120 € Experience Lac Rose without the logistics Transport, local guide and activities all arranged for you: book your Lac Rose excursion from Dakar. Book my excursion →