Dakar Through Art Culture and City Life

Begin the journey at Selebe Yoon, an independent contemporary art space and artist residency in downtown Dakar. A curator led visit introduces the current exhibition, its featured artists and the ideas behind the work. Continue with a private conversation with one of the resident artists, offering a closer look at their practice, research and creative process. Inside the research room, explore a selection of archival materials, photographs, publications and artists' books chosen to complement the exhibition. The experience concludes with a private creative workshop or a screening of film and video work followed by an intimate group discussion.

Highlights

•  Curator led exhibition visit

•  Private conversation with a resident artist

•  Curated research room session

•  Archival materials and artists' publications

•  Private workshop or screening and discussion

Experience Dakar through Medina, a neighbourhood deeply connected to the city's artistic and popular culture. Walk through its streets with a local cultural storyteller, discovering murals, music landmarks, creative businesses and the stories of artists who have shaped the area. After lunch, step inside the private studios of Dakar based artists. View completed pieces and works in progress while hearing directly from the artists about their materials, influences and relationship with the city. These intimate encounters offer a perspective on Dakar's creative community that cannot be found inside a conventional gallery.

Highlights

•  Cultural walk through Medina

•  Street art and murals

•  Music and neighbourhood history

•  Local creative spaces

•  Private artist studio visits

•  Conversations with working artists

Take the ferry across Dakar's harbour for a full day on Goree Island. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Goree has become one of the world's most significant places of remembrance connected to the transatlantic slave trade and a powerful symbol of reflection, reconciliation and the enduring links between Africa and its diaspora. Explore the island's history and architecture before visiting the Maison des Esclaves, whose Door of No Return has become an internationally recognised memorial to the violence and displacement of enslaved Africans. Continue through Goree's pedestrian streets, historic buildings and colourful courtyards before pausing for a leisurely lunch. The afternoon reveals another side of the island through its living creative community. Meet resident artists, visit selected studios and browse intimate galleries before enjoying time to explore independently. Walk to the Castel viewpoint, search for a meaningful piece of art or simply sit beside the water before returning to Dakar.

Highlights

•  Ferry across Dakar's harbour

•  Goree history and architecture walk

•  Maison des Esclaves

•  Leisurely courtyard or waterfront lunch

•  Resident artist encounters

•  Studios and independent galleries

•  Free time on the island

Discover Dakar through its textiles, designers and unmistakable culture of personal style. Begin at HLM Market, where colourful displays of wax prints, bazin, embroidery and other textiles introduce the materials behind Senegalese fashion. Continue to the private ateliers of contemporary Senegalese designers to meet the creatives behind the labels, view their collections and learn how traditional materials and techniques are being interpreted through modern design. Opportunities for personal fittings and commissioned pieces add a bespoke element to the experience. The afternoon is reserved for shopping at a curated selection of independent boutiques offering Senegalese clothing, jewellery, accessories, art, homeware and contemporary design.

Highlights

•  Curated visit to HLM Market

•  Introduction to Senegalese textiles

•  Private designer atelier visits

•  Meetings with Senegalese designers

•  Personal fittings and commissioned pieces

•  Independent fashion and design boutiques

After several days of exploration, enjoy a day with no fixed schedule. Cross by pirogue to Ngor Island for swimming, lunch and a leisurely walk, take a surf lesson along Dakar's coastline or settle into a beach club for an afternoon beside the water. Guests who prefer a quieter day can book a spa treatment, relax beside the hotel pool, return to a favourite boutique or simply rest. The day belongs entirely to you.

Highlights

•  Ngor Island

•  Beach and swimming

•  Surf lesson

•  Beach club or hotel pool

•  Spa treatments

•  Independent shopping

•  A completely free day

Begin at the Museum of Black Civilisations, where selected exhibitions trace the histories, artistic traditions and intellectual contributions of Africa and its global diaspora. The visit also opens a wider conversation about cultural heritage, ownership and the movement to return African objects held in overseas collections. After lunch, continue to Ouakam, one of Dakar's historic Lebou neighbourhoods. A cultural walk introduces the area's community history, religious traditions and relationship with the Atlantic while exploring murals, public artworks and creative interventions embedded within its streets. Along the way, take in views of the Mosque of the Divinity and discover how everyday neighbourhood life, spirituality and artistic expression come together in this part of Dakar. The walk leads into a visit to the African Renaissance Monument. Rising above Ouakam, the monumental sculpture presents a bold vision of African renewal while inspiring ongoing conversations about public art, identity, gender, politics and national memory. Complete the day around Les Mamelles, watching the sun descend over the Atlantic.

Highlights

•  Museum of Black Civilisations

•  African and diasporic histories

•  Ouakam neighbourhood walk

•  Lebou history and community culture

•  Murals and public art

•  Views of the Mosque of the Divinity

•  African Renaissance Monument

•  Sunset around Les Mamelles

Enjoy a slow final morning before entering the world of Senegalese wrestling, one of the country's most celebrated cultural traditions. Visit a wrestling school to meet wrestlers and coaches, observe training and learn how athletic competition intersects with neighbourhood identity, music, dance and spiritual preparation. Discover the techniques of lutte avec frappe, hear about the rituals surrounding a major contest and experience the drumming and performance that transform wrestling into a national spectacle. Where the wrestling calendar permits, the experience may include attending a live professional event. The journey concludes with a celebratory dinner accompanied by Senegalese music, followed by cocktails and dancing for those who want to continue the evening.

Highlights

•  Slow and unscheduled morning

•  Visit to a Senegalese wrestling school

•  Meeting with wrestlers and coaches

•  Training and technique demonstration

•  Music ritual and wrestling traditions

•  Celebratory closing dinner

•  Live music and optional dancing