Dakar, Senegal · October 2026
Part one · Getting there on United
Booked with 80,000 United MileagePlus miles, the cardmember price, plus $44.10. It started as Brussels Airlines business class through Brussels. United rebooked it onto its own Polaris to Madrid, then Iberia to Dakar.
Washington Dulles to Madrid · United Polaris
The Polaris lounge at Dulles before the flight
Coming next: Madrid without a boarding pass, and the Iberia flight to Dakar.
Where I stayed · YAAS Hotel Almadies
A small, modern room for a few nights, with breakfast included. The shower opens right onto the sink next to the bed, so it works alone but offers little privacy if you share the room. I didn’t get a photo of the outside, so here it is on the map →
Part two · Pointe des Almadies
The westernmost point of mainland Africa. There’s no monument or ticket booth, just locals gathering on the beach.
Black rocks, old buildings and fishing boats
Where the locals swim
Part three · Ngor
A walk through the village lanes down to the fishing beach, where the pirogues are pulled up under the murals and the livestock wander the sand.
Through the village to the water
Part four · Streets and meals
Traffic, sand, and water standing after the rain
My first dinner in Dakar, a little after 7 pm, at a place that looked popular on Google Maps. It was empty, with the lights off, like walking in between lunch and dinner. I had to confirm in my nonexistent French that they were open. I hadn’t gotten any CFA francs yet and forgot to ask about cards, which they didn’t take. They accepted a $20 bill, a bit more than the bill after conversion, so I told them to keep the change. In Zanzibar, US dollars were preferred, and I half expected the same here. The waitress couldn’t tell dollars from euros. She was very kind, asked me questions, and tried to help me find somewhere to change my other $20. I usually just use an ATM. Finding out where things are different is part of why I travel. The kebab and the sunset were both very good.