The excursions around Toubacouta are outings you choose from a menu in the Saloum: Sipo island and its little kingdom, Shell Island, the giant Missirah kapok tree or the Diorom Boumak eco-museum. They go by pirogue or by road, from 2 hours to a half day, per person or at a flat rate.

An outing to choose from the list

Several outings, each with its own length:

• Sipo island: a half-day excursion, or a 2-hour pirogue ride.
• Shell Island by pirogue, 2 hours.
• The Diorom Boumak eco-museum, 2 hours.
• The giant Missirah kapok tree, 3 hours, with a 4-hour variant around the thousand-year-old tree.
• Mar Lothie and Ndangane, 4 hours, at a flat rate for up to 9 people or for 10 people.
• Dionewar, Niodior and Djifere, 3 hours, at a flat rate.
• Bird Island, 4 hours, at a flat rate.

Some outings are priced per person, others at a flat rate for the group: this is shown with each choice. The flat-rate options, such as Mar Lothie and Ndangane or Dionewar, Niodior and Djifere, suit a group of friends or a large family, who share the cost of the pirogue.

Toubacouta, a base in the Saloum

Toubacouta is a starting point for the islands and villages of the delta. The short 2-hour outings combine easily: Shell Island and the Diorom Boumak eco-museum, for example, make a half day for two. Toubacouta is in the Fatick region, and its excursions go by pirogue or as visits on land: Sipo island, Missirah, then further afield Dionewar, Niodior and Djifere, grouped into a single outing.

If you live in Senegal, these short outings combine with a stay in the delta, for a night or more. If you are visiting, they let you put together two or three outings depending on the time you have, from 2 hours to a half day.

Things to do around the delta

To go further, the Saloum Delta brings together islands, mangroves and Serer traditions; the island excursions and pirogue rides offer other outings in the same spirit. For bird lovers, birdwatching has its own category.