The Fathala safari, in the Sine-Saloum region, pairs a day of safari with a walk with the lions, for anyone who wants a taste of wild Africa without going far from the coast. Transport and a guide are included; you leave from the Petite Côte, Ndangane or Dakar depending on the package.

Safari and a walk with the lions

Fathala Reserve lies in the Sine-Saloum, a land of water and mangrove where people usually come for the pirogues and the birds. Here, the day takes a different turn: you tour the reserve on safari and, depending on the package, approach the lions on foot. Several packages exist: a private one, a day from Dakar with the walk with the lions included, a departure from Ndangane with a pirogue crossing and an escort, or a visitor’s day on site.

Departures run from 2 people. From the coast, you can leave from Saly, Pointe Sarène or one of the hotels in that area, with no change in price. The private package and the Ndangane package are priced as a flat rate for the group.

What is included and what you pay on site

Transport and the guide are included. The reserve’s entrance fees and activities (safari, walk with the lions) are payable on site, on top of the price, per person, and drinks are at your own expense. The vehicle inside the reserve (4×4 or truck) and the entrance fee per car are also payable on site: the amounts are shown in the dedicated section of the listing. The lion encounter is reserved for people 1.5 m tall or more, which matters if you are coming with children.

Fathala and the Sine-Saloum

If you live in Dakar, this is a day trip, or a detour to slip into a weekend by the delta; if you are staying on the Petite Côte, it is an outing that makes a change from the beaches. The Sine-Saloum is a maze of waterways (the bolongs, or tidal creeks), away from the main roads; the reserve is presented on the Fathala Reserve page, and the Fathala page lists the activities on offer there. The departure from Ndangane includes a pirogue crossing: a foretaste of the delta.

Around Fathala: the delta and the islands

To go further, the Sine-Saloum Delta deserves a real getaway, with Mar Lodj and Simal among the stops mentioned on our pages. The pirogue ride and bird watching are the natural ways into the delta, and other wildlife reserves and animal parks exist across the country.