Senegal Travel Podcast with Fatou Diop cover art

Podcast

Senegal Travel Podcast with Fatou Diop

28 episodesLatest 3 days agoNew episode
Recorded in SenegalAbout SenegalEnglishSociety & CulturePlaces & TravelDocumentaryEducation
Senegal is a low-lying country on the western tip of Africa, where the Gambia pushes almost as an enclave into its centre. The dry season runs from December to April under the harmattan, and the rainy season brings strong southeast winds from May to November. This show follows a slower way of travelling through that landscape, staying in one place before moving on. The range of places includes the Atlantic city of Dakar, the old river town of Saint-Louis, the mangrove-lined Saloum Delta and the southeastern foothills around Kédougou. These are not interchangeable stops on a circuit; each has a different climate, language and history. The show lets these differences emerge slowly, rather than treating Senegal as a single backdrop. The host settles in one place long enough to learn its rhythms, then moves somewhere connected to it. She returns to earlier stops as the dry season gives way to the rains, watching the same streets and paths change. The show builds an understanding of Senegal from repeated visits, not from a single pass. Fatou Diop lives in Senegal and stays for two years, moving between cities, coastlines and smaller towns on a route that follows the seasons. Not a week-long visit — Fatou is there in every kind of weather, working out where to eat on an ordinary Tuesday, which train to take, what a festival actually feels like from the pavement. A new episode arrives every day. Each one is short and specific: one neighbourhood, one journey, one meal, one museum worth the detour — with the practical detail that matters. What it costs. When it closes. Whether the queue is worth it. What to do when it rains. Every episode carries a full transcript and chapter markers. Part of Paris2Tokyo — one show for each of the world's hundred most-visited countries. Made for travelers, wherever you are going next. #Senegal #SenegalTravel #WestAfrica #Dakar #TravelPodcast #Travel #Paris2Tokyo https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/senegal/

Episodes

  1. Matam's Low River and the Soubalo Beat

    Fatou spends a rain-soaked day in Matam watching the Senegal River run low, exploring the historic Soubalo quarter, joining a sabar class at the cultural centre, and sharing dinner…

    S1 E2809:45
  2. The Road to Matam and the River's Low Pulse

    Fatou travels from Podor to Matam along the Senegal River, arriving in the heart of Fouta Toro. She navigates a quiet town, a remarkably low river, and reflects on the lean season'…

    S1 E2710:24
  3. A Last Morning on the Podor Quay

    On her final day in Podor, Fatou watches the morning river traffic from the old quay, shares breakfast with a fisherwoman, checks in on her CIE card, and reflects on the flood cres…

    S1 E2609:48
  4. The River's Rise and the Quiet Farewell

    On her final day in Podor, Fatou helps with the last of the flood-season chores, shares a meal of thieboudienne with friends at Resto du port, and watches the river climb toward it…

    S1 E2508:35
  5. The Gamou Preparations in Fanaye

    Fatou spends her seventh day in Podor travelling to nearby Fanaye, where the Gamou celebrations are underway. She takes in the preparations, reflects on the river's continued rise,…

    S1 E2410:02
  6. The Quiet Pulse of Podor's Old Quay

    On day six in Podor, Fatou follows the rhythm of the old quay at high water, helps a neighbor with her dyeing work in Lao Demba, and reflects on the town's slow patience during hiv…

    S1 E2310:28
  7. The Fort's Shadows and a River at Rest

    On day five in Podor, Fatou returns to the Fort de Podor for a quieter look, considers the town's layered history from colonial trade to the present, checks on her CIE application,…

    S1 E2211:21
  8. Podor's Fort, the River View, and the Long Wait

    On day four in Podor, Fatou climbs the ramparts of Fort de Podor, eats lunch at Restaurant chez Marie, cools off at SISTERHOOD Coffee shop, and checks in on her CIE residence card…

    S1 E2109:53
  9. Podor's River Pulse: Pirogues, Gardens, and Song

    Fatou spends her third day in Podor at high water, crossing the river to Île à Morfil by pirogue, visiting the flooded gardens, and ending the day at a riverside café with the musi…

    S1 E2008:35
  10. Podor's Market and the Music of Baaba Maal

    Fatou spends the day in Podor's weekly market, sampling street food and watching the river trade at high water. She reflects on the music of Baaba Maal, the colonial trading post h…

    S1 E1909:50
  11. Podor at High Water: The River's Flood Crest

    Fatou continues up the Senegal River to Podor during hivernage, exploring the flooded waterfront, the colonial fort, and the river-island gardens on Île à Morfil. She eats street f…

    S1 E1811:18
  12. The Last Pirogue Out of Saint-Louis

    Fatou spends her final evening in Saint-Louis with a pirogue ride across the river at sunset, a last meal in Guet Ndar, and a quiet reflection on the city's pulse. She shares what…

    S1 E1709:32
  13. Saint-Louis: The Last Crossing

    Fatou spends her final full day in Saint-Louis crossing the Faidherbe Bridge at dawn, sharing a calèche ride with a local elder, and soaking in the island's hivernage atmosphere be…

    S1 E1610:31
  14. Saint-Louis: Assumption Day and the Island's Quiet Pause

    Fatou spends Assumption Day in Saint-Louis, reflecting on the city's layered history, the political tensions simmering beneath the surface, and the practical costs of living in thi…

    S1 E1511:03
  15. The River Highway to Djoudj

    Fatou takes a pirogue up the Senegal River from Saint-Louis, navigating the high waters of hivernage toward the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary. Along the way she talks river pilots…

    S1 E1408:47
  16. Saint-Louis Island Walking and Thieboudienne

    Fatou takes a slow morning stroll across the UNESCO island of Saint-Louis, from the Faidherbe Bridge to the cathedral, and ends with a thieboudienne lunch at La Linguere. Along the…

    S1 E1309:33
  17. The River's Edge and the Fishermen's Prayer

    Fatou spends her fifth day in Saint-Louis in Guet Ndar, watching the fishermen prepare for the sea and learning about the community's fight against coastal erosion. She eats thiebo…

    S1 E1211:31
  18. The Weight of Water in Saint-Louis

    Fatou takes a pirogue out to the shifting river mouth, where the Senegal River meets the Atlantic. She reflects on the forces reshaping Saint-Louis — erosion, politics, and the liv…

    S1 E1109:59
  19. River Mouths and Open Wounds

    Fatou explores the Langue de Barbarie's fragile shoreline, the vibrant chaos of Guet Ndar, and the quiet drama of Saint-Louis's changing river mouth, all while navigating the city'…

    S1 E1010:44
  20. Saint-Louis Jazz and the River's Pulse

    Fatou explores Saint-Louis's jazz heritage, visits the Guet Ndar fishing docks, takes a pirogue upriver, and reflects on the city's fading colonial elegance and the cost of living.…

    S1 E909:14
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