Travels – ⋆ Second Gen Desi ⋆

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Catch up on Part 1 here

Catch up on Part 2 here

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I have to be honest and say that prior to planning this trip with my friends, I had no idea that The Gambia was a country that existed. As with most of Africa, the borders only make sense due to colonialism.

The Gambia’s present-day boundaries trace back to colonial competition between Britain and France in the nineteenth century. The 1889 Anglo-French agreement set the country’s borders as a slender corridor along the Gambia River, stretching about 10 kilometers from each bank and leaving it almost entirely surrounded by Senegal. This arrangement largely reflected British and French colonial priorities rather than the boundaries, identities, or interests of local communities and ethnic groups.

It’s also interesting to note that the official languages of The Gambia are English, as well as local languages Mandinka, Pulaar, Wolof, Soninke, Jola, Serer, Manjak, Bainouk, Portuguese Creole and others.

Up until this point of our journey, we had a reasonably smooth and pleasant stay in the parts of Senegal that we visited. Even with the “language barrier” of French, Jeremies really made sure that we were comfortable and if there were any issues, they were addressed promptly.

However, we soon would realize that The Gambia would call on us to have a little more patience, confidence, and humor. To be fair, Jeremies did give us a heads up in that things may be hectic at the land border. We would have to stamp out of Senegal, walk over to the immigration office on The Gambia side to stamp in (and get a visa for lil ol’ American me), before continuing on to the ferry stop at Barra to take us over to the capital Banjul.

We spent all morning driving, with a short, calm stop for lunch before approaching the border. At that point, our group made a quick jump out of our van and made a beeline to the Senegalese border control, all while trying to circumvent SIM card vendors, black market money changers, and snack ladies.

Our first sign of trouble was at border control, where they held back one of my friends, trying to bribe her for money (with Jeremies having to step in and “sort things out”). When we walked over to The Gambia side, we entered a tiny building where Jeremies explained to the officers that we needed to be stamped in (plus a visa for me). Somehow, we were granted access to the front of the line to meet the chief officer. While I felt bad that we had skipped a line of almost 20 people, I also wanted to skedaddle on out of there.

When the chief did arrive, he did not hesitate to make his “power and influence” known. Upon looking at my US passport, he declared “you are getting a stamp and visa from a very important person here who makes key decisions”…or something comical along those lines. I started to laugh, thinking he was joking, but I immediatly shut up when I saw his stern expression didn’t crack.

I didn’t want to be thrown in Gambian jail for disrespecting a government official…even if a mom cat and her kittens were taking shelter in the cell!

We thought we were through the worst of it once we got back into the van, but the corruption only continued. When we were stopped the first time, it was about 5 min after we had left the immigration office. The officer and Jeremies had a heated discussion, as we were trying to explain how ridiculous it was that we were being stopped when he had just stamped out. He shut up when he was handed about the equivalent of $2…a bribe that would fund his afternoon coffee—a Touba coffee, to be more precise.

Little did we know that his officer buddy further down was given a heads up about us. We were stopped yet again, and again asked for a bribe equivalent to a cup of coffee to avoid any inconveniences.

After the third stop, it was getting to be a bit much. Even our normally calm driver was getting irritated. At this point, he got into a tiff with the officer and left the van to have a chat on the side of the road—amongst goats, chicken, and roadside coffee.

After about 20 minutes, we were able to continue, as long as we forked over money of course. Unfortunately, this is a circumstance that can occur when driving in West Africa, although other land borders and roads are known to be worse!

Three more stops of this “touba coffee bribe” and we finally made it to Barra, and the scene was even more overwhelming. We were now in a time crunch, needing to get tickets to make it on the last ferry to Banjul, and to get our van on board as well. We would be sitting in the van while on the ferry.

The most convenient way to ensure access was to acquire a priority pass to be one of the first vehicles to enter the ferry when boarding opened up. An attendant then got into our van, saying he would “guide” us to the “VIP entry.”

The elusive “priority pass” – normal printer paper and lamination lol

Once on board the ferry, we finally had a few hours of reprieve. It did feel a little “VIP” to be safely tucked in a vehicle while it seemed like chaos was taking over around us.

The ferry ride is supposedly 30 min, but it felt much longer. I was surprised to see how much wider, cleaner, and calmer the roads in Banjul were, and before we knew it, we were at our accommodation for our Gambian portion of the trip, Coco Ocean Resort and Spa.

The resort space was spacious, clean, and was a beachfront property, but I couldn’t help but feel like I had been transported back to the 1970s.

Needless to say, we were all too exhausted for dinner, so I dipped into the snack bag we had been carrying around and pulled out something of comfort from home to keep my stomach quiet until morning—a Snowman Cookie from Starbucks 😂.

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The next morning, I mustered enough energy to go for a short run, which ended up being quite pleasant. I somehow managed to take a really cool picture that ended up being my phone wall paper for half of this year:

We had a slow start to the morning, and so we were able to enjoy breakfast at an easy-going pace at the resort. By the time we sat down, the place was bustling, but we were able to get a nice table outside.

It was at this point I started to notice some “interesting pairings”. The Gambia is notorious for a certain type of tourism, mainly pertaining to older women from Europe seeking companionship from darker, younger Gambian men. And while the pairings weren’t rampant at our accommodation, there were one or two I happened to spot since my brain was now more attuned to that generalization.

However, one of the waiters during breakfast seemed to be playing to the stereotype asking if “I was looking to have my coffee dark, just like him”. I brushed it off while also trying to hold in my laughter—I had zero interest in these cliché games!

As the day went on, things continued to take a humorous turn. Frankly speaking, The Gambia is not as developed in the tourism sector as Senegal, so there are a limited amount of (entertaining) activities to partake in, even in the capital Banjul. Jeremies still tried his best to put together an interesting itinerary. That led us to meeting Mowoki’s Gambian “intern”, an extremely tall young lad who was excited to welcome us to his country. He seriously could have been recruited to play professional basketball in the USA, but his heart was set on getting a degree in tourism??

Our first stop was Arch 22, and all I can really say is, wtf.

My reason for such a stark expression was due to the fact that this monument, Arch 22, was the thing to see in Banjul. It was built in 1996 to mark the July 22, 1994 military coup that brought Yahya Jammeh to power, and so it made me wonder are we condemning a dictatorship??

There happened to be another “guide” sitting at the bottom level of the arch (let’s call him Monsieur Misogynist, for a reason that will be clarified later), who did not hesitate to charge us a fee to head to the top and to later check out the exhibits inside. I couldn’t understand him despite him speaking English (he was speaking in an interesting accent and quite fast) but I happened to catch that the Arch 22 has now supposedly taken on a different role. Instead of just standing as a tribute to a darker period in history, it now also serves as a place where people can look back on the Jammeh era and the harm caused under his rule. What started as a symbol of power has become more of a reminder of the past, and a way for The Gambia to face that history rather than ignore it.

To make things even more bizzare, Monsieur Misogynist offered to take our pictures at the top of Arch, and demanded that we jump for our photos High School Musical style, just after learning about Arch 22. When we took a look at our phone galleries later, we immediately deleted all the photos after bursting into laughter…this man could not take a photo to save his life! Cropping off our heads mid-jump, if not completely blurred altogether.

Monsieur then had us follow him to the exhibits inside. My initial thought was again, wtf.

By the time we assembled in front of The Gambian flag and a large picture of two men in military garb, a fellow tourist from the UK by the name of Abraham ended up accidentally joining our group. Monsieur Misogynist was quick to launch into story time, and I quickly lost track of what he was saying. At one point, we ended up dividing ourselves into two groups for a quick “quiz” game about the history of slavery. Abraham ended up with Jeremies and the Gambian intern, while it was us four girls forming the second group.

We knew right away that the game was rigged when we provided full responses to Monsieur’s questions, but he was quick to dismiss us in favor of the haphazard responses from the guys team. My friends and I were immediately livid, and things only continued to get worse. We had moved on from the flag (but not without a cringe picture in front of it while reciting the Gambian national anthem), and onto Monsieur’s rant about women. He started off talking about jujus (traditional spiritual amulets, talismans, or charms believed to hold supernatural powers for protection, healing, or good fortune) and how that nowadays, African women are not living up to tradition and having babies as they should. This really appalled my friends and I, and the four of us ended up making a secret dash for the exit while Abraham continued on with Monsieur! We raced down the Arch trying to make sure we didn’t trip on eachother and busted out laughing once we got back to our van. We truly did get our fill of The Gambia at that point, but more was in store!

Jeremies thought the Bakau Craft Market might be a redeeming activity, and we actually found it to be a lot calmer than the markets we visited in Senegal.

Our Gambian intern went to town with some of the musical instruments, while my friends M and P were on fire with their bartering skills with the local shopkeepers.

Aneesa and I found ourselves in one particular shop where we stumbled upon this painting, which sums up the Gambian experience for some…

The painter’s nephew happened to be in the shop that day, and explained to us that his uncle really likes white women, but has yet to find one for himself 😳.

At that point, it was safe to say we saw all that we needed to see in The Gambia. I felt particularly beat so I took a nap while the rest of the group relaxed by the pool. We were able to end the night with a nice Thai dinner as well, and were perfectly fine with the idea with staying at the resort “safe and sound”, knowing that we had to mentally prep for the journey back to Senegal the next morning.

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The next morning, we left The Gambia and began the long journey back to Senegal. After a lengthy ferry ride followed by several hours on the road, we were more than ready for a break, and a meal.

Would have loved some bread with this but the veggies were cooked and seasoned well!

We stopped for a late lunch at NDOYA in Ndangane, located in the Sine-Saloum region. The restaurant is women-owned and served fresh, delicious food, making it the perfect place to relax and recharge before continuing on our way.

By around 5 p.m., we arrived at King Baobab Lodge in Palmarin Diakhanor, in the Sine-Saloum Delta. The Wi-Fi was not particularly reliable, but that hardly mattered. We spent the evening watching the sunset, taking in the peaceful surroundings, and enjoying a (decent) buffet dinner before settling in for the night.

Our second-to-last full day started with a boat ride on the river through the mangroves. To reach the boat, we had to walk through water for a short distance, which caused some personal panic as I was determined not to get my cute dress wet! But our driver volunteered to help us onto the boat, which required us to be picked up for a hot second as we swung onto the boat. We felt like princesses for sure, lol!

We didn’t take this boat but look at the doggos!

The boat ride was a calming, slow drift on the water, which gave us plenty of time to take photos, enjoy the scenery, close our eyes, and relax (while also trying to avoid direct sunlight).

Afterward, we endured a long, bumpy drive to Saly. Along the way, we stopped to see a baobab tree with a large, unusual hole in its trunk…that people could climb into?? No thanks, I’ll just admire it from the outside 😅.

Once we arrived in Saly, we checked back into the Palm Beach Resort that we stayed at earlier in the trip. We were once again entertained with sunsets and our “White Lotus/soap opera characters” at dinner 🤭.

On our final (full) day, I started with a run along the beach before breakfast. My final breakfast at the resort consisted of my favorite waffles + nutella combo, but my breakfast once again came with an unexpected surprise: two pieces of aluminum foil in my food, which I guess was a great way to finish off my last breakfast in Senegal! 🙃

Not too soon after breakfast, we headed to Mbour for a “cultural encounter” (at least that’s what I read in our itinerary, lol). We were invited to have lunch at our driver’s home, where we met his wife and children, and learned that we would be sitting down to a home-cooked traditional Senegalese meal, prepared mainly by our driver’s wife.

It was of course, not a car ride without another different kind of encounter. We had to make a quick pit stop at the bank, though some of us stayed back in the car with our door wide open. A street vendor came by and decided to see if we could be won over by any of his wares. I guess we looked like the kind of ladies who would be into self defense because the first thing he whipped out was a TASER, and even demonstrated that it was in working condition. Not a few seconds into the zzzrrrpp! sound and we were all shooing him away 😂.

Once we got back on the road and arrived at our driver’s house, we were delightfully pampered and ended up observing the driver’s wife cooking rather than pitching in 😅. The original intention of this activity was to be a “cooking class”, but we really didn’t do much except relax in the living room and poke fun at Jeremies 😆.

The main dish was thieboudienne, a Senegalese one-pot meal consisting of fish, rice, and vegetables that included cassava, carrots, and cabbage, all cooked in a rich tomato-based sauce. The fish is usually marinated and fried before being added to the dish, while the broken rice absorbs all the bold flavors of the garlic, onions, and spices.

Everyone was aware of my dietary preferences, and so a separate vegetarian version was made for me! So while I felt like an outcast not being able to participate in the communal aspect of sharing thieboudienne, I did appreciate the separate vegetarian meal.

We spent much of the afternoon being silly and laughing with the family. After the meal, we had watermelon and drank attaya, a sweet green tea made with mint and sugar. The tea is brewed in three stages over hot coals and poured repeatedly between a kettle and small glasses to create a thick layer of foam. It starts out strong and bitter, but the eventual sweetness makes it surprisingly enjoyable.

After completing our meal and digesting, we said our goodbyes to the family (not our driver, we still had our drives to the airport with him!) and headed back to our resort in Saly.

That evening was spent in even more relaxation: a hammam treatment, drinks with Jeremies, and we enjoyed one final dinner together, us girls, since we all had varying departure times the next day.

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The journey back was overall quite smooth once leaving Dakar (I was irritated with an immigration officer who decided he would stamp me out on a fresh new page with a stamp RIGHT in the MIDDLE 🥴).

My return flight was also on United, a direct to IAD which was incredibly convenient looking back. I was able to get upgraded to Polaris First Class, and that was quite an experience as well!

My closing notes on Senegal and The Gambia? I appreciate the fact that I was able to travel to both of these countries with the logistics completely ironed out by a travel company, and that I could just show up with my friends without a worry or stressing thought.

The unfortunate part is that as I continue to dedicate time to international travel, and to exploring countries in the world that are considered “unconventional” by American standards, I feel that I will continue to distance myself from those who do not understand what it means to travel to countries “no one has ever heard of”.

I am truly excited to discover more of the African continent, and to continue to share my experiences in the coming years. Jeremies and I even had a conversation about travel to Africa on the podcast, and what is the hope for Africans as well as foreigners when it comes to smoother travel across the continent.

Even if you aren’t convinced to visit Senegal nor The Gambia after this insane 3-parter, I hope as a reader, you are able to appreciate what a little bit of West Africa is able to offer! And don’t worry, there will be more of Africa on this blog very soon 😉.

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Catch up on Part 1 here

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Our third day in Dakar would be our last before moving on to our second destination in Senegal, Ngor Island. As a group, we had made the decision to set out early in the morning to visit the Renaissance Monument without the worry of crowds and excessive heat.

Despite the fact we had been heavily active on the trip so far, I was beginning to feel antsy for some familiar movement. I wore my running clothes while the rest of the group got dressed in social media best 😛.

Fortunately, I wasn’t the only crazy person ready for a staircase workout. However, I was the only woman crazy enough for a staircase workout. As time wore on, more men came out for the morning burn, but my friends and I felt comfortable doing our own thing, and did not have to worry about unwanted attention or comments, thankfully.

The Renaissance Monument was designed by Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby Atepa and built by Mansudae Overseas Projects, a North Korean construction company (‼). The monument is a relatively recent institution, and was officially dedicated April 4^th, 2010, Senegal’s National Day and the 50th anniversary of independence from France.

You can probably guess, but it is the tallest statue in Africa.

As it started to get brighter (and warmer), we made another stop at a well-known Dakar landmark, the Mosque of the Divinity. I recognized it from the promo pic United Airlines used for its Senegal route (RIP).

While we didn’t go inside, I had a feeling it probably wouldn’t match up to what we saw the day before…

We made it back to the hotel for one more breakfast, and to officially check out. I have to be honest and say I wasn’t too sure about our next stop of the day…at first I thought we would be bouncing around markets, but I didn’t think we would be changing up our transportation for that.

Keeping my arms tucked because it was too hot lol

This was an example of a “Car Rapide”, a brightly-painted yellow and blue minibus used for public transit in Dakar. The vehicles are adorned with religious slogans, vibrant artwork, and protective hand-painted eyes—and for a hot minute, it was just the four of us in one bus. But within minutes, we were rolling up a hill, picking up more and more people every couple feet!

I suppose it was a form of entertainment, and I learned soon after the bus completed its route that yes, it was indeed for our tourist entertainment. What made it even sillier was the group photo we took at the end of the ride, which the driver of the car rapide (??) invited himself into, along with our guide and a random local who told my friend to “make him famous!”

Soon after, we found our “actual” driver and got back in our black van to head to the destination I thought was going to be our first stop since checking out of BOMA—Marché Soumbédioune.

The sun was finally starting to get to me, and so while some of my friends shopped, I did my best to keep cool in pockets of shade as I found them. My souvenirs have always been photos, and more recently scrapbooking, so shopping at markets is more of an “observational” activity for me 😉.

Things took an interesting turn when we came across a shop owned by a young woman. I didn’t notice anything peculiar at first, but before we knew it, our group—including Jeremies—was somehow invited to sit inside while the shopkeeper cut up fresh papaya. We noticed that the young woman seemed to admire Jeremies, and of course, we took it to the next level and teased him about it.

In fact, we became more attuned to how the women we came across on our trip seemed to be charmed by our guide, for whatever reason 😅. It was all in good fun, though.

After snacking through the papaya and taking a breather from the sun, our group got back into the van to find a suitable restaurant for lunch. We ended up at a restaurant called Jungle, which offered cozy seating, but there was nothing on the menu (of substance) for a vegetarian diner. Jeremies was in shock, but I was the one in shock after learning about his thought process for selecting this place: jungle = green = vegetables = vegetarian.

At least we had our reliable option of Indian cuisine—Shaluc was not too far from the disappointment that was the Jungle. In fact, Senegal had made me grateful for the Indian diaspora—always coming to the rescue of vegetarians globally.

After this meal, which ended up becoming an early dinner, we checked into our next accommodation on Ngor Island, Ngor Madrague.

Compared to BOMA, these accommodations were on the simplistic side. But at least we were only here for one night, during which we learned we had made it onto “mosque TikTok” to our humorous delight.

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The next morning, I didn’t wake up early to run or frolic on the beach like my friends did (got to get those pics for the ‘gram!), but we did eventually meet up for a sub-par breakfast and were rudely accompanied by flies. No pics of that obviously.

The main objective of the day was to explore Lake Retba, or the “pink lake”. However, the images available online are photoshopped beyond belief. The lake was more of a brown hue in-person, but it was still a unique sight to see.

The water’s color is due to Dunaliella salina algae and the lake itself has a salinity level of 40%—we didn’t come prepared with swimsuits to test this with a “float” test, but I mean, look at all the foam on the shore too?!

The salt trade is alive and well, as we saw a number of salt deposits organized in hills along the shore. Some vendors even sell salt-based products right then and there for the eager tourist.

Our excursion at the lake was straightforward, where we went for a group boat ride and took in the views while making sure no one felt off-balance leading to an accidental fall in the water! After our boat ride, we quickly got back on the road to the dismay of the local vendors—in our defense, we had a long ride ahead to our next accommodation, Hôtel Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Saly.

The 1hr and 33 min estimate is a joke btw…safest bet is to double whatever Google suggests when traveling in West Africa!

BOMA still ranked at the top of my list, but checking into this resort felt like a major step up from our accommodations at Ngor Island. The resort was packed with white French tourists who could have easily been mistaken for White Lotus characters.

While the views were great and dinner offered many options thanks to it being a buffet, I learned that this accommodation would also be our accommodation for the last night of our trip. We would actually be driving back north to “spend Christmas in the desert”…

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Hard to believe I had been in Senegal for five days at this point, but the adventure continued! I woke up early enough to see the sun start to rise, and was able to fit in a short run along a paved path that cut through the beach.

Breakfast at the buffet was sub-par in regards to variety, but what called my attention was the Nutella container and the waffle guy—not the guy, but the fact that he was in charge of preparing fresh waffles for my breakfast amusement.

We were soon all packed up and back in the van—our next destination was three hours away according to Google which…wasn’t too far off actually! We were specifically staying at Hôtel OKAÏ in the Lompoul desert.

There were no surprises when it came to arriving at our destination. We were literally driving over sand for about 15 minutes before approaching the “parking lot” which again, was just sand. We had some assistance with our luggage, and were given the grand tour before getting our rooms assigned.

The pool was indeed luxurious, but the water was too cold for me!!

With it being so isolated in the desert, the resort was definitely a place meant for unwinding and detaching. The rooms were spacious and clean (they were like luxury glamping huts), although everywhere we walked was sand, except for the paved area by the pool and dining area.

Lunch of course was a humorous event. It took a lengthy discussion between Jeremies, the chef, and our waiter to clarify what a vegetarian meal to my liking consists of. I tried to communicate that I’d be satisfied with a plate of flavored steamed veggies (mixed in sauce already or on the side), but that I needed some type of bready carb as well. Outside of our Indian jaunts, this ended up being my go-to meal request throughout the trip, and sometimes to my delight I would get bread with my veggies while oftentimes not.

Nevertheless, the chefs always did their best, and the presentation of our lunch was impeccable.

You can probably guess where I was sitting

After lunch, it was definitely time for a nap. We headed back to our rooms and I slept for a solid hour, which felt exactly right after the morning’s travel and the full desert heat.

Once we woke up, Aneesa and I decided to check out the pool. Unfortunately, it was still a little too cold for my liking, but I did what any good friend would do and take on the role of photographer.

There was not much to do after that and before dinner, even though the hotel offered a few desert activities, including motorbiking over sand dunes. Just wasn’t our style though.

At least we had a Christmas Eve dinner buffet to look forward to, but as expected, my options were still fairly limited—mostly vegetables, potatoes, and finally some bread—but there were also cakes for dessert, so I was able to indulge a little.

After dinner, most of our group was ready to call it a night. The desert temperature had dropped significantly, and with the wind picking up, it was not exactly comfortable to keep sitting outside.

The funny part is that we apparently slept through the main entertainment. Later that night, the staff gathered around a campfire with drums, music, and dancing. Some of the tourists even joined in and took turns dancing. Jeremies had recorded a video of it, and just like with our appearance on “mosque TikTok”, we could not contain ourselves at the sight of someone’s uncle really going all out with campfire dance moves.

The next morning marked the start of our next adventure. We had a long drive ahead of us back down toward the border of Senegal and The Gambia, where the next part of the trip would begin. If you are going to pay attention to any of these posts, I highly recommend this next one, and I highly do not recommend a trip to The Gambia anytime soon.

Are you a “picky” eater when it comes to traveling?

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I’ve always been a geography girlie. In third grade, my dad challenged me to learn the capitals of all 50 U.S. states. After a perfect recitation, I was rewarded with a $1 scoop of Baskin-Robbins ice cream (back when those $1 scoop Tuesdays still existed…). I even competed in my middle school’s geography bee—and absolutely tortured myself after missing the question, “What is the largest desert in California?”—I knew about the Mojave, unlike most thirteen-year-old Americans I bet, yet somehow still got it wrong and mentally flogged myself for a week.

In adulthood, especially during moments of ennui, I’ve found myself opening Google Maps, zooming into random regions, and lingering there—pondering borders, cities, and landscapes. That habit is how I first became familiar with South America beyond the behemoth that is Brazil.

And as an adult with actual spending money and the ability to explore more of the world, I’m eager to do more than memorize city names or niche fun facts about countries most of the Western world wouldn’t recognize. I find myself yearning to travel to more “exotic” places with whatever time off work I can scrape together. While I’m not pressuring myself to visit every country in the world, I’ve quietly adopted it as an unofficial goal 🙈.

In recent years, I’ve also been lucky enough to make friends who share my travel style—people who are flexible, curious, and excited by destinations that aren’t always top of mind. When you’re the kind of person who just wants to see as much of the world as possible with agreeable company, it helps. So when a friend casually suggests, “Senegal this December, guys?” you don’t hesitate. You jump all in, thrilled to check off your first visit to the African continent—especially when it wasn’t even on your radar for most of the year.

My friend Aneesa (the Expat Panda) was able to loop myself as well as friends P and M into the mix to plan a girls’ trip to both Senegal and The Gambia (Senegambia is also a term used to describe both countries, but Senegambia is not an actual country).

Super zoomed in pic of Senegal and The Gambia, West Africa

Since we would be venturing to West Africa, with none of us speaking fluent French (essential for most countries in West Africa), we were able to work with the Mowoki travel group company to help sort out our itinerary—including accommodations, activities, our driver, airport transfers, most meals, and even visas when necessary. The owner of the company, Jeremies, was even our guide for the entire 10-day trip. During the planning stages, I honestly didn’t know what to expect or how the trip would turn out, but knowing I’d be with friends I trusted eased my nerves in a way going alone wouldn’t have.

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Our trip plans began in August, with the actual trip being in December. My portion as 1/4 of a girls group amounted to around $2,240 USD for all of the essentials mentioned above, organized through Mowoki. Even then, the conversion rate led me to getting about $200 back in local currency when I arrived, which I used towards my Gambian visa (more on that experience later…). With flights, I was lucky that my go-to international airline (United) had a direct flight from IAD to Dakar, Senegal (the capital). Dates and times worked out in my favor, so there was no need to transit through Europe to get to the African continent…

Unfortunately, as of December 2025, United made the decision to cancel the route …the route launched in May 2025, so it barely lasted a year 😪. It is still possible to fly direct trans-Atlantically from JFK or Montreal, but the United decision hurts my heart because that’s one of the current airlines I’m loyal to lol.

The trip was taken in the last half of December, and so it aligned perfectly with days off from work. I flew into IAD from Austin the day before my flight to Dakar, just so I wouldn’t risk missing the flight to Dakar due to delays. I stayed overnight in Alexandria, VA, which was a separate, but cute little experience to have before venturing off to warmer temperatures and more tropical adventures.

Exploring Alexandria a few hours before my trans-Atlantic flight

My experience flying from IAD to Dakar was mostly smooth! I was upgraded to United Premium Economy, and felt comfortable for the 7 hour journey thanks to additional “Saks Fifth Avenue” branded blankets and seats with roomier leg room. We did have a 1.5 hour delay though—with limited flights a week, I guess the crew wanted to make sure EVERYBODY who was supposed to be on the flight and checked-in was on board.

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I landed in Dakar around 8am local time the next day. Walking into the airport, a part of me felt a sense of accomplishment before even stepping outside—I made it to Africa! The only reason I exclaim that so broadly is because it truly was my first time on the continent. But I knew that this trip would only be a sampling of what to expect, and many more trips will need to be planned to further explore this continent!

Immigration was a breeze (no visa needed for stays less than 90 days for US citizens), but waiting for my luggage to arrive was a chore. After about an hour, I was able to meet my driver outside the airport, which was thankfully arranged by Mowoki.

The drive to Dakar city from the airport was also a journey, and nothing too exciting to comment on. In fact, the wide open desert-like terrain reminded me of some parts of West Texas!

Google maps can’t always be trusted here due to the nature of the roads, but it did take around 1.5 hours for me

My destination was our first accommodation for the trip—BOMA Lifestyle Hotel. It was tucked away in the middle of a busy street, and even my driver had to make a long U-turn after missing it the first time. Despite arriving around 10am, I was able to partake in my complimentary breakfast, after checking-in, meeting Jeremies in-person, and catching up with Aneesa and M while P would be joining us later.

Breakfast at BOMA each morning of our stay was substantial! We got to pick a hot beverage, a cold juice, a savory side, a sweet side, and an entree

Knowing that the first day was essentially a travel day for everyone, our plans were minimal. After breakfast, all I remember doing was taking a nap and then having snacks with Aneesa and M before figuring out what our plans for dinner were. We just knew we were having a “welcome dinner”—but where and when? No clue.

Eventually, we did find out where we were going for dinner. It was a venue none of us could have imagined, but it definitely gave us an “exciting” preview of what was to come on our trip in Senegal:

The beach behind Magic Land aka the location of a crazy night

We were seated on the rocks of a beach behind an amusement park known as Magic Land, and attempted to make ourselves comfortable in plastic beach chairs as Jeremies explained what was on tonight’s menu—basically the lifeblood of Senegalese cuisine, fresh fish. I was assured there would be a veggie option for me, and that would be cooked and served in a traditional way as well.

In the meantime, the next couple of hours (yes, you read that right) included some unusual, frightening, and downright hilarious antics. We quickly got used to the persistent solicitation from vendors selling everything from hot tea to books, musicians trying to get us to get up and dance to some Afro drum beats or serenade us with “I love yous”, and even witnessed a fight between two young boys (!!) because one boy thought the other was stealing his customer (this was the frightening one, just because I’m sure one of the boys got hurt falling HARD on the rocks…).

It truly was dinner with a show, yet we were still waiting for the dinner part…

My veggie plate of fried plantains, boiled carrots, potatoes, cucumber and tomatoes, pickled onions (loved this!!), and lettuce

At least it was worth the wait?

My friends somehow managed to tackle two (!!) similarly-sized plates of fish, along with what I had pictured above! Needless to say, we did not finish our meals but we left with our bellies and hearts full. The amount of laughter we had that night was equivalent to a 30-min ab workout!

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The next day was the start of our real adventures for the trip. We began with a half-day excursion to Gorée Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site that once played a central role in the 15th- to 19th-century slave trade. Despite its heavy history, the island is visually stunning, with colonial architecture, soft pastel buildings, and bursts of colorful bougainvillea throughout.

We had a mini tour of the island with a local guide, who was a wealth of knowledge when it came to the history of the island. For the first half of our walk, we saw the “good, innocent” parts of the island—baobabs, sand art, colorful artwork, buildings artistically shaped like ships…

The buildings were indeed picturesque and Instagrammable:

But when we finally reached the House of Slaves, that’s when the truth came to light about what this place really was.

As we walked through the rooms, it was difficult to comprehend that while slave traders lived comfortably on the upper levels, hundreds of enslaved men, women, and children were crammed into spaces no larger than closets. Learning that young girls, in particular, were subjected to abuse and were only spared once they became pregnant was horrifying. The entire experience was deeply unsettling, but confronting this history directly is necessary to prevent the dangerous path of history repeating itself.

On that note, we were grateful to witness one of the most historical sites in Senegal, and it also served as a humbling reminder that sometimes travel brings on discomfort, and that’s when you know the journey that you are on really means something.

After Gorée, we continued on to visit the iconic Mosque of the Divinity (Massalikoul Djinane Mosque)—this stop was much more humorous than expected?

This was my second time visiting a mosque, and my first time with (appropriate) covering. I visited a mosque in Cologne, Germany with a friend once and don’t recall covering my hair (I think I was able to tie it in a ponytail) and I was wearing a long dress but stopped short at my knees. No one was bothered there, and I was probably more self-conscious of not wanting to offend anyone.

Here however, my friends and I were given the VIP treatment. The imam met us in the parking lot—as soon as our van door opened, there he was, with plenty of covering options for us to choose from 😂. From there, we walked through the prayer hall (men’s side) and could not believe how beautiful the interior was:

The amount of detail just had me like 🤩 the entire time. The imam spent the entire time with us, walking us through all the open rooms and again, treating us like VIPs. It seemed…strange?

We would soon find out there was a reason why we were receiving such princess-like treatment. We later learned that our guide had told the imam that the four of us were “well known in the English-speaking community”, and the imam had shared he ran a lively TikTok account for the mosque. The next night, Aneesa and I were curious and did some stalking and found out that we indeed ended up on the mosque’s TikTok! At one point during our visit, the imam popped out his phone to take a video of us, and not knowing how to react, we all blankly stared at the camera and that is what ended up online for his community to see.

I guess you could say we went viral in Senegal?

After the mosque visit, it was finally time to eat! While we were managing throughout the day with snacks, we stopped at Phare des Mamelles for a late lunch since it was supposed to offer scenic views of the city.

While the views were great, the food was not. At least for a vegetarian like me. I’d soon realize that Senegalese cuisine is not the best for vegetarians, and many of my meals outside of the breakfast hour would require some customization. This restaurant did not have a proper vegetarian meal, so I was left picking at a plate of vegetables…I even had to beg for proper sauce. My friends also knew we would need to eat something else later, and fortunately, everyone was excited about the prospect of Indian food since there was a restaurant just outside BOMA.

We did right at Rasoi, where we indulged in spring rolls with sauce, paratha, and delicious hot chai.
To think that I had only been in Senegal for two days at this point and to have seen so much already? I was excited to continue on our adventure, though like with any trip, there were fun, memorable moments and those that felt mentally draining.

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I plan to conclude my recap of the Senegambia trip with a reflection drawn from my personal observations and conversations, as the experience left me thinking about how I might use what I learned to help deepen others’ understanding of this region of the world—more to come!

Have you ever visited West Africa?

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In this blog post, I talk about my experience with a group tour to Guatemala organized by the company Here & Now Travel. This post is a recap of my experience and not sponsored, but if you find yourself inspired to join a future group trip—whether it is in Guatemala or some place else—use code PREE100 for $100 off your first trip with them! You can read Part 1 here.

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Day three of the trip was one I had been especially looking forward to—hiking a volcano! Originally, I had hoped to do an overnight hike to Acatenango with a different tour company when I was planning my trip to Guatemala, but with H&N, the volcano of choice was Pacaya. It was a shorter day hike, but still required a good level of fitness. Even though it wasn’t the overnight adventure I’d imagined, I was still really excited—this time I had proper hiking boots, and I was ready.

We started the day with an earlier-than-usual breakfast before hopping on the bus and heading toward the trailhead. Once there, we met our guide and were told that horses would be available if anyone got too tired or out of breath. Most of us were hesitant/embarrassed about needing to use that option, but thankfully no one in our group needed to use a horse.

The hike was no joke. Because of the high altitude and the steep incline right from the start, I felt out of breath almost immediately. Still, after pushing through the beginning, my body adjusted, and the experience became incredibly fulfilling. After about an hour and a half, we reached the summit, took photos, and soaked in the scenery.

The descent was much easier, and near the lower levels, we passed dogs running around the volcanic soil and natural smoke pits where people were roasting marshmallows—a fun local tradition.

Another hour and a half later, we were back at the base. Thanks to my hiking boots, the trek was much more manageable, and while I felt tired, I was only a little sore the next day.

After the hike, we headed to Rainbow Café for lunch, where we were able to preorder our meals. I chose a falafel plate, and it was incredibly satisfying as a post-hike meal. The café reminded me a lot of Samsara, but this time, I was really glad to partake in a meal that satisfied my cravings while with the group.

After lunch, some of us went on a walking tour of Antigua, while others wandered through the outdoor markets (I was mentally pooped from the hike and opted for the latter). I was thoroughly amused by the abundance of capybara-themed products—it seems the capybara obsession has truly taken flight, and it makes sense because these creatures are the GOAT.

Nothing in particular caught my eye, but I enjoyed tagging along. Eventually, another girl from my group and I stopped for some long-awaited gelato. For only two quetzales, it was incredibly delicious and absolutely worth it.

We spent the rest of the afternoon resting at the hotel before heading out for our last group dinner in Antigua at Hector’s Bistro. The menu had plenty of options, including pizzas and American-style dishes. I ordered sweet potato fries with a vegetable platter, which was both satisfying and flavorful.

After dinner, everyone went their separate ways for the night. I turned in early, ready for the next chapter of the trip.

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The following day, we headed to Lake Atitlán. The drive took most of the morning (about 3 hours), but we arrived to our hotel (Jardines del Lago) just before lunch, giving us time to relax and take in the views.

Lunch was at a very local, hole-in-the-wall spot serving Uruguayan food. The portions were massive, but unfortunately, the food itself was pretty bland. I ate what I could, but it wasn’t my favorite meal of the trip. Still in the mood for something sweet, I treated myself to another scoop of gelato—this time a creamy Nutella flavor—which made everything better.

Soon after, we visited a nearby nature reserve. Some people went zip lining and ended up having a very unexpected, somewhat chaotic experience that led to serious trauma bonding. I was part of the group that chose to hike instead, though not by choice. We were supposedly trying to find a beach, but the trail ended up being longer and more confusing than expected, which made it a bit frustrating. It wasn’t my favorite part of the trip, but it was still an adventure.

Later on, a few of us decided to get massages. I went with my fellow gelato girlie to a local spot that was able to fit us in, while others found appointments at another nearby salon. An hour-long massage only cost around $35 USD! A tip wasn’t required, but I threw one in 🙂

That evening, we had dinner at a fusion Asian restaurant and continued getting acquainted with Lake Atitlán.

Our hotel in Panajachel was more basic compared to the boutique-style hotel in Antigua, but it was clean, well-located, and had beautiful views of the lake. And of course, I ended the night with yet another scoop of gelato.

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Our last full day took us to different parts of the lake for swimming and cultural activities. Breakfast at the hotel was a buffet, but it filled up quickly—if you weren’t there by 7:00 a.m., it was already packed. I was not enthusiastic about the options anyways.

After breakfast, we gathered outside and took a boat to a lookout point (Cerro Tzankujil) where people could jump into the lake, swim, sunbathe, and take photos. It was a relaxing and scenic stop. I took a pic of Panajachel in the morning—a much more quiet view!

At Cerro Tzankujil, I opted to mostly sun bathe as the water was too cold for my liking. I did try to walk around in the water for a bit, but it ended up feeling too boring haha.

Next, we headed to San Juan La Laguna, a colorful lakeside village full of vendors, cafés, and art. At the dock, our guide pointed out Indian Nose, which is another famous hiking destination. It really did look like a nose!

Our first stop was a women’s cooperative focused on traditional weaving and natural dyeing practices.

One of the women walked us through the entire process, and because it’s a co-op, the handmade items are sold directly in their shop. I ended up purchasing a few gifts, happy to support their work.

As a side note, one of the items I purchased made it into a white elephant game at a Christmas party I attended, and the person who ended up with it was absolutely in love!

On each item, the price tag includes a picture of the woman who made the item, and the days it took to make!

Afterwards, we broke into smaller groups to explore the town—wandering through shops, admiring murals, and taking in the vibrant atmosphere.

We regrouped for lunch, which again wasn’t anything spectacular, but it kept us going. Our overall time spent in town was for a shorter duration compared to some of our destinations on the trip. Apparently there were other towns around the lake that had their own personalities—like San Marcos La Laguna, which is supposedly famous for its spiritual vibe, yoga studios, meditation centers, and bohemian atmosphere. I’m sure I would have found delicious vegetarian options there!

By the afternoon, everyone was pretty exhausted, so we returned to the hotel to rest, enjoy the sunset, and take photos by the lake. That evening, we gathered for our farewell dinner. While the food wasn’t particularly memorable, the live music and the shared experience made it special. I didn’t get my nightly scoop of gelato that evening, but I did have ice cream and spent the rest of the night reflecting on the trip and appreciating everything it had been.

The final day was purely a travel day. We woke up early for the long drive back to Guatemala City and the airport, said our goodbyes, and boarded our flights. Even though the trip was only five days long, it felt incredibly meaningful. Experiencing Guatemala alongside like-minded travelers—people who were just as present and appreciative—made the memories even more special.

I’m already planning to join H&N next year for a trip to Belize, and hope to see more of Central and South America with companies like them. It helps when you don’t have to worry about logistics—a vacation can actually feel more like a vacation!

Have you ever visited Guatemala?

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As someone who’s always been type A and loves to travel, I’ve set myself a long-term goal of visiting as many of the 197 (maybe it’s more, some lists include Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, while I’ve seen some say Curacao is technically part of the Netherlands 🙄…in my book it is its own country, I’m counting it 😝) countries as possible. It’s a big task, but I’m determined to experience the world, one country at a time.

For a while, I focused mostly on Europe because it was easy to plan, affordable, and familiar, but over time, Europe started to feel repetitive and boring. Eastern Europe provides some variation, but even then, it does not feel like an “adventurous” destination to me anymore.

Last year, I was able to begin prioritizing international travel on my side of the globe, like Playa del Carmen and Chichen Itza in Mexico, and the trip to Curacao. After my first trip to Serbia earlier that year, and going on some hiking adventures, I knew I needed to explore more challenging and adventurous destinations.

It made sense to continue down south and look into Central America. Guatemala wasn’t on my radar initially, but after hearing about amazing experiences from two friends who had been in recent times, it started to spark my interest.

I have to be honest and admit that at first, I did have some small reservations—at least with the thought of traveling alone. I know that the news and media outlets like to sensationalize things, and so I appreciated the feedback I got from two friends I trust. I trusted their experiences more over whatever has been shared on the nightly news.

I also realized that there are many group tours to Guatemala, which gave me reassurance that it must be a safe and welcoming place for tourists. After visiting Greece and Bulgaria this summer, my social media algorithm quickly picked up on my travel habits and started bombarding me with ads for group tours, many of them in Guatemala.

Originally, I was planning to go with an all-female solo travelers group, excited for the longer itinerary they offered. Unfortunately, that trip fell through—some of the girls couldn’t commit to the dates I had blocked off. At first, I was disappointed and thought I’d have to cancel everything and look for another trip. But then, I stumbled across a company called Here and Now, which happened to have a tour scheduled on the exact dates I was available. With their trip being shorter, I was thrilled at the prospect of not only getting my Guatemala adventure, but also having a few days to relax at home before jumping back into work. It felt like everything was falling into place!

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Prep and Day 1

I always joke that I love traveling but hate everything leading up to it—especially packing. My work schedule doesn’t leave much room for daydreaming about upcoming trips, so I kept prep simple. The only things I proactively did were buy real hiking boots from REI—because after hiking through Bulgaria in run-down running shoes, I knew that the only way I would ever want to go hiking again is if I get REAL boots! I also stocked up on some of my favorite US snacks a few days before the trip, since I’m the type who gets hangry fast, especially when vegetarian-friendly options are limited.

One nice perk of this trip was flying direct out of IAH airport in Houston. I got to spend Thanksgiving with family (after almost SEVEN years of no Thanksgivings spent at home—because I was traveling or living in Italy, lol), and then head off on my adventure without the stress of multiple connections. The flight itself was smooth, and I landed in Guatemala City around 1 p.m., grabbed my suitcase, breezed through customs, and found my driver.

The drive from Guatemala City to Antigua, though—whew. The winding roads, construction, traffic, and even a couple of car accidents turned it into a full sensory experience. But it also gave me an instant glimpse of local life, like watching my driver and his girlfriend(?) in the passenger seat casually buy snacks from vendors weaving between cars as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

I checked into the Good Hotel in Antigua around 3:30pm, quickly freshened up, and joined a few travelers from my group for a short walk around town before meeting our full group and guide in the lobby for introductions and dinner. The hotel itself was fantastic—clean, minimalist, and thoughtfully designed. There were tiny Guatemalan worry dolls placed on our beds, which was such a charming touch. I did have a roommate for the entire trip, but Here & Now did a great job pairing travelers based on sleep schedules and logistical preferences.

Dinner that night was at El Adobe, which offered a mix of authentic Guatemalan dishes and other options. I ordered a cauliflower dish (advertised as spicy but definitely mild, and a bit cold) along with a steamed veggie platter topped with a creamy lemon drizzle. They also served blue corn tortillas tableside, which were delicious. Guatemalan cuisine is definitely meat-forward, and I knew going in I would face challenges, but the veggie options I did get access to in Antigua were surprisingly good.

Veggie platter and (cold) cauliflower at El Adobe

After dinner, the group wandered into a nearby bar, and after a few minutes my roommate and I called it an early night. Before heading back, our guide helped me withdraw cash—$139 worth—which, combined with a few credit card charges, ended up being the perfect amount for the entire trip.

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Day 2

The next morning, I woke up early in order to do something I had not been planning to during the trip—run! Leading up to the trip, I wasn’t sure if running would be feasible in Guatemala, given concerns about road safety and accessibility. However, upon arriving in Antigua and seeing the quality of the hotel, I felt much more confident. I sought advice from the concierge, who reassured me that running in the city center was perfectly safe in the mornings. They did mention that areas outside the city could be more challenging to navigate, but as long as I stayed within the city, it would be fine.

I decided to follow their recommendation and embarked on a short, 2-mile run. It turned out to be more difficult than I had anticipated, primarily because the roads in Antigua are mostly cobblestone. The sidewalks were either narrow or nonexistent, so I had to remain very cautious while navigating through the streets. Despite the difficulty, the run was invigorating, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there was a 5K/10K race taking place that morning. If I had known about the event in advance, I might have considered joining in (lol!).

After my run, I met up with a few of my fellow travelers to head into town. We were planning to visit the “famous arch” (Arco de Santa Catalina) and get some photos in. We gathered in the hotel lobby, and I had just enough time to shower, change, and join the group for the short walk to the arch. Although we left at 7 AM, thinking we would beat the crowds, there were still many people already out and about. Nonetheless, we managed to take some great photos.

Upon our return to the hotel, we were ready for breakfast. The breakfast at the hotel restaurant, Saul, was delightful. The variety of options was impressive, and as part of the trip package, we were entitled to one breakfast item and a hot drink (black coffee or tea). However, I opted to pay a out-of-pocket for a cappuccino, which cost $3.25—a reasonable price considering what one might pay at a US Starbucks! The cappuccino came with a small biscotti, which was a nice touch. I paired it with oatmeal, which had a porridge-like consistency and was topped with fresh berries and nuts. It was light yet filling, and just enough for that morning since we were soon on our way to a Guatemalan cooking class!

Cappuccino with biscotti | Oatmeal topped with fruit and granola

The class was held in the home of a Guatemalan woman named Saira, along with her sister. Their family has a long history in the culinary arts, with family members holding executive culinary positions within the Guatemalan government. It was clear that they were deeply passionate about their country’s food culture, and they were eager to share their knowledge with us.

The class was divided into three groups: one for appetizers, one for the main course, and one for dessert. I placed myself in the dessert group, as the appetizer and main course preparations involved meat, but the hosts kindly made sure there were vegetarian options for me by the time we were ready to eat!

Dobladas, vegetarian “stew”, flan-like dessert with candied fruit

The experience was both enjoyable and informative, offering a unique opportunity to bond with fellow travelers while learning about Guatemalan cuisine and the cultural significance of the dishes we were preparing.

After the Guatemalan cooking class, we had some free time to relax before the next activity of the day: a visit to a local coffee plantation. Around 2:00 p.m., we boarded a bus and headed to San Miguel Escobar, home to a family-run, multigenerational coffee farm. There, we met one of the family members who walked us through the entire coffee-growing process—from crop cultivation and harvesting, to quality control and roasting.

The family shared the historical and cultural significance of their farm, explaining how their long-standing relationships with U.S. partners and exporters have helped support not only their own family, but neighboring families as well. It was eye-opening to see how interconnected community, trade, and sustainability are within their operation.

After touring the plantation and seeing the coffee plants up close, we traveled to the family’s home and processing area. They demonstrated how the beans are husked, processed, and roasted, explaining the differences between light, medium, and dark roasts (including the surprising fact that lighter and medium roasts actually contain more caffeine than dark roasts). We also learned more about how their plantation partners with coffee companies in the U.S. to distribute their beans.

Of course, we got to sample the coffee fresh—and it was incredible. We also had the opportunity to purchase coffee products, including skincare items created in collaboration with another local brand, and each of us received a complimentary bag of coffee to take home. It felt good to directly support a local business while gaining a deeper appreciation for a drink so many of us take for granted.

After the plantation visit, we headed as a group to Antigua Brewing Company for happy hour. With rooftop views, snacks that doubled as dinner for some, and plenty of conversation (plus a few card games), we stayed until nightfall. Fireworks began lighting up the sky, and we learned that in Guatemala, fireworks usually signal a celebration—often a wedding.

After about two hours on the rooftop, we decided it was time for dinner. I was craving a place that catered to vegans and vegetarians, so I ventured out on my own and found Samsara, a small, hole-in-the-wall vegan restaurant. Like many vegan spots around the world, it had that familiar hippie, eco-conscious vibe—but I always love supporting plant-based businesses wherever I travel.

I ordered a tempeh bowl with coconut peanut sauce and rice, paired with a hot tea. It was hearty, comforting, and exactly what I needed. After dinner, I headed back to rest—knowing the next day would bring the volcano hike and that I’d need every bit of energy for what was ahead.

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All in all, my first two days in Guatemala were enriching and filled with memorable moments—whether it was the challenge of running on cobblestone streets, experiencing the bustling atmosphere of Antigua’s iconic arch, or learning about the rich culinary traditions of the country. So far, this was all just a sampling of what was to come—even more exciting adventures were awaiting!

Stick around for Part 2!

The Senegambia Girls’ Trip: Part 3

The Senegambia Girls’ Trip: Part 2

The Senegambia Girls’ Trip: Part 1

My Guatemala Group Tour Experience: Part 2

My Guatemala Group Tour Experience: Part 1