Bazouk du Saloum Ecolodge

BAZOUK du SALOUM What a very special place. I cannot recommend this ecolodge highly enough. We are a ‘young’ couple in our early 60’s. We stayed for 5 nights as part of a longer trip but wished we could have stayed longer. All our transfers were organized for us including the driver who picked us up from the airport and the pirogue captain who met us in the dark in what felt like the middle of the night! We had booked the smallest lodge available but it was absolutely perfect for our needs and even had a little terrace and a hammock under the shade of a tree. The beds are really comfortable and are surrounded by mosquito nets. Water is obviously in short supply so don’t expect a lengthy shower but it’s perfectly adequate for a quick swish at the end of the day. The ladies may want to consider bringing some dry shampoo! WiFi is available at the restaurant and is perfectly adequate for catching up on emails and messages. We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of food and the generous portions. Breakfast is freshly made bread and homemade jam, coffee and juice. We definitely didn’t need lunch! Dinner is a set menu and a we were served a good variety of local dishes during our stay. Marie and Philippe are perfect hosts and checked everyday to see if there was anything we needed. All the staff are very friendly and willing to help you. We discovered halfway through our stay that some of the staff spoke more Spanish than English so we were able to muddle through in Spanish rather than our rusty French. You can explore as much or as little as you want. It’s perfectly possible to walk along the beach for an hour in either direction. There are kayaks to use free of charge and I recommend exploring the mangroves and watching the kingfishers and wading birds. My favorite spot was the covered deck at end of the pier. It is so peaceful and the perfect place to enjoy a gin and tonic whilst watching the sun go down. If you want to explore further afield there are lots of trips and excursions planned for you and are all excellent value for money! We enjoyed walking with Joseph and learning about the medicinal qualities of the trees and shrubs, and a horse and cart ride to 3 villages on the island. We also enjoyed a boat trip to see the pelicans and herons coming in to roost at the end of the day. We would have liked to have done more if we had stayed longer. If we ever return to Senegal the BAZOUK du SALOUM will be our first port of call and we will book direct with Marie and Philippe. Thank you for a fabulous stay!