Casamance, Bijagos Islands and Carnival

Guinea Bissau

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Senegal

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The Gambia

Casamance, Bijagos Islands and Carnival

Foto © I. Fornasiero

Trip info

Dates:
31/01/24 – 15/02/24

Duration:
16 days

Price:
From 2.290 € / person

Code:

GBI01PS240205

Type:

Ethnographic
Naturalistic
Classic
Seaside

Group:
Min. 6 / max. 16 people

Guide:
Group departure with english speaking guide

An amazing overland journey through an incredible variety of experiences and landscapes, amidst pristine natural environments, colonial traces and traditional villages, for curious travellers who like to venture off the beaten track.

Casamance, the last bastion of animist religion in Muslim lands, is Senegal’s most traditional region, geographically and culturally akin to neighbouring Guinea Bissau, with which it shares lush landscapes and ancient customs. It is a land of animist kings and queens, villages of clay and red earth, colonial legacies and boundless plantations that open the door to one of the Atlantic’s best-preserved paradises: the Bijagos archipelago. An infinity of islands and atolls off the coast of Bissau inhabited by a population that has always strenuously defended ancient traditions and respects the natural habitat of dolphins, sea hippos, turtles and aquatic birds that winter among the mangroves. In addition, on this special departure, you will participate in the Guinea Bissau Carnival, a mix of Afro-Brazilian traditions expressed in a very popular festival, with parades of masks and enthralling dance performances. A tradition that is renewed and enriched every year, showcasing the unbridled joie de vivre of the local population. In the capital, Bissau, jugglers, artists and fire-eaters compete in acrobatic contests, while drums animate the dances of young dancers dressed in raffia skirts and bras made from coconuts. But it is in the archipelago of the Bijagos Islands that the most impressive festivities take place. There, nature spirits materialise in papier-mâché masks adorned with feathers and rattles, shamans stage propitiatory rites and each village elects its queen, choosing her from among the most beautiful young women. A riot of colours and rhythms for an unforgettable experience!