About 250 km south of the edge of the 'true' Sahara, and only about 5-10 km from the coat of the Atlantic, is a strange but fascinating geographic feature: an 18 km² patch of desert complete with large, sandy dunes.
Senegal lies purely in what is known as the Sahel region, in Sub-Saharan African. The vast, sandy expenses of the Sahara are located in its neighbours to the north, particularly Mauritania and Mali. But tucked away just a few kilometres from Senegal's Grande Côte, is Lompoul, a hidden gem that lies around 250 km from the nearest edge of the world's most famous desert. If, like me, you enjoy your deserts small, this 18 km² patch of arid land, complete with orange, towering dunes, that gives a whole new meaning to the term 'desert island' is definitely a place you'll want to check out.
Lompoul is a place where I can just get away from it all. It gives that authentic desert feel without having to track out for hours, into the middle of nowhere, on the back of a camel (though you can definitely do that if you want to!) or in a 4X4.
Why would you want to venture out into the desert? Where's your sense of adventure!?
Well, if you're looking for a totally different experience like, say, staying a night or two in a Mauritanian-style khaïmas tent and getting a glimpse of the centuries-old nomadic lifestyle? How about riding a camel or a quad bike over towering sand dunes or surfing down those dunes on a sandboard? Maybe you're just looking for some peace and quiet? Lompoul's got you covered - check me out rocking that hammock!
Getting to the Lompoul desert
'Lompoul' refers to three different places in Senegal. The first is the desert, presumably where you are trying to get to. The second is the nearby town of Lompoul, the gateway to the desert, and the third is another town on the coast called Lompoul-sur-Mer. Generally, if you say 'Lompoul' to a driver in another part of the country, they're going to assume you mean the town, so bare this in mind if your final destination is Lompoul-sur-Mer.
Generally, if you want to get to the desert, you'll have to arrange transport to the town, first. Most accommodations, including the three lodges located in the desert itself, can arrange pick up via their private drivers, including to and from major cities like Dakar or Saint Louis.
Alternatively, if you are travelling from a major city travelling along the national N2 highway via bus (Dem Dikk) or Sept Place, most stop in the nearby large town of Kébémer, you can negotiate a taxi from there (~20 mins) to Lompoul or Lompoul-sur-Mer.
From Lompoul, if staying in the desert, you'll need to contact your accommodation to arrange a pick up. It takes about 15 minutes after making the call and is free. If you have your own car, know that approaching the desert, while allowed, absolutely requires a 4X4. If you've arrived in Lompoul this way, there's also parking available if your final destination is the desert
Where to stay
I don't normally give advice on where to stay when visiting places, home is where the wurm is, after all. But in Lompoul, being an isolated desert, your options are limited. There are essentially three places to choose from: The Horizons Lodge Lompoul, the Ecolodge de Lompoul and the Camp Du Desert. I stayed in the Ecolodge de Lompoul.
In Ecolodge, you stay in a big, comfortable tent that can fit quite a few people, making it quite a decent deal as a group. Each tent with its own shower and bathroom area. I even got my own bed!
Lodging is done on a full board/half board basis, i.e. lunch or dinner (half) or both (full) and breakfast the next morning. Drinks were included with meals (including delicious, foamy Senegalese tea!) but between them are paid for - minus a welcome drink - but still good value. The food on offer is pretty amazing, as you're treated at every meal to a variety of different meaty stews, fresh vegetables and fruits, and salads, fresh fish caught daily from the Atlantic, and of course, copious amounts of rice!
What to do
Activities are arranged by the lodges themselves. Guided trips can be arranged to both Lompoul, to visit the markets, and Lompoul-sur-Mer, generally more of a day-at-the-beach kind of trip. Depending on when you're there, there's also introductions to African Drums, African games, languages or cooking, including the Sahara desert bread if you're very lucky!
If that's too slow for you, you can try riding the dunes on a quad bike. Too fast? Well then, you can try going on a camel ride around the desert or practise your skills sliding down the dunes on a sand board (it's harder than it looks!) which the lodges typically offer for free.
Or if you're not into any of that, you can just sit back and relax and let the world go by in a chair or hammock with a cold glass of Bissap. You can also go walking out into the desert on your own, or with your friends. While inadvisable in the actual Sahara, in Lompoul its quite hard to get lost as, from the vantage point of the highest dunes in the desert, you can see the ocean, surrounding savannah lands and the camps themselves.
In the evening before dinner, the lodges also tend to put on a show of Senegalese drum music, which is easy to dance to and work up an appetite before dinner is served! After dinner, you can relax in front of a hand-built fire before turning in, in your comfy tent.
Some other tips
Lompoul is very hot! It's average high throughout most of the year is in the mid-to-low 30s with intense sunshine, so bring cool clothes. There's no air conditioning at the lodges. Another thing to remember is that, unlike most deserts, Lompoul doesn't actually cool down at night and in the mornings nearly as much as you might expect - so ensure cool clothes for sleeping as well.
The sunlight is intense! You'll need sunglasses for sure, and consider wearing a hat to keep the sun off. Wear sunscreen, you don't want your colors to fade! (What? Humans turn red in the sun?!)
Before thinking shorts-shorts-shorts as your only way of dealing with the heat, desert sand is very fine (it gets everywhere!) and can be a bit prickly. Also consider what activities you might be doing, and remember to bring appropriate clothes for that.
There's not much artificial light in Lompoul (there are in the tents), and most of the ones from the lodges are switched off in the communal areas. It might be worth bringing a head lamp or flashlight.
Similarly, electricity is limited in Lompoul. There's no refrigeration facilities available to guests (though this can be requested, if required, when you make your booking) so keep that in mind if your carrying meltables/perishables. This also means wifi hours are limited, so you'll have to keep your YouTubeing to a minimum (Noooo, my fans!). It might also be a good idea to bring a power bank or similar with you for your devices as the hot temperatures can drain batteries, fast, and you'll have to compete with the staff and the guests for space to charge your devices!