Senegal, a safe country for family travel
Dakar, Lac Rose, the island of Gorée, the first dunes of the desert… Senegal is full of riches to discover and is one of the major tourist destinations in West Africa.
There are no contraindications in terms of security for traveling to Senegal. As everywhere, you should not display your valuables in an ostentatious way, but nothing prevents you from traveling in the country, especially with children.
The only points of attention to have concern the borders with Mauritania and Mali, along which it will be necessary to avoid moving.
Regarding the health situation, the country is currently facing a decline in the epidemic, after the outbreak recorded in January, but especially last August.
For French travellers, a health pass or a negative PCR test dating back less than 5 days is required to enter the territory.
In Côte d’Ivoire, areas to be strictly avoided
Côte d’Ivoire is a country of contrasts, between the modernity of some of the districts of Abidjan, its capital, its traditional villages, the forest which covers part of its territory and the savannah.
Unlike Senegal, certain areas of the country are formally advised against for French travelers by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is particularly the northern border area of the country, bordering Mali and Burkina Faso, where the terrorist risk is high.
The western border, with Liberia, is also to be avoided. Apart from these sectors, it is possible to travel to the rest of the country and in particular to the southern coastal region, where it is advisable to adopt a certain vigilance, staying on the main traffic axes and not moving the night.
Côte d’Ivoire is currently facing a certain resumption of the Covid-19 epidemic, in connection with the Omicron variant, without the hospitals being, for the moment, saturated. To enter the territory, French travelers must present a negative PCR test of less than 2 days.
In Togo and Benin, a northern zone to avoid
Like Côte d’Ivoire, the border areas of northern Togo and Benin, bordering Burkina Faso, should be strictly avoided because of the terrorist risk.
On the other hand, you can travel, while maintaining a certain vigilance, in the rest of these two countries, in particular to discover the Somba country and the Pendjari park, in Benin, or the beautiful mountainous region of Koutammakou, in Togo.
In Togo, the number of daily Covid-19 contaminations is falling, after a peak in new cases in January.
The country’s land borders remain closed and French travelers must present a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test less than 72 hours old to enter. The same restrictions apply to enter Benin.