Your production coordinator
in Senegal
Our production coordinator in Senegal is eager to share their vast knowledge about their homeland, which houses seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The country has a sensational surfing scene. However, there is also a burgeoning arts scene that our journalist fixer can help you explore through the many eccentric characters who create there. So let yourself be delighted by the colors of the handcrafts that emerge from rural villages and urban workshops or see how jazz brings life to the Island of Saint Louis.
Dakar
Dusty Dakar is a hotbed of creative talent: painters and sculptors from around the world descend upon Senegal’s capital to seek inspiration. Of course, our location scout can show you around the Village des Arts. In fact, it is home to some 50 artists and an on-site gallery. The Almadies peninsular is the most popular surf spot, boasting powerful waves and big swells. As per our production coordinator in Senegal, it was used as a filming location in the 1965 surfer movie, The Endless Summer.
Thies
Visit Museo de la Tapiceria for a facet of Senegalese culture. Here, some old French barracks have been transformed into a factory where tapestries are done by hand. Likewise, you can see a demonstration of all the stages of creating one. In the Village Artisanal de Thies, you can also see many true artisans, whether in leather, wood, silver, weavings, or sewing. Our production coordinator in Senegal swears they find something new and original every time they visit.
Thies
Louga
A must-see here is Lake of Guiers. Admire the birds and flora, and enjoy the safe camping, swimming, and trekking. Nearby, you have the village of Nder, where a small group of Walo women fought to the death to save their people from Moorish invaders and slavers. Our journalist fixer can even arrange an interview with one of the locals to tell you their story. Likewise, you can also visit a tree called the baobab of travelers or some French colonial forts.
Ziguinchor
The town includes markets, a cathedral, and an airport. According to our location scout, Cap Skirring has some of the most beautiful beaches in all of Western Africa. After shootings, you can surf, enjoy sunsets, listen to live music, and relax in restaurants on the beach. The best-known market is the Marche Saint Maur des Fosses, named after the French town with which Ziguinchor is twinned. However, the Artisan Centre also attracts many visitors looking for souvenirs typical of the region.
Ziguinchor
Saint-Louis
Meet me in St. Louis! Each year in May, the sleepy city becomes overrun with musicians. As per our production coordinator in Senegal, the world-renowned Saint Louis Jazz festival has seen some of the biggest names take to the main stage in the city center. As a result, restaurants, hotels, and bars are abuzz with excitement. Our location scouting can find just the right scene for you, whether it is jazz blaring out from a shop sound system or a jam session in someone’s back garden.
Hiring a location scout in Senegal
While the Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to neighboring Mali and Mauritania, Senegal is considered one of the safest countries in Africa. And there are plenty of reasons to be visiting or filming here, as our production coordinator in Senegal would tell you. Only South Africa, Ethiopia, Morocco, and Tunisia have more UNESCO Heritage Sites in Africa. Senegal’s natural attractions include a vivid pink lake.
Thanks to its high salt content (up to 40%) caused by algae called Dunaliella Salina, Lake Retba looks like cloudy strawberry lemonade. The salt can hurt one’s skin – the workers who gather minerals cover themselves in shea butter before jumping in. If you are interested in shooting in Senegal, you should contact us. We can offer you our services in any of the locations mentioned above. Or we can recommend additional locations, tailored to your needs.
