Info Our vision... 1 Our mission... 2 Travel... 2 Transport... 2 Money Exchange... 2 The Hotel... 3 Language... 3 Eating in Ngor... 4 How to get mobile Internet in Senegal... 4 Hospital & Pharmacy... 5 Places of interest and activities... 5 Surfspots... 6 Divespots... 6 Cultural tipps... 7 Sila De Sila De Sila De Our vision Salamualekum! We are a team of four young Swiss, who love God, the ocean and the Senegalese culture. Our goal is to operate this hotel in order to create job opportunities for local people. With the additional income, we want to open a child nursery for local families and support local development projects. We are Christians and believe that our faith in Jesus Christ gives us strength for the daily challenges. Welcome to Hotel Niokobokk, we hope you enjoy your stay! For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. - 2 Corinthians 8:9
Our mission Our mission is to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. We help the local community by offering long term job opportunities. In a first step we want to open and promote our hotel in order to generate some profit for our employees and us. Additionally, we want to support small-scale businesses (restaurants, craftsmen, taxi drivers, shopkeepers, street sellers, tailors, etc.) by bringing clients. Business consulting and micro credits are further ideas. By doing this, we intend to encourage people who are already working hard in their daily businesses. Additional income generated through the hotel is used to create a child nursery for local kids, whose parents are working or suffering from poverty. By offering this free service, we want to support the educational development of the children and to fight the financial struggles of their parents. We also plan on supporting smaller projects (roof gardening, collecting garbage, collaborating with the local school, etc.) Our hope is to tell the Wolof people about Jesus by living our faith in action. Travel The state of Senegal does not require any mandatory vaccinations. However, we recommend getting the yellow fever, Hepatitis A and Typhus vaccination. You are required to book your own flight to Dakar. Flights from Switzerland usually cost 400-500 CHF. Be sure to book early to pay less. Transport The recommended price range for taxis is: 1000 5000 CFA in Dakar (according to the driving distance and traffic situation). Money Exchange The best way for tourists to get the local CFA currency is the currency exchange office. Here you can exchange your foreign cash currency into CFA. Dollars, Euros and Swiss Francs can be exchanged at reasonable rates. We recommend exchanging only very small amounts of money directly at the airport (only for the purpose of travelling to the hotel, which costs 5000 CFA max.). The exchange rates are much better in town. Avoid paying with credit cards due to inefficient exchange rates. The closest exchange bureau is located across the street from the Shell Station.
The Hotel Location Tell the taxi driver to take you to Ngor Tefes (Ngor beach). Then ask your way to Hotel Niokobokk. Your room You can ask the personnel to clean your room. If you share your bathroom with other people, please respect a high level of cleanliness, as they are required to do the same. Please respect other guests by keeping the noise level low. Kitchen Guests can access our kitchen, if they you bring their your own food clean up after cooking. Terrace Please do not throw any objects from the rooftop. Friendly neighbours surround us. You can smoke on the terrace but not inside the hotel. Sand Please shake off all sand before entering the hotel. Rules in the Hotel Please respect the following rules: No marihuana, no drugs, no prostitution. Niokobokk is not a hotel for your sexual desires. If you intend to bring your temporary Senegalese girlfriend to our place: we won t allow it. If you disrespect the Senegalese law, you have to carry the consequences on your own. Language In Senegal you can survive by speaking French. However, if you want to connect on a deeper level with the Senegalese, you should try to speak Wolof. Wolof is the language of the Wolof people and is spoken by almost any other tribe in Senegal. Most important Wolof phrases: Salamualekum - hello (peace be upon you) Malekum Salam - hello (response: peace be upon you too) Nanga deff? - how are you doing? Mangi fi - I am well Jamma rekk - peace only Djeredjeff - thank you Uau - yes Deedet - no No tudu? - what s your name? laa tudu - my name is
Dama begg - I would like (restaurant order) Neex na - it s nice Ba beneen - Bye Eating in Ngor Hotel Niokobokk offers you a small breakfast (coffee, tea, milk powder, bread and butter with locally produced spreads). We recommend upgrading your breakfast by going to Madame Kole located on the schoolyard next to the hotel. She sells traditional baguettes with beans, peas, eggs and even spaghetti. One bread sells for 300 CFA and you WILL like it. Avoid drinking tap water. You can get bottled water in the small stores around town. The hotel does not offer any lunch or dinner at the moment but we are surrounded by a variety of restaurants. The price starts at 1500 CFA for traditional Senegalese food and goes up to 8000 CFA for international restaurants. The local food is very cheap and delicious. Have a look at our favourite restaurants: Senegalese restaurants in walking distance Penda: Senegalese grill and salads Rama: traditional Senegalese restaurant Leya: Senegalese restaurant Abdou: local fast food Yaytu Mbaye: Senegalese restaurant Ahmadou: local fast food International cuisine in walking distance La Parisienne: French restaurant Sao Brasil: Brazilian restaurant Pizzeria Reine: Italian restaurant Annapurna: Indian restaurant Délices D Asie: Asian restaurant Katia: French restaurant La Brazzerade: local fish grill La Cabane du Pecheur: local seafood El Toro: Spanish restaurant Ali Baba: Lebanese/ fast food Brioche Dorée: traditional fast food Recommended restaurants in driving distance Sharky`s La Cabane du Surfeur Sea plaza centre commercial: different Restaurants Planet Kebab How to get mobile Internet in Senegal The hotel does currently not provide WIFI. A local phone number and mobile Internet is however easy and cheap to get.
1. Go to the Orange Store 2. Buy a sim card for 2000 CFA. Be sure that the sim card fits the card slot on your phone (mini, micro, nano). Put the sim card in your phone. Some phones need a reboot to accept a new sim card. 3. Buy Orange credit in the store or from a seller on the street. We recommend buying 5000 CFA for 1 month of phone and Internet use. Load the Credit on your phone (type on your numerical pad: *123*yourcreditcode# and press the call button). You should then receive a confirmation. 4. Type #1234# on your numerical pad. Then follow the steps to buy an internet key. Always respond with the corresponding number. - Respond with 1: Pass Volume - Choose your preferred amount of mobile data 300 MB: 1000 CFA 1 GB: 2500 CFA 2.5 GB: 5000 CFA 7 GB: 10000 CFA - Confirm with 1: Acheter You should now be able to access Orange SN 3G Network. Enjoy Hospital & Pharmacy There are three pharmacies in the area: Pharmacie Ngor Village, Pharmacie Ngor Almadies, Pharmacie Ngor Oasis. You can buy most of the important stuff there. If you need to go to a hospital immediately, you should go to the hopital de Yoff de Philippe Senghor. Although it s cheap, you should bring cash in order to pay the nurses directly. Places of interest and activities Discovering Ngor island The near Ngor island is a place of discovery and pretty close to the hotel (10min, boat ride included). You can walk to the northern cliffs, eat lunch, enjoy clean beaches and watch surfers. The price for the boat ride to the island is 1000 CFA. We recommend visiting on weekdays since it is rather crowded on weekends. Cliff hiking below the lighthouse Take a taxi to the roundabout close to the lighthouse Phare des Mamelles. Ask your way to the Plage des Mamelles. On the small beach you can eat crepes and fresh fish. If you have the right hiking gear, you can walk along the coast to your left in order to discover beautiful stone formations and wonderful views of clear blue water. Lighthouse & monument de la renaissance africaine You cannot miss it. Beautiful sunsets on Dakar s most elevated landmarks. The lighthouse is also a restaurant. You can go inside the Monument and even get inside the head (5000 CFA).
National Park: Ile de Madeleine Our favourite place to visit in Dakar. Clear waters and breath taking rock formations surround this island. It is a paradise for exotic birds and fish. Wear good hiking shoes and bring sun protection, snorkelling gear, lunch and water bottles (there are neither shops nor is there shade on the island!). The entrance to the boat ride is located next to magic land and costs 5000-8000 CFA (according to the size of the group). Ile de Gorée This island used to be a trading spot for international slave trade. This World Heritage Site still shows the colonial building style and weaponry of World War II. Today however it is loved by tourists. Several restaurants and beautiful cliffs add to the artistic style of the island. Palm beach: Plage de Voile d`or Located behind the big harbour of Dakar, this palm beach invites you to relax. Hotel Jardin Savana: Pool and chill This hotel is a pearl. The pool is clean and surrounded by palm trees. On the horizon you can see Ile de Gorée and the skyline of Dakar. A romantic restaurant faces the beach and offers a good selection of local food. Entrance: 5000 CFA Hotel les Almadies: Pool and beach The most western point of the African mainland. Waves from the northern and southern stream collide in front of the beach. A big pool, an expensive restaurant, beach volleyball and ping-pong tables await you. Entrance: 5000 CFA on weekdays and 10000 CFA on weekends. King Fahd Palace This Hotel offers you a nice pool. Monday Friday: 10 000 CFA / Weekends: 12 000 CFA Plage Terrou bi 12 000 CFA Marina Bay Monday Friday: 8 000 CFA Weekends: 10 000 Surf spots Welcome to the endless summer! Dakar offers surf spots for beginners and advanced surfers. Our home spot is located on the right side of the Ngor island. It has consistent swell in the winter months and can be surfed during high tide. Beginners should go to Virage to get smaller waves on sandy undergrounds. Secret Spot and Vivier are our favourite place on the west shore because the waves are clean. Dive spots You can go almost everywhere to go snorkelling in Dakar. The best places are in front of
Ngor island, cliffs beneath the lighthouse and on the Ile de Madeleine (but beware the of the sea urchins). Free diving is also possible. If you have the courage: try harpoon fishing with the local fishermen. If you want to scuba-dive, you should visit Nautilus Diving in la maison Abaka, right in front of our hotel. In the south you can marvel at fish swarms and shipwrecks with Oceanium Diving. Cultural tips Try to respect the Senegalese clothing culture by wearing some towel, when you are going to the beach. Culturally it is important for women to cover their legs. Bring clothes for hot temperatures and sweaty days. If you want to avoid being stung by mosquitoes try to wear long trousers. Short trousers and T-shirts are however also accepted. Greeting is very important in Senegal. Say Salamualekum or Bonjour to people who look at you. They will appreciate it. Greet with your right hand, because the left hand is considered dirty. You should also use your right hand when handing over money. Dakar is not a criminal place, but some things have to be considered. You should not hold your phone next to open windows, when you are sitting in a taxi. Some people steal through windows, when cars are slow. After sunset women should not walk alone in the streets. Senegalese people are not complicated. They will react kindly to your gestures and will appreciate every bit of Wolof you try. Senegalese like to invite strangers to eat with them. Senegal is at best, when you try to dive into its culture of happiness and hospitality. Booking Book directly online on www.niokobokk.ch or send us an email: info@niokobokk.ch News: get our newsletter Schreib uns eine Nachricht!