Senegal: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Senegal feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 53 written places.
Teranga - hospitality as identity - shapes everything; greetings are long, warm and never optional.
✓ Considered polite
- Greet at length - Salaam aleikum, then ask after health and family before any business
- Use your right hand for eating, giving and receiving - shared meals come as one big bowl, so eat from the section in front of you
- Accept ataya tea when offered - the three small glasses are a ritual of welcome
- Dress smartly and modestly away from beach areas - Senegalese take dress seriously, especially on Fridays
✗ Better avoided
- Hand anything over with the left hand
- Photograph people without asking first
- Skip greetings and get straight to the point - it is the fastest way to seem rude
- Eat or drink openly in the street during Ramadan daylight hours - discretion is appreciated
Worth knowing
- The CFA franc is the currency; cash rules and mobile money like Wave and Orange Money is used everywhere
- Taxis have no meters - agree the fare before getting in
- Bargaining is normal at markets, done with humour rather than aggression
- Alcohol is sold in bars, hotels and some supermarkets, mainly in the cities
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.