Mar Lodj

Mar Lodj lies in the Saloum Delta a short pirogue ride from Ndangane, and it has no cars: transport on the island is on foot, by horse cart or by boat. The village is known locally for a long-standing coexistence of Muslim, Christian and traditional Serer practice, symbolised by a kapok, a palm and a mangrove growing together at the centre. Around the village are rice fields, mangrove channels, oyster beds and a scatter of small lodges.

The landscape

• The three-tree symbol - kapok, palm and mangrove growing together at the village centre.
• The car-free island - movement on foot, by horse cart or by pirogue.
• The mangrove channels - bolongs around the island worked for fish and oysters.
• The rice fields - Serer cultivation on the island interior.

When to go

November to May is the dry season and the most comfortable. Tides govern the crossing and the channels. The rains from July flood the rice fields and bring insects.

What to expect

Accommodation is a handful of small lodges and needs booking; there is nothing else on the island. Getting anywhere takes time without transport. Mosquitoes are serious after dark.

Nearby

Ndangane is on the mainland opposite, and Toubacouta is south through the delta.

Key facts