Safety in Senegal

Overall: Senegal is one of the calmest countries in the region, with a famously peaceable population. There are no serious internal conflicts and attitudes toward foreigners are warm.
Petty theft: In the crowded Dakar markets and on the popular beaches, keep an eye on bags and phones. Pickpockets work fast and rely on the bustle and your distraction.
Touts: Persistent unofficial guides and souvenir sellers approach visitors constantly. A polite but firm no in French usually ends the conversation without any friction.
Water: Do not drink from the tap, not even for brushing your teeth. Buy bottled water and avoid iced drinks from stalls you are not sure about.
Malaria: Prophylaxis matters here, particularly in the rainy season and on trips south. Use repellent and sleep under a net in cheaper accommodation wherever one is provided.
At night: Avoid unlit outer districts of the capital after dark. Take a taxi instead, since they run around the clock in Dakar and cost very little. Check your own government's travel advisory before you book, particularly for the Casamance region.

Senegal is one of West Africa's most stable countries with a strong culture of hospitality known as "teranga". Violent crime against tourists is limited; the schemes involve money and persistence.

Dakar. Pickpockets at the Sandaga market and around Plateau, and phone snatching. Nobody walks unlit streets at night.

The "guide" and the "friend". On Gorée, in Saint-Louis and at the Pink Lake, people offer to show you round. Some work honestly; some demand money at the end, insistently. Agree in advance and in figures.

Beach vendors. Mbour, Saly, Cap Skirring: bracelets, fabrics, excursions. Persistent but not aggressive. "No thank you" is repeated several times, and that is normal.

The "gift". A bracelet or figurine is handed to you "as a gift from Africa", and payment is then demanded. Take nothing into your hands.

Taxis. No meters; agree before getting in. The Yango and Heetch apps operate in Dakar.

Currency exchange. The CFA franc is pegged to the euro at a fixed rate, so there is little to cheat on. Change at banks.

Drugs. The law is strict. Dakar is a transit point and airport screening is thorough.

Same-sex relations are criminalised and society is conservative.

Photography. Military installations, police, the presidential palace and the airport are off limits. Always ask people: this is taken seriously in Senegal, and payment is often expected for a photograph.

Drones. Permission is required; they are confiscated at the border without paperwork.

Casamance. The southern region beyond the Gambia was affected by a separatist conflict for many years. The situation has improved considerably and Cap Skirring receives tourists, but the areas bordering Guinea-Bissau still carry mine risk. Do not leave the paths.

Religion. Senegal is predominantly Muslim but secular and tolerant. During Ramadan nobody eats in public during daylight, and mosques require covered dress.

Roads. Nobody drives between towns at night.

Yellow fever. A certificate is required from arrivals out of endemic countries, and is advisable for several routes in any case.

Malaria. Risk nationwide, higher in the June-to-October rains and in Casamance in the south. Prophylaxis is essential.

Vaccinations. Hepatitis A and B, typhoid, meningococcus (Senegal lies in the meningitis belt), rabies and polio.

Water. Bottled only.

Heat and the harmattan. The dry season runs November to May, with Saharan dust and inland temperatures above 40°C. The coast is milder thanks to the ocean.

The ocean. Atlantic currents off Dakar and the Petite Côte are strong and lifeguards are few. Tourist drownings occur.

Healthcare. Dakar has decent private clinics, including ones oriented toward expatriates. The regions are weak. Anything serious means evacuation to France or Morocco. Insurance with evacuation cover is essential.

Emergency numbers: 17 police, 15 ambulance (SAMU).

Senegal looks better than most of its neighbours on the Corruption Perceptions Index, and police are generally correct with tourists.

Traffic police. Highway checkpoints with document checks. Requests for "help" occur but less often than in the region generally.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates for insurers issued. The language is French, with English in the tourism sector.

The political situation. The country has been through periods of mass protest with road closures and clashes. A foreigner should stay clear.

Gorée and Saint-Louis. The main tourist points, calm and with a police presence.

Dakar at night. Plateau empties after the offices close, and Medina and the market areas are not for an evening walk. Almadies and Ngor are calmer.

What actually matters. Senegal's main risks are malaria, the ocean and the roads. People here are more likely to help than to cause a problem.

Emergency number is 17.