Teaser: Dakar Guide!
Forget what you think you know about Africa. Dakar is sun, surf, wild nights, and student stories you’ll never tell your parents.
We collected raw tips from students who made it out alive (and glowing). Here’s a taste:
🏠 Where to Live (Preview)
Your hood = your happiness. Here's what students learned the hard way:
Sacré Cœur: Central, walkable to most schools (like Supdeco/BEM). Safe, full of small shops, and close to everything.
Almadies / Ngor: By the beach. Chill, pretty, but traffic to uni = 💀.
Plateau: Pricey and more business-y. Very central but not very student.
⚠️ Pro tip: Always visit before renting — fake listings are common.
“We paid €1900/month for 5 people. Great location, but electricity bills hit HARD.” – Louis, BEM
“Sacré Cœur is perfect for daily life. Walkable, safe, and close to groceries.” – Marie, ISM
📚 Uni Life (Preview)
You don’t choose your classes. Your classes choose you.
Schedules are set on arrival — no pick-and-choose, but still manageable.
French/English mix, depending on uni.
Easy enough to pass... if you show up.
Some weird requirements (e.g. everyone takes Chinese at BEM 👀)
“Do your vaccines. Bring cash. Don’t underestimate the cost of living — it’s not as cheap as you think.” – Marie
“Plan for traffic. 9am classes = hell if you live far.” – Ana
🌅 Going Out (Preview)
Beach bars that become clubs. DJ sets under the stars. Secret rooftop raves.
Copacabana = chill by day, madness by night
Trames (Thursdays) = official student hotspot
Basilic / Giglio / Oceanium = top club picks
Pullman rooftop = expensive but worth it for sunsets
“We’d start at the beach, move to Trames, end up dancing till 2am. Classic Dakar.” – Théophile
✈️ Travel (Preview)
You’re one weekend away from…
Saly – villas, jet skis, pool days, only 1.5h away
Casamance – lush nature, boat trips, wild culture
Lompoul Desert – glamping, dunes, and camel rides
Sine Saloum – island hopping + real Senegalese vibes
“We had a villa for €15/night each. Quad rides, beach, and bonfires.” – Anaïs
Student Reviews
Supdeco
🇸🇳 Exchange in Dakar
🏠 Housing
I was in Sacré Coeur II, super central with shops all around, but no parties nearby. I stayed with 5 people, paid around €380/month. No fancy link — found it through local contacts.
🚗 Getting to Campus
Pretty close to Supdeco, so it was chill. Traffic’s always a thing in Dakar, so being nearby is key. ✈️ Travel Life Cap Vert, Saly, Mbour — 100% worth it. Easy day or weekend trips.
🎉 Social Life
Soirées at the corniche hit different. Go to Agence Trames on Thursdays, and the Plateau parties go hard.
📚 Classes
Didn’t get to choose, it was whatever they gave us. You just roll with it.
🦙 Other
Dakar’s full of scams if you're not careful with housing. Know someone or visit before paying.
🇸🇳 Exchange in Dakar
🏠 Housing
We were 5 in a house in Sacré Cœur, literally a few mins from the school. Had an Auchan right next door too. But rent was €1900 total, and we had to pay electricity separately (it’s not cheap). Found it through friends, no online link.
🚗 Getting to Campus
Could walk — that was the best part. No need to deal with crazy traffic in the morning.
✈️ Travel Life
Saly, Gorée Island, Casamance, desert of Lompoul — we did it all. Beach, nature, desert vibes.
🎉 Social Life
Trames on Thursdays, always. Seven & Basilic were our go-to clubs. Copacabana beach bar was a fav too.
📚 Classes
We didn’t pick our schedule. Had to take Chinese class which was kinda random 😂
🦙 Other
Avoid far housing. Traffic in Dakar = pain. Trust me, be close to campus.