3 Best Shopping in Senegal

If you can’t find a vacation trinket to take home, you’re not looking. Colors pack every corner. Wood art, bronze, clothing, bags, ceramics, food, dolls, furniture, hats, postcards—it’s all crammed inside.

Lots of folks hawk “genuine” African art around Dakar, but few match the authenticity here. The owner has been documenting African art since the early 1970s, and accredited experts and auctioneers laud this collection, assuring buyers they’ll find what they’re seeking or be introduced to items they didn’t even know existed. Masks, sculptures, and vessels from all over Africa are available. It's closed on Sunday.

Dakar has more than one public market, but this is the biggie. Near Independence Square, just beyond Pompidou Avenue, vendors, shoppers, tourists, pickpockets, and anyone looking to get in on a deal converge. Don’t get charmed by cheap jeans and unbelievable prices on designer goods. Labels may or may not be real, and if they’re real, they may be illegal blackmarket goods. Still, there's plenty worth bargaining for, and the colorful scene provides photo-ops galore. Just hang on to your camera.