Tourism

Tourism is a fundamental point for the PNNK. The PNNK offers the tours around the park (photo-safaris) in particular in the central part of the park in the vicinity of the Simenti post, where many animal species can be seen around the marshes and the infrastructure is built. The plaines be­neath the Assirik Mountain are another atracctive area, which afford different scenery and in the isolated val­leys with spring water even chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) can be seen.

Tourism in the park is not fully organised by the park administration but in co-operation with the Tourist Guides’ Association with its main offices at the main entrance to the PNKK in Dar Salam.

The only hotel in the bosom of the PNNK is the Simenti with a capacity of about 50 beds and a restaurant. It is also possible to sleep in tourist ‚campements‘ bu­ilt in the style of the local huts. These are Camp de Lion and Dar Salam, Nioko­lo is being renewed and they are building Badi and Gué de Damantan. These ‚campements‘ are run by the villagers from the PNNK periphery.

Although the PNNK’s tourist infrastructure is relatively good not many tourists visit it. This is mainly due to the distance from Dakar (550 km), talthough the road between Dakar and Tambacounda has been freshly repaired in 2009, and finally the very low density of animals that are mostly in the savan-nah’s trees and bushes and difficult to see.

The people living on the park’s periphery originally lived in the park’s territory, they considered the given territory as theirs and have been used to using the natural resources for a long time. During the establishment and ex­pansion of the protected area the villages were moved to beyond the border, re­sulting in the local inhabitants having bad relations towards the park and they carried on using the natural resources, but in an illegal manner. The park admi­nistration is now aware of these facts and is continuously attempting to improve the relations with the local inhabitants and make it clear that the national park can bring benefits to the local inhabitants.

© Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

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