Les Cordons Bleus

“nice rooms, great pools”

This hotel has a beautiful location on the banks of the Sine Saloum river delta. The hotel is in a quiet village with convenience stores and small souvenir shops nearby. The rooms - bungalows - are very comfortable, private, with nice bathrooms, air conditioning, and mosquito nets for the beds. The… more

This hotel has a beautiful location on the banks of the Sine Saloum river delta. The hotel is in a quiet village with convenience stores and small souvenir shops nearby. The rooms - bungalows - are very comfortable, private, with nice bathrooms, air conditioning, and mosquito nets for the beds. The restaurant, by the pools and with a river view, has Wifi and is nice to chill in. The food is good, with fresh fruit juice, wine, beer, and liquor selections. An excellent choice for its price. The hotel can also arrange pirogue tours through the delta, or whatever you are interested in seeing, although you will get a better price by asking the local tour operators (= people at the ferry place) directly.

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“Friendly, comfortable hotel with character in the Sine Saloum.”

My wife and I spent three days here in October, which is the warmest month. What attracted us here vs Collines de Niassam (more expensive) was the air conditioning. But we discovered much more. This is a 15-room hotel consisting of individual bungalows arrayed near a central building housing the… more

My wife and I spent three days here in October, which is the warmest month. What attracted us here vs Collines de Niassam (more expensive) was the air conditioning. But we discovered much more. This is a 15-room hotel consisting of individual bungalows arrayed near a central building housing the restaurant and bar. Yes, this is a 3-star, so no TV, no hair dryers and no shampoo (and no safe in our room, though I understand some rooms do have them). But don't let the stars deceive you. The room and beds are very comfortable (though not much water pressure, not the hotel's fault really), scrupulously clean and every bug-fighting technology, from mosquito nets to spraying to aromatic coils are fully deployed. Then there is the food. Carefully-prepared, French in style with fresh local ingredients, we ate mostly fish, all of which was excellent. The ragout de poissons in particular was outstanding. We took every meal here, and our taste buds and stomachs were very happy. The setting is informal, and staff ask you to choose beforehand your meal from two options for each of appetizer, entree and dessert. The terrace, overlooking the river, is magical, and invites lingering. The Wifi is free and works in the restaurant/terrace area. There is no wifi in the rooms. Which brings us to the key of the hotel's charm: the owners and staff. Lionel is an expatriated French lawyer, and Lena is his Senegalese wife previously with an NGO in Dakar. The hotel is a labor of love for them, and it shows in the happiness of the staff, who are all friendly and professional. Lionel and Lena interact with their guests, are incredibly friendly, genuine and welcoming, and sat with us for a while after each dinner. They are also there to help and make sure everything is ok throughout the day. This made for a club-like or family atmosphere, and allowed us to learn a lot about the country and region. And the kicker: sharing with Lionel his trademark digestif: le sputnik! I won't reveal the recipe. You need to try it. As far as activities, not to be missed are the ATM quad rides available from the hotel. These are incredibly exotic 2-3 hour excursions with a local guide: salt flats, beaches, villages, termite hills, river crossings, palm forests, like touring another planet, amazing. And then there are all the boat and village tours for which the region is famous. Merci les Cordons Bleus!

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“A great few days”

Lionel and Lena are lovely hosts and are always making sure that guests are happy. Staff really friendly. Good very good. Perhaps it's best points are the small details-AC that works, linen changed every day, towels provided for poolside use - these things make a difference. I'd also recommend the … more

Lionel and Lena are lovely hosts and are always making sure that guests are happy. Staff really friendly. Good very good. Perhaps it's best points are the small details-AC that works, linen changed every day, towels provided for poolside use - these things make a difference. I'd also recommend the Piroguers Bat on the waterfront in town - great place for people or birdwatching over a beer . One other thing - Lionel has provided rooms and support in the hotel grounds for a nursery/early years school for local children - brilliant!

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“idyllic, romantic”

no coffee or tea facilities, situated close to the Mangrove, internet only in the restaurant area, very quiet, a lot of musquitos(because close to the water), no tv, They only speak French, breakfast good(omelet,bread,coffee tea), restaurant a variety of food.