__________ African Drum Village ________

ABENE 2010

Hello

If you are considering going to Abene village (Casamance, Senegal)

This is a guide to how it is intended to be organised and examples of prices at 2009 rates.

 Follow this link to see Abene location

click here to see a map

To see an 8 min film about Abene follows this link  Youtube .

Broad outline of what is intended.

There will be one week of organised workshops using local teachers. E.g., Moctar Sawane (Djembe/Duns) Sens (Dance)  Koulaty Kabo (Serouba/Djembe)  lamin (Bougarabou)

Minimum of Two workshops per day  1x am 1x pm  

If you want further tuition outside of the ADV workshops booked then this will be up to you to organise with the teacher and negotiate the rates for your lessons.

What we will do for you….

• Give you the dates and times for the workshops
• Organise transport to pick you up from Banjul Airport through the borders to Abene village. (Aprox 3hrs drive)
• Advice on locations to stay and supply contact details for you to book your accommodation.
• Organise communal eating and at times to fit where possible with workshops excluding breakfast
• Advise you on where to get your money exchanged

What we will not do ….

• Organise your flight and travel to your airport i.e. Manchester
• Insure you against illness or injury or medical emergency
• Decide where you should stay in Abene
• Prepare food to suit special requirements
• Organise food separate to the communal times planned
• We will not accept responsibility for anyone who has not taken anti malaria precautions

What we can’t do is…

• Be responsible for you or your family
• Look after any monies for guests
• Guarantee the flights will arrive/depart on time
• Guarantee the transport to/from Banjul will be roadworthy!
• Guarantee an incident free trip
• Guarantee times will be exact….'African time'

Accommodation

Accommodation varies considerably in Abene. It is possible to stay with locals, campements (tourist accommodation) or with people you may already know and trust.

Costs also vary from around 5000 FCfa pp/pn to arguably the best accommodation ‘Kossey’ at  12000 FCfa half board and  18000FCfa full board*. (*there is no need to book full board as you are paying to eat with the main party)

Toilets/showers are not like UK and there is little electricity in houses.

What you need to pay us

Workshop tutor fees

Food & Catering costs

Accommodation deposit (where required)

Taxi to /from Banjul

Money

Exchange rate 2009   670 FCfa =£1

*NB The Senegalese franc is a closed currency. You can not buy FCfa anywhere outside Senegal. Euros are best for changing.

There are no cash machines in Abene so you will need enough cash to last a while. Ziguinchor is the nearest machine 2.5 hours away 20,000fcfa for a taxi or 2000fcfa bush taxi (you’re lucky if it leaves!)

Examples of prices

Bottled water 1ltr = 750 cfa

Chilled coke 330ml = 750cfa

1x Baguette = 200cfa

3 oranges  = 100cfa

Bag of roasted nuts = 150cfa

Bottle of wine =2500cfa

Taxi to Kafountaine 2-2,500 cfa

Meal out = 1,500cfa for omelette/ salad / fries

What to do

Book your flight to Banjul Gambia

Make sure you have a valid passport

You do not need to have a yellow fever certificate to enter Gambia / Senegal

Make sure you are insured for non EU holidays

Get your inoculations well in advance (see your GP)

Order your anti malaria tablets in advance (see your GP for advice)

Brush up on your French, Wolof, Mandinka or Djola

What to take (Essentials)

Enough Euros

Passport

Anti malaria prophylaxis

Mozzie repellent (we use a combo of mozzie wrist/leg bands and skin so soft)

(Most accommodation will have a mozzie net but to be sure it might be a good idea to take your own)

First aid kit plus electrolyte replacement (re-hydrate solution)

Torch (wind up)

Head torch

Recording equipment / camera + spare camera battery 

rucksack for walks

money belt for valuables

earplugs for plane/loud drumming/disco/cricket noise/snoring!

Sunglasses/suncream factor 30

pens, pencils, paper,

spending money for bottled water, clothes, extra lessons, instruments, gifts etc

Take your Djembe / Serouba (buying a drum during the first few days might be difficult to impossible) We will try to order Djembes/Serouba for you to purchase if we have enough notice but we cannot guarantee the quality or price. 

What to take (Luxuries)

Individual water filter drinking bottle: link = http://www.travelpharm.com/index.cfm/malaria/Products.Details/product_id/18/subject/aquapure_traveller

Soup / snacks just in case you need a change of food or feel unwell

Hand sanitizer

Loo roll

Pump sprayer to keep you cool

Extra sheet to sleep on

Solar devise or wind up devise for your mobile / camera equipment

Hammock

Book to read

Pillow

Gifts to give away to locals/friends you make

Tip

We found that travel to Manchester airport (from Scotland) by train and stay in a travel lodge worked out less than fuel costs and parking charges for the car. (Also less knackering!) Book early to get good deals.

The flight date in order to pick you up from Banjul will need to be the 4th of January.

You will need to get the early morning flight that arrives in Banjul around 3pm. This gives us enough time to get to the Senegal border before it closes for the night.

If you wish to arrive a day earlier you can make your own arrangments for a bush taxi to Abene or contact me in plenty of time before your intended arrival so I can get a vehicle to meet you. The cost of seperate travel to Abene will be your responsibility.

If you arrive a day later the above statememt also applies.

We have heard that there has been sporadic outbreaks of rebel fighting in Cassamance. Mostly in Ziguinchour.

We wish to make it clear that you travel to this region fully aware that it has a history of  inter-tribal fighting and we cannot guarentee your safety.

We intend to keep up to date with events in the Abene area however it might mean that trips further south into Cassamance might not be a good idea!

• ADV 2010 Adult ticket (early Bird) up to 30th April
  £170.00
• Child ticket
  £22.00
• Adult early bird 'WITH DEPOSIT' paid
  £160.00