Sojourn to Senegal.

This cosmopolitan, yet quaint West African nation is known for its beauty and its history.

Six-and-a-half hours after leaving Kennedy Airport in New York City, the Air Afrique jumbo jet touched down smoothly at Yoff International Airport in Senegal. Excited and curious, I hurry to the arrival area where I find myself immersed in a sea of people collecting luggage and greeting friends and relatives. The wave of colors almost overtakes me: Women in red, fuschia, purple and turquoise grand boubous with matching head ties and beautiful, intricately braided hairstyles, and men in elegant, embroidered white caftans, bouffant pantaloons, turbans and tasseled fezzes. They call out to each other in French and other languages. My excitement is bolstered by the activity, and I am ready to embark on my sojourn of Senegal, a country diverse in its history, culture and style.

Senegal lies on the west coast of Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on its west coast, Mauritania and Mali to the north and east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south and southeast. Gambia, the country and the river, cut through the center of Senegal and almost divide the southern region from the north. The climate is excellent near the coast, around 88 [degrees] F, because trade winds temper the year-round sun, while inland temperatures are around 95 [degrees] F.

Formerly a collection of small kingdoms, Senegal was controlled by the Portuguese, Dutch, British and French until 1895, when Senegal became a French colony. After years of French rule, Senegal obtained its independence in 1960. Today, it is a democratic republic of 7 million people comprising six ethnic groups--Wolof, Fulani, Serer, Toucouleur, Diola and Mandingo--and has an agrarian-based economy, of which the major cash crop is peanuts. The official or working language is French.

Senegal's Modern Metropolis

I found Dakar, the capital of Senegal, to be a city of contrasts. Skyscrapers and high-rise apartment houses coexist with Moorish-style villas, African markets and grand mosques. Of the 1.5 million inhabitants, 85 percent are Moslem and 15 percent are Christian and animist. Like any metropolis, Dakar has its share of traffic jams, panhandlers and litter. It is also a friendly place where a nod will elicit either a "bonjour" or "nanga def;" the latter means hello in Wolof.

I step from the Novotel, my hotel in downtown Dakar, and into the embrace of the sun. Strolling along tree-lined streets, I see Africans from every ethnic group and some from neighboring countries.

The commercial district for banking and business surrounds Independence Square, where you also find the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chamber of Commerce. A few blocks over is the Presidential Palace. I move on to Place Soweto and the Fundamental Institute of Black Africa (IFAN) Museum. A former slave house and civil prison, I survey the huge collection of art and artifacts, including masks and carvings from other West African countries in the region. From there, I walk over to the avenue El Hadji Malick Sy to see the lacy architecture of the Great Mosque--one of the largest in Africa--then on to the Boulevard de la Republique to visit La Cathedrale de Souvenir Africain, the largest Catholic church in the country.

One of the most popular sites, however, are the African markets--vast arrays of stalls spilling over with goods, from carvings and jewelry to leather and clothes. Each market has a specialty. At Kermel, on Rene Caille, the air is redolent with the sweet smell of red and yellow flowers tied into bouquets. Soumbedioune Crafts Village, on Route de Corniche, is the place to shop for leather goods, jewelry, cloth and carvings. I discovered that night life in Dakar revolves around dining and dancing. Restaurants are everywhere, with French, Chinese and Senegalese being the most popular. At Le Gallard, try the national dish, tie bou dienn, made of fresh fish cooked in oil with onions, tomato paste, eggplant, cabbage and carrots and served with rice. Dancing is available in hotel clubs, which also feature folkloric shows; but it is at discotheques like Club Kilimandjaro, where people break out into intense and throbbing dance steps to African-American, Caribbean and Senegalese music.

Twenty minutes from Dakar by ferry lies Goree Island, a notorious but arresting place once devoted to the commerce of slavery. As the ferry approaches the dock, an orange-colored structure looms into view. I disembark and take a short walk past the beach where fishermen are repairing nets toward the House of Slaves.

From 1536 to 1848, 20 million Africans were deported from here to the Americas. Goree is but one of many ports along the African coast where blacks were held captive, but it is one of the few still remaining and in good condition.

Driving To Saint-Louis

I take the ferry back across to Dakar and meet the driver from Heritage Tours that will take me on the five-hour trek to Saint-Louis, a provincial old city located in the northern tip of the country at the mouth of the Senegal River.

As we drive through the countryside, the landscape becomes a seemingly unending stretch of scrub and savanna dry from drought. I am now in the domain of thatched-roof huts, mangroves and forests of baobab trees--tall trees, with massive trunks and gnarled branches that look as if they have been struck by lightning. We stop to allow a herdsman on the way to market to move his flock of sheep across the road.

We continue our journey, crossing the sandy regions of Sahel Desert to the Faidherbe Bridge, named after the former French governor of Saint-Louis. It leads us to a city the color of sand. The smell of fish lingers in the air, which is not unusual since Saint-Louis is an important fishing port.

During the 19th century, Saint-Louis was the capital of all of French West Africa. After being supplanted by Dakar, it plunged into a decline. Time has stood still in Saint-Louis; yet this is precisely its charm. Houses with faded pastel colors, shutters and intricately carved balconies remind me of New Orleans. Cars move slowly down the roads alongside horsedrawn carriages; narrow streets run straight to the sea.

I check in at Hotel La Residence, on the corner of avenue Blaise Diagne, then set out to see the local sites. The beautiful square, Place Faidherbe, named for the governor, is dominated by his statue and residence--a fort during the 18th century--old slavehouses and museums.

In the evening, the city is bathed in the glow of street lamps. The night life, though less active then Dakar, can begin with dinner in the palm tree courtyard at Hotel La Residence, and end with dancing at La Chaumiere, a nightclub at the beach featuring African and Caribbean music.

But what one really comes to Saint-Louis for is the bird sanctuaries at Djoudi National Park and La Langue de Barbarie, which lie near the river. Both are winter homes for millions of birds of different species like scoter, rail, heron, marabou and pink flamingo with black-tipped wings. Local hotels conduct sanctuary excursions, which usually end with refreshments at a nearby retreat.

The Mecca Of West Africa

The capital of Mouridism--the most important Islamic sect in Senegal--is Touba, a peaceful city lying south of Saint-Louis. It is here that I stop to see the Great Mosque, a cream-colored place of worship with mint-green domes and a minaret towering 87 meters into the air. It houses the tomb of Sheik Ahmadou Bamba, the founder of Mouridism, who was exiled by the French to Mauritania for 16 years. His return to Touba is celebrated by the Magal, an annual festival of prayer. The festival is determined by the Moslem calendar and falls between August and September this year.

At the southern tip of Senegal lies the fertile region of Casamance, which produces rice, maize and peanuts. We wind through savanna, bush, forest and coconut palm groves intertwined with flickering flame trees and shining bougainvillea. The people are different too. Instead of being tall, lean and black like the Wolof in the north, they are short, stocky and brown. They are the Mandingo, the Balantes and the Diola, who practice animist religions and traditional ways and beliefs.

Driving several miles south along the coast of Casamance lies Cap Skirring, the resort region of hotels and vacation complexes, including Club Med. One of the most beautiful is La Paillote, nestled in a garden of flowers and palm trees on a plateau above a white sandy beach. The round, thatched-roof bungalows seem to spring up from the flowerbeds. While not luxurious, these one-room dwellings are air-conditioned and comfortable. The dining room overlooks a patio facing the sea, and its tables are decorated with cloths and napkins made from African fabrics. On any given morning, a bird may appear, land on a vine and sing to you during your breakfast, a good start for a day that can be filled with swimming, tennis, volleyball, golf, cycling, windsurfing and water-skiing. But, I decide to try those later. Today I think I'll listen to the bird's serenade.

GETTING THERE

WHEN TO GO: From November to June the weather is dry and cool, with temperatures hovering around the upper 70s. From July to October, the temperature is in the upper 80s. There is little rainfall and it generally occurs between July and September.

HOW TO GET THERE: Air Afrique flies nonstop from New York to Dakar twice a week. Fare for a minimum stay of 3 days and a maximum of 21 is $835 plus tax; $969 during peak periods. (June 1 -Aug. 31; Dec. 1-Jan. 14). Tickets must be paid for within 24 hours of reservations; For more information on flights, land travel and Senegal, call Air Afrique, 212-586-5908; Air Senegal, 011-221-20.09.70 or telex number 449; or the Senegal Tourist Office, 212-757-7115.

DOMESTIC TRAVEL: Air Senegal conducts regular flights to Saint-Louis and Saint-Louis at inexpensive rates. Also inexpensive are costs for travel by train from Dakar to Saint-Louis and Dakar to Bamako, Mali. Bush taxis, are also an inexpensive way to travel. Car rental companies are available in Dakar and St. Louis. Domestic tour companies arrange land trips. Mine was arranged by Heritage Tours (telephone and fax number: 011-221-22.26.96). Other companies are Senegal Contact (telephone: [phone]; fax: [phone]) and Senegal Tours (telephone: [phone]; fax: [phone]).

ACCOMMODATIONS AND CURRENCY: Hotels range from four-star deluxe to budget in the major cities. Electric current is a standard 220 volts, so you will not need special adapters. The currency is the franc CFA. The rate of exchange is a little less than $300 CFA for one U.S. dollar. Converting a few dollars into CFAs will enable you to pay taxi fare from Yoff International Airport to Dakar.

BEFORE YOU GO: Check with the U.S. Public Health Service, the Senegal Embassy or the Senegal Tourist Office for the latest requirements. A yellow fever shot is required, but not necessary if you've had one within 10 years. To enter the country, U.S. citizens with a valid passport and staying less than 90 days do not need an entry-exit visa. For those staying longer, visas are obtainable from the Embassy of the Republic of Senegal, 2112 Wyoming Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20008, 202-234-0540; and the Permanent Mission of Senegal to the United Nations, 212-517-9030.