Hotel Les Paletuviers

It’s a four-hour drive from dakar, but we enjoyed every moment once we arrived. The hotel is lovely, quiet, and relaxing. The restaurant was fine, and the people were great, always smiling and ready to help.

My wife and I had a lovely honeymoon here. Being surrounded by nature helped us get away from the noise and heat of the city center. A special thank you to Amy, who was so helpful during our stay.

The river views and peaceful setting are lovely, and the place is built thoughtfully around old Baobab trees. We liked how the furniture styles, colors, and textures came together to reflect local cultures. Staff and the excursion crew were welcoming, gave us useful information, and checked us in quickly. We took an evening trip to Shell Island with an experienced guide and the boat man. Learning about the island’s history and the surrounding area was interesting. The sunset from the pier was stunning, and morning yoga out there was relaxing. The food was good, though at a high-end resort I expected more choice. We didn’t swim because it was a bit too cold when we Wendel there, but the pool looked clean and nice. It’s also kid-friendly, with a playground and some bikes to ride.

The lion and village visit was excellent, but you can do that outside the hotel. Everything else made our two days cost over 1000 dollars without feeling worth it. My wife and I were charged double for sharing a room. I’ve never felt so ripped off. The food was awful: small portions, no variety, no taste, and flies and mosquitoes everywhere. I went hungry every day, got bitten on my arms and legs, and spent time fanning flies away from our food because there was no fly catcher. For the lion visit, they put us in an open truck with no AC. My wife nearly lost consciousness from the heat. There was no refrigerator in the room, so cold water meant buying it at the bar. The owner calls this eco-friendly; to me it felt like greedy capitalism, saving energy while extracting as much money as possible. It’s a horrible business model. They advertise as a high-end hotel, but it felt like a motel, and it was more expensive than a NYC hotel. I’m fine with spending money when the service matches or exceeds the price, and that didn’t happen at Le Paletuvier. I’ll never return or recommend it. Avoid this place. It was the worst vacation spot I’ve experienced since I started traveling.