Everything in Dakar is dialled up to a ten. Senegal’s capital city feels like it’s bursting at the seams with colour, sound, and people, as though it can barely contain everything that’s stuffed into its city limits. With so many things to see, you’ll never get bored meandering around the city. But if you need a waypoint, make way for Médina, a bustling quartier filled with bijou tailor’s shops and a busy marché. At the eastern edge of the city, the Plage de D’Gor beach is lined with fishing boats and dotted with families on a sunny day out. And on the northern tip, you’ll find Deux Mamelles, a pair of hills crowned, respectively, by the photogenic Mamelles Lighthouse and the independence-feting African Renaissance Monument.

Dakar is also an abidingly creative city, home to a vibrant arts scene that’s on display at the Village des Arts. Take a stroll through this famous art complex, where you can watch Senegal’s on-the-rise sculptors and painters at work at their studios. For a tour through centuries of African art, make a beeline for Musée Théodore Monod – one of the oldest art museums on the continent, where you can see over 9000 objects ranging from traditional masks to rare musical instruments.

And if you need some time away from the hubbub, the Île de N'Gor, a peaceful island off the city’s north shore. But don’t stay away too long – there’s lots you’ll miss in Dakar.