We plan to celebrate New Years every year at the Abéné Festival in Casamance. The Abéné Festival is a multi-day celebration of Casamance culture as well as also featuring guest artists from the sub-region and even further afield. There are nightly concerts with the main focus being on the frenetic drumming and dancing groups that Casamance is famous for.

During the day there is always something to see. There are workshops readily available if you feel the need to further your drumming/dancing skills. There is even the chance to take private lessons if you prefer a more intimate setting.

We will be based at a local eco-lodge during our time in Abéné. From here you will be able to explore Abéné at your leisure. The scooters are always available for you to cruise about on. Abéné itself is not so big so exploring on foot also has its rewards. If the festive vibe really grabs you and more importantly if you have the stamina, you can party at one of the several local outdoor discos until the sun starts to rise the following day.

Scoot West Africa has a great relationship with a local guy called Bas who is a tailor in Abéné. He has his own shop and he is more than happy for you to hang around and watch him hard at work knocking up the latest fashions. There are a multitude of small boutiques selling traditional fabrics so its a cool experience to walk around town and find a design that you like that. Bas can then measure you up and create a custom made riding shirt for you. In the age of Amazon Prime, it feels awesome to go old school for a change and end up with the only version of your new shirt in the world.

For us our time at the festival climaxes on New Years Eve with an afternoon walk through town on our way to the beach. We usually stop on route at a road side bar to quench our thirst. We are confident you will learn that one of life’s simple pleasures is sitting next to a sandy track under the shade of a palm tree whilst drinking an ice cold Gazelle as life slowly goes by. Just adjacent to the beach there will be some cultural performances in the late afternoon and the chance to see the mystical Koumpo.

On New Years Eve night the main festival concert will take place on a stage erected on the beach. Locals set up temporary stalls selling assorted local delicacies like BBQ fish, beef brochettes and ice cold beverages. There will be a beach party that blasts music out over the Atlantic ocean until the early morning. The centre piece of the party is a huge bonfire that will light up the sky at midnight.

Our New Years tour will depart Dakar on the 27th of December so we can reach Abéné in time to say hello to 2019 in style.