Essaout Excursion: Pirogue, Fishing, Grilled Oysters and Bounouk in Lower Casamance

The excursion at a glance

Format

Full day, by 4x4 then by pirogue, with a picnic beside the bolong

Departure

In the morning from Le Papayer Ecolodge, with a stop at the Cap Skirring market to buy shrimp (for grilling and as bait)

Track

After Kabrousse, 8 km of badly damaged track through the rice fields: a 4x4 is essential

Pirogue

Boarding at Boudédiète, on the border with Guinea-Bissau, then about half an hour to Essaout

Picnic

Mangrove oysters, fish, shrimp and crabs grilled over a wood fire (depending on the day's catch), rice-field rice salad and bounouk

Price

Variable, on quotation: a little-known excursion

What to bring

Passport required: Boudédiète is controlled by the army

Reserved for our guests

For guests staying at Le Papayer Ecolodge

Like all our excursions in Casamance, this one is reserved for our guests, that is, people staying at Le Papayer Ecolodge: we do not organise excursions for outside visitors. To prepare the day, ask for a call back or request your quote online.

The route: from Cap Skirring to Essaout

We set off in the morning by 4x4 from Le Papayer Ecolodge. First stop is the Cap Skirring market to buy shrimp, which serve both as grilled food for the picnic and as bait for fishing in the bolong. We then drive through the village of Kabrousse and leave the tarmac: a track of about 8 kilometres, completely broken up, crosses the rice fields of Kabrousse. A 4x4 is essential.

The track leads to the border with Guinea-Bissau, at Boudédiète, where we board a pirogue for Essaout, about half an hour away. During the crossing we fish in the wild bolong of Boudédiète and gather mangrove oysters. On arrival, on the bank of the Essaout bolong, the picnic is prepared while you explore the village, swim or fish.

For another day of pirogue and fishing, see our Affiniam excursion. To go down to the open sea and picnic on a wild Guinea-Bissau beach, see our Boudédiète excursion.

Indicative map: the track and the pirogue crossing are not shown, and the route is schematic.

What you discover during the day

A day of adventure, between track, wild bolong and a picnic at the water's edge. Here are the highlights:

• Shrimp from the market A stop in Cap Skirring to buy shrimp: for grilling and as fishing bait.
• The Kabrousse track Eight badly damaged kilometres through the rice fields, by 4x4.
• The pirogue and the fishing Half an hour in the wild Boudédiète bolong: trolling for barracuda (Rapala lures) or bottom fishing (with shrimp).
• Mangrove oysters Gathered along the way and grilled at the water's edge.
• Bounouk Palm wine, tasted just after the harvest.

The Kabrousse track and Boudédiète, a border village

After the stop at the Cap Skirring market and the drive through the village of Kabrousse, we leave the tarmac. The track runs for about 8 kilometres through the rice fields of Kabrousse: it is completely broken up, and a 4x4 is essential. The landscape is worth the detour, with rice fields, palm trees and Jola villages.

The track leads to Boudédiète, a small village of fishermen and rice farmers in Lower Casamance, set on a plateau surrounded by mangrove, on the border with Guinea-Bissau. It has about 400 inhabitants and is a crossing point to the neighbouring islands.

Because Boudédiète is closely controlled by the army, a passport is required for the whole day: the checkpoint registers everyone who comes to the village. Remember to bring it with you.

The pirogue, the fishing and the mangrove oysters

At Boudédiète, we board a pirogue for Essaout. The trip takes about half an hour, but we take our time: we fish in the wild Boudédiète bolong in two ways: trolling for barracuda with Rapala lures, or bottom fishing with the shrimp bought that morning as bait. The bolongs, those arms of the sea lined with mangroves, are very well preserved here. To understand this environment, read our feature on the mangrove and bolongs of Casamance, as well as the one on fishing in Casamance.

Along the way we also gather mangrove oysters, clinging to the mangrove roots, which will be grilled at the picnic. Fishing is a pleasure, not a guarantee: we cannot promise a catch.

The picnic beside the Essaout bolong

Essaout, also called the oyster village, is a village of Lower Casamance, close to the border with Guinea-Bissau. It belongs to the rural community of Santhiaba Manjacque, in the Kabrousse district, the Oussouye department and the Ziguinchor region.

We land on the bank of the Essaout bolong, where the picnic begins. While the meal is being prepared, there is time to explore the little village, swim in the bolong or fish from the bank. The menu honours the local produce: grilled mangrove oysters, grilled fish and rice-field rice salad. The shrimp bought that morning at the market also go over the wood fire and, depending on the day's catch, grilled crabs join them.

You also taste bounouk, the Jola name for palm wine, which the harvesters have just collected. It is drunk fresh and light, or more fermented, and is traditionally shared from a calabash in a very friendly atmosphere. After the meal comes time to rest, nap, swim or fish, before the return by pirogue to Boudédiète, then by 4x4 to the lodge.

A typical day at Essaout

Times are indicative: they adjust to your pace, the tides and the condition of the track.

1. Departure: in the morning, by 4x4 from Le Papayer Ecolodge.
2. Market: stop in Cap Skirring to buy shrimp.
3. Track: through Kabrousse, then 8 km of track in the rice fields to Boudédiète.
4. Checkpoint: passing through the Boudédiète checkpoint, passport in hand.
5. Pirogue: about half an hour to Essaout, fishing in the bolong and gathering oysters on the way.
6. Picnic: oysters, fish, shrimp and crabs grilled over a wood fire (depending on the day's catch), rice salad, bounouk; village visit, swimming, fishing.
7. Rest: nap, swimming and fishing.
8. Return: by pirogue to Boudédiète, then by 4x4 to the lodge.

Practical tips for your excursion

• A passport is required: Boudédiète is closely controlled by the army, and the checkpoint registers everyone who comes to the village. A photocopy is not enough.
• A 4x4 is essential for the 8 km track, which is completely broken up.
• Bring a hat, sunscreen, water, swimwear and a towel.
• Wear light clothing and shoes that can get wet.
• Fishing is never guaranteed: it is a pleasure, not a promise of a catch.
• Bounouk is mildly alcoholic, especially as it ferments: enjoy it in moderation.
• Ask permission before photographing local people.
• A long excursion, and a rough one because of the track: it is not suitable for people who cope badly with difficult roads.

Frequently asked questions about the Essaout excursion

What is the Essaout excursion?

It is a little-known day that almost nobody offers: a 4x4 track to Boudédiète, half an hour by pirogue fishing in a wild bolong, then a picnic beside the Essaout bolong with grilled oysters and bounouk.

How do you get to Essaout?

By 4x4 from Le Papayer Ecolodge, with a stop at the Cap Skirring market, then through the village of Kabrousse and 8 km of track in the rice fields to Boudédiète, where you board a pirogue for half an hour on the water.

Why is a 4x4 essential?

Because the 8 km track after Kabrousse, through the rice fields, is completely broken up.

Why is a passport required?

Boudédiète is on the border with Guinea-Bissau and is closely controlled by the army: the checkpoint registers everyone who comes to the village. A photocopy is not enough.

What do you eat at the picnic?

Grilled mangrove oysters, grilled fish and a rice-field rice salad, with bounouk. The shrimp bought at the Cap Skirring market are also grilled over the wood fire and, depending on the day's catch, grilled crabs complete the meal.

What is bounouk?

It is the Jola name for palm wine, harvested from palm trees by tappers. It is drunk fresh or fermented, and is traditionally shared from a calabash.

Can you fish?

Yes. While crossing the wild Boudédiète bolong, you can troll for barracuda with Rapala lures, or fish the bottom with shrimp as bait; you can also fish from the bank at Essaout. Fishing is never guaranteed.

How much does the excursion cost?

There is no fixed price: the excursion is little known and it is sometimes hard to find a pirogue, so the price varies. To find out the price for your day, request your quote online or ask for a call back.

What do you do while the picnic is being prepared?

You explore the little village, swim in the bolong or fish from the bank. After the meal, you rest, nap, swim or fish some more.

How is it different from the other pirogue excursions?

Essaout is a day in a wild bolong, at the end of a track, with a picnic of oysters and bounouk. For the pirogue trip from Ziguinchor, see our Affiniam excursion; to go down the Boudédiète bolong to the open sea and picnic on a wild Guinea-Bissau beach, see our Boudédiète excursion.

Is the excursion open to people not staying at the lodge?

No. All our excursions in Casamance are reserved for guests staying at Le Papayer Ecolodge: we do not organise excursions for outside visitors.

Going further: other excursions and features

See all our excursions in Casamance