The Kingdom of Biffeche is very easy to visit.
Whereever you are in the world now, in only 4 to 12 hours from now
you can be in Biffeche! Don't miss the opportunity to visit
us!
Biffeche can be reached from
Mauritanie by riverboat or pirogue, but it is much easier to drive in
by road from the city of Saint-Louis, Sénégal, only 20 kilometers
away.
Iberia Airlines and Air
France have excellent, luxurious flights to Dakar, the capital of
Sénégal. Air France flies from Kennedy Airport in New York City to
Leopold Senghor Airport in Dakar, and two fly from Dakar to Europe.
There is every kind of hotel in Dakar from super-luxury to very
inexpensive.
In Dakar, or at the airport, you can
rent a car (from Hertz, or
SeneCarTours, or others) and drive north via Thies on the highway
to the old city of Saint-Louis on the Atlantic (itself a most
excellent tourist visit). Usually a driver is included at low cost,
which is very advisable. Or, the more frugal traveler can take the
bush taxi or (mis-named) "car rapide" up to Saint-Louis. Regrettably,
the once-great Dakar-Saint-Louis train no longer carries passengers
regularly.
Saint-Louis has a good selection of
hotels including two very historic French-colonial luxury hotels. The
Hotel de la Poste, for example, is an excellent hotel; the King
often stays there. The Kingdom of Biffeche is only a 30 minute drive
away. Go through Sor (the land-side suburb of Saint-Louis) northeast
on the highway that goes to Richard-Toll and Rosso. Pass the suburb of
Dakar-Bango and then the noted Université
of Gaston-Berger, both on the left.
Some kilometers after the Université,
look for the lone palm tree in a field on the left, and then turn left
past the Tomato Factory on the left. Cross the marigot (a small river
branch) and you come to the first agricultural fields of our beloved
Kingdom. The delightful towns of Savoigne and Savoigne-Pionniers
(Christian and Muslim, respectivement) are straight ahead, at the top
of the hill. There's a sandy part of the road just as you enter
Savoigne, going up the hill; be careful of it.
The first thing to do on arrival is
visit one of the Chefs de Village to get your passport stamped with
the Marque de Visite. For example, should you choose to visit
Savoigne, the largest town in the Kingdom of Biffeche, please see the Hon. Chev. Sir Seydou DIA, K.G.C.
The correct protocol in all villages is the same. Each Chef De
Village will be most happy to help all visitors. Also,
you may choose to give the Chef the customary visitors' presents (see
the section on People and Cultures).
In Savoigne you will definitely want
to make your pilgrimage to the former site of the Royal Monument, the
great tomb of King Edward I of Biffeche, the last resting place for
His Royal Ashes. There are a church, a mosque, shrines, a market and
other sights in the two Savoignes. We have some splendid new wells.
The houses of the people are the very authentic African types with the
traditional thatched roofs.
If the King or any Biffeche
aristocrats are in town, you will want to meet them. You may get the
village children to sing for you the Biffeche Anthem and the Edward
Song, in any of several languages. Some guides may take you to visit
the haunts of the Biffeche Dragon in the marigots of the Kingdom; but
really it is a matter of luck, or rather the will of the Almighty,
whether you will really see the Dragon or not.
After Savoigne, you may want to
visit our capital, M'Boubene (ancien Biffeche-Ville), bird-watch at
the great Parc du Djouj, cross the interesting Sénégalese-Mauritanian
dam at Maka-Diama on the Sénégal River, and the more adventurous may
seek out the mysterious Isle de Tieng in the Sénégal River in the
northern part of Biffeche. The Royal palace at M'Boubene-Naar is not
open to the public. For a much more physically splendid palace,
anyway, take a few hours to drive up to Richard-Toll, Sénégal, and see
the palace of Baron Roger on the east side of town.
As long as you are driving or
walking in Biffeche, keep your eyes open to see a Biffeche Dragon,
Great Baboon, Monkey, Crocodile or Wart-Hog alongside our roads and
marigots. And the most spectacular array of bird species on Earth. You
may obtain an excellent photograph if you are quick. However: If you
ever think you see a White Leopard at night, treat it with the utmost
respect and stay away, giving it wide berth, and do not try to
photograph it.
Dawn and dusk are great times in
Biffeche. Sunrise and sunset are beautiful here; sometimes in certain
seasons you will see great visual effects of the great Harmattan
wind rising over the Kingdom from the Sahara Desert to the north.
Find out the
weather today in Biffeche and see the current satellite photograph
of our skies.
The Biffeche people love to have
visitors, but visitors too-rarely come to our part of the world. You
will be very welcome here! To visit or perhaps, better still, someday
to live in our pleasant Kingdom.
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