Some of the best experiences on a trip don’t turn up when you search for things to do. They come through conversations, introductions and a willingness to leave a little room for the unexpected.
During our time in Saint-Louis, Senegal, we were invited to spend an evening with Amadou Diaw, a Senegalese entrepreneur, art collector and cultural patron. What started as an invitation to one of his residences on the island became an evening of food, wine and conversation, then a private viewing of his collection of African art. It showed us a different side of Saint-Louis, away from the familiar streets and architectural landmarks.
If Saint-Louis is on your list, it’s worth staying on the island itself. You can compare stays on Booking.com and local tours on GetYourGuide before you go.
An evening of Senegalese hospitality
We began at one of Amadou Diaw’s residences, a historic property on the island that also welcomes guests for overnight stays.
A gathering was already under way when we arrived. We were among a group of invited guests that included artists and other travellers, and the evening settled quickly into the kind of atmosphere we always hope to find on the road.
We ate an assortment of local Senegalese dishes, with wine and other drinks. There was plenty of conversation, plenty of introductions, and the pleasure of sharing a table with people whose paths might never otherwise have crossed.
These are some of the most rewarding parts of travelling. Beyond the places you visit, it’s the people you meet and the invitations you’re lucky enough to receive that tend to stay with you longest.
Who is Amadou Diaw?
Dakar News describes him as a collector, a patron of the arts and the mind behind Senegal’s first business school. He is also the founder of the Saint-Louis Photography Museum, known as MuPho, which opened in November 2017, and of the Saint-Louis Forum, a platform for debate and exchange.
MuPho isn’t one building. It’s a group of restored houses across the island, each with its own subject. The museum’s own site lists a photography house, a literature house, a house for reverse glass painting and more, with the Villa MuPho as the hub that leads to the rest.
A private viewing at Origines
From the residence, we went on to see another part of Amadou Diaw’s world: his art collection at Origines, Arts et Patrimoines d’Afrique. According to Seneplus, Origines is one of the MuPho houses, devoted entirely to classical African arts, with around 2,000 pieces on display.
An inner courtyard at night, with a gallery room lit behind it.
We were given a private viewing, which is a lovely way to see a collection. Outside the usual museum setting, and with a sense of the thinking and passion behind it, you aren’t just filing past one work after another. We could take our time, look more closely and appreciate the range of expression on show.
A different way to see Saint-Louis
We’d struggle to describe the collection through one medium or one tradition. There was so much variety: masks, carved wooden figures, bronze and metal sculptures, textiles, ceremonial objects, paintings and other traditional works, drawn from different parts of the continent.
A gallery room of carved wooden figures, with a bending sculpture on its plinth.
What stood out was how much the mediums differ. The carved pieces reward a close look at the detail and craftsmanship, while the textiles and sculptural works speak in different textures, forms and visual languages.
The room labelled Guinée and Sierra Leone.
There was also something special about seeing traditions from different countries brought together under one roof. The room in the photo above is labelled Guinée and Sierra Leone. It’s a reminder of how diverse African art is, and how much history, identity and cultural knowledge the objects we make can carry.
Visiting Origines and MuPho
Our visit came through an invitation, so here is what we could confirm for you. We couldn’t find Origines on any published hours or ticket listing, so treat these details as a starting point and confirm them with the MuPho team.
What to know before you go
Where to start: the Villa MuPho, the museum’s hub and ticket office. MuPho’s own site gives the address as Rue Maître Babacar Seye, while other listings use Rue Ibrahima Sarr, so ask your guesthouse to point you there. See hotels nearby.
Opening hours: listed as Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 7pm.
Tickets: the same listing gives 5,000 FCFA for adults and 1,000 FCFA for students. One ticket covers the whole group of houses and is bought at the Villa MuPho. Prices may have changed.
Contact: the listing gives (221) 76 855 02 96 and a contact form on MuPho’s site, musee-mupho.com.
Good to know: if you want to see Origines, or hope for a private viewing, ask in advance about the visiting arrangements.
Where to stay in Saint-Louis
The island is small enough to walk, so staying on it puts you within reach of MuPho on foot. If you want a base that fits this trip, Au Fil du Fleuve is a guesthouse with just five rooms and suites in a restored 19th-century warehouse, and it hosts regular exhibitions of contemporary African art. We wrote about it in Au Fil du Fleuve: a boutique experience in St. Louis.
Want more choice? Browse stays in Saint-Louis on Booking.com, or see the budget and upscale picks in our Saint-Louis guide.
More to do in Saint-Louis
Plan the wider trip. If you’re planning a visit, we have a guide to exploring Saint-Louis, Senegal, with more of our recommendations for discovering the city, including how to get here from Dakar.
Get out on the water and the sand. Compare tours of Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary and Langue de Barbarie.
Come for the music. Our guide to the Saint-Louis Jazz Festival covers May.
Start with the country. Our Senegal travel guide has the basics.
Final thoughts
An art collection is easy to walk past on a list of sights. Seeing this one with a host who cares about it, after an evening at his table, is what made it memorable. If you go to Saint-Louis, leave room in your plan for the same kind of invitation.
Explore Senegal differently with Faraway. For travellers who want to experience more than just the highlights.
