The Campement Villageois d'Énampore lets you sleep in a Diola impluvium hut, in the heart of the village of Énampore and the kingdom of Mof Awi, in Lower Casamance, 25 km from Ziguinchor. Nine single-story huts set around the impluvium courtyard, Diola cooking served on a half-board or full-board basis, and guides who live in the village: an immersive stay, simple and unstaged.

Sleeping in an impluvium hut, in the heart of the village

The impluvium hut (case à impluvium) is the traditional dwelling that made Énampore famous: a large thatched-roof hut built around an open central courtyard where rainwater collects. The campement (village eco-lodge) has made it its accommodation. Nine huts open onto this courtyard, for eighteen people in total.

Each hut has a double bed and a single bed, mosquito nets, and a private tiled bathroom with toilet and washbasin. There is running water; electricity comes from solar power, with LED lighting inside and out, and the campement offers refrigeration and cold drinks. No air conditioning or TV: it's a village house, not a hotel.

Meals are part of the stay. On half board, dinner, the night and breakfast are included; on full board, lunch is added. The food is Diola: yassa, caldou, rice with palm-oil sauce, fish and seafood, fruit, honey, juices and jams, served in the shared dining room.

Reception is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., a caretaker watches over the campement, there's parking reachable by the dirt track, and cleaning is provided. Children are welcome, with no minimum age, and pets are allowed. Check-out is at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. at the latest.

The campement suits travelers who want to understand Diola Casamance rather than pass through it, curious families, small groups, and those extending a stay in Ziguinchor with a few nights in the village.

Where the Campement Villageois d'Énampore is located

The campement is in Énampore, a Diola village in Lower Casamance, in the heart of the kingdom of Mof Awi, away from the tourist routes. There are no street addresses in village areas: the GPS location is the reference.

From Ziguinchor, 25 km away, allow about 15 minutes on paved road then 30 minutes on a dirt track; shared taxis leave from the bus and bush taxi station. The sand and laterite tracks are not suitable for people with reduced mobility. From Dakar, you reach Ziguinchor by plane from Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) (about an hour's flight) or on the Dakar–Ziguinchor ferry, an overnight crossing.

The best time is from November to May, in the dry season; the rainy season (hivernage), from July to October, is wet and hot. Further afield, Oussouye and the other villages of Diola country can be reached as day trips.

Things to do nearby

Visits are made with guides who live in the village. The sacred groves are places of worship: ask permission before taking any photo.

The royal site, the school museum and the sacred groves. A morning to understand how the kingdom of Mof Awi is organized and the place of the sacred in village life — guided cultural tours.

Fishing from a paddle pirogue. Two hours on the water with a village fisherman.

Éloubaline Island. An outing by motorized pirogue, about two hours round trip.

Arriving and leaving without worrying about the track. A driver from Ziguinchor or on to another stop in Casamance.