They say travel is the best form of education , but boy oh boy , this was a PhD! Let me tell you Maina , this trip was nothing short of pure chaos, full drama, unexpected plot twists, and the kind of character development only a solo female traveler could survive‼️

Let’s unpack.

Chapter One: The Calm Before the Flight (JKIA)

Getting a return ticket to Senegal is not for the weak , there are like five flights total, and they all behave like they have attitude 😭. After serious hustle, I finally booked with Kenya Airways, my reliable toxic ex of airlines :-(!

Checked in at Jomo Kenyatta International airport (Popularly known as JKIA, Kenya’s National airport) 1.5 hours early. Immigration was a breeze this time round. Apparently, my well-traveled passport has finally silenced the usual questions:

“Where’s your husband?” uhm out of your business, Brenda.

“Why are you going?”uhm because I can, sir. Because I can.PERIOD!!!

Chapter Two: Douala, Cameroon : Where Travel Dreams Go to Die

Landed at 3 AM. My Safaricom and Airtel lines, which are kenya’s local connection lines, this time failed me like a bad situationship. Airtel has always been the show off, always works in any country I have been too, this time, well I guess my luck just ran out. No network. No Google Translate. Just … And the airport? Straight out of a Cold War movie.

Now, I speak fluent sarcasm ,not French. And that became a big problem. I told them I was in transit to Senegal, and they heard, “Please detain me in this random airport corner and deny me bathroom access.” So, there I sat. No loo. No explanations. Just me, my carry-on, and suspicious side-eyes from strangers. For eight. whole. hours. Turns out I wasn’t even supposed to be there ,but language barrier said, “Let’s humble this girl today.” It was the kind of experience that makes you re-evaluate your life choices… and your deodorant. Eventually, a distracted immigration officer and a kind Kenya Airways staffer got me to the right gate, after I played damsel in distress, quite well actually!. But let me say it loudly for the people in the back:Douala Airport is the ghetto!!!

Chapter Three: Togo ,Tiny, Tense, But Okay

Next stop: Togo. Small airport, big heart. Gnassingbé Eyadéma International is like that quiet cousin at the family reunion ,unproblematic, efficient, but won’t let you linger. I was too tired to shop and too anxious to relax. I will visit Togo soon and will be sharing the details, so watch out for that 🙂 After all my travel anxiety and not wanting to shop, lest I get left behind, the flight actually delayed by 2hrs! Yup. A big regret for me, because the Togo culture is very rich and getting a souvenir would have been a great plus! Oh well!

Chapter Four: Senegal!!!Finally, The Motherland Delivers

Landed at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar at 5:30 PM tired, cranky, and 83% dehydrated.But wait — Cameroon immigration had earlier insisted I needed a visa to get into Senegal. (False. Fake news. Don’t let them stress you.)

Kenyans get visa on arrival. Nigerians, sadly, do not. Oh Nigeria, our giant of Africa, our eternal scapegoat.

Immigration in Dakar was sloooooow. Two hours of queueing with zero explanation. My poor driver had been at the airport since 3 PM. I finally walked out at 7 PM looking like I’d just crossed the Sahara barefoot.

But then…

The moment I stepped out into Dakar’s warm, golden light — the stress vanished.

Because Dakar? Oh, baby. Dakar is everything Africa promises in one place — rich in culture, alive with rhythm, bursting with color, and full of soul.

Would I do that 20-hour, three-country solo journey again?

Absolutely. I’m a solo female traveler — we cry a little, pray a lot, laugh through the madness, and arrive looking like magic.

Next time though? I’m packing snacks, wet wipes, and a French phrasebook.

Stay adventurous. Stay bold. And always walk with the confidence of a Nairobian in foreign lands. Si ni mimi na kushow!

Have you been to Dakar, how was your journey , I would love to hear 🩵.