Under $100: Dakar, Senegal

The Senegalese capital is a top spot for budget travelers who can see the best of the city without breaking the bank.

Start the day with coffee and a pastry from one of the ubiquitous street vendors and then pop over to Le Village des Arts, a space where around 50 artists live and work. Take a tour around the studios and stop to chat with the local artists to soak up some of Dakar’s contemporary culture.

Head over to La Calebasse for lunch, chowing down on some traditional Senegalese dishes. Prices start around $7 for a great plate of fish and rice.

After eating, lounge on nearby Mamelles beach, close to the center of the city but feels like an oasis of calm. Retire to your accommodation to freshen up and then go out for a sundowner ($4) at La Marée, a shellfish place at the end of Pointe des Almadies that may be the westernmost restaurant on mainland Africa. Stick around to eat mussels, clams and oysters or head off for dinner at Noflaye. Here you can get great value local dishes such as monkfish skewers for around $7.

Carry on your night along the Almadies or head back into the middle of the city to drink at bars like Le Viking and Xorbi (beers $3).