When I first arrived in Dakar, I relied heavily on Airbnbs. They put me in closer proximity to locals to discover cool things and taught me a significant amount about which neighborhoods are most ideal. Because I was traveling solo, interacting directly with my hosts also helped me forge new relationships with people who I could lean on in case of emergencies.

To help you sift through the trash (don’t be fooled, there are a bunch of crappy apartments listed on Airbnb for Dakar), here are 5 beautiful places in various parts of the city for you to consider on your trip to Dakar.