Here’s some of the practical info. (for images click here).

Total time to travel:

• Travel from Dakar/Thiès to Tambacounda: 6-7 hours
• From Tambacounda to Niokolo-Koba park entrance: 1 hour
• Places to stay:=
• in Tamba: Hôtel le Relais
• near park: Wassabou campement, very beautiful
• inside park (Simenti): complicated because apparently need to be accompanied by a guide and have your own car (or pay additional day rental) because not allowed to be only on foot in park

Times to visit:

Dry season; apparently most animals are visible in the March/April months

Costs:

At Park:

• 10.000CFA for entering your car into park
• 5.000CFA park fee (for foreigners)
• 3.000CAF park fee (for locals)
• 10.000CFA fee for the guide (full day and regardless of no. of people on trip)

Car Rental:

• called Mady Ndiaye who runs one of the campements in Simenti +221 77 433 7517 and he connected us with chauffeur Abé
• 40.000 car full day rental (driver is included in that price)
• 25.000cfa for gas for full day

We split these costs between 3 people and turned out quite reasonable!