Mali Travel Forum

Could any one suggest any good hotel in Tombuktu?? There are offering us the Hotel La Colombe or Hotel La Maison, any one knows which one is better?? Thanks for the help.

hi guys!
i read conflicting suggestions for malaria in Mali and Burkina Faso.
can you comment if it is really advisable to use malaria pills in March?
many thanks
Nikos

hello everybody!

i read about feb and march that there are strong winds which bring dust from the desert.
could you tell how often and serious this is?
it can make your visit worthless for seeing and taking good photos?

many thanks

nikos

Hello,

I'm a 24yr old college student from Germany. Ive been passionate about the French language for 7 years and I want to create a website about "la francophonie" (the french-speaking world).

On top of making a great website about it, I'm trying to find a person from each French-speaking country in the world who could record a short voice (or video) clip where she tells people a little bit about her country. I think this would be the icing on the cake for my francophonie-website.

I hope I can pull it off, but I assume in a country such as Mali for example most people do not have an internet connection and it might be hard (impossible?) to find somebody who can do that there?

Maybe somebody has an idea how I could find somebody (a native) from Mali who'd be willing to do that? Would my best bet be contacting some universites?

thanks!

Any UK nationals with any experience of getting a visa for Mali in Rabat? There's no embassy in England and I fancy Rabat more than Brussels.

Does anyone know if you can visas on arrival at Bamako Airport? I have heard mixed stories!

Thanks in Advance

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE CATHOLIC MISSION. HOW CAN I CONTACT THEM TO LET THEM KNOW WHEN I WILL ARIVE. DO I HAVE TO MAKE RESERVATIONS. HOW FAR IS IT FROM THE AIRPORT. I'M A NURSE FROM CHICAGO. I'M INTERESTED IN DOING WORK IN AFRICA IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I'M NEW TO THE SITE. THEREFORE, I DONT HAVE AN AVAILABLE PICTURE OF MYSELF. THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME.

Because Festival in Dessert is not possible to attend due to early dates I would like to ask if anyone has ever attended festival on Niger in Segou. We are mainly interested in a lot of local music and traditional performances. Can Festival on Niger compare to the one in the Dessert?

Hello VTers,

I really need your help here. I am travelling with my Mom (who is 70 years old) to Mali this upcoming December for two weeks. She has never been to Africa before (I have) and wanted to join. So, we are flying rather than taking long long drives.

I need your opinion on this finalized itinerary that we are agreeing to?

Any thoughts, opinions, suggestions, criticisms, etc. are greatly appreciated as I always incorporate them into my plans.

Thanks so much.

Nathan

PS I had to give up on my trip to Yemen because of too much uncertainty at this time and closure of major sites.

DECEMBER 6 PARIS/BAMAKO
Arrival in Bamako and transfer to Hotel Salam.
Transfer to Hotel Salam for two nights.

DECEMBER 7 BAMAKO
Visit the Marche de Medina. Then, continue on to the recycling market. Then head up to Point G for viewing of Bamako and the Niger River. Have lunch at the National Museum's café before and then take a guided tour. From here, continue touring Bamako and see the sunset.

DECEMBER 8 BAMAKO - SEGOU
Set out from Bamako with guide and driver for Segoukoro. Have a visit with the current chief of this village. Walk through the village to see the Bambara and Sudanic architecture. Then continue on to Segou and take a walk to the pottery market. Visit Sekoro village and see the tomb of King Biton Coulibaly. Overnight at Hotel Auberge near the River Niger.

DECEMBER 9 SEGOU - DJENNE
Visit Le Ndomo. From there, visit Espace Bajidala and then head for Djenne. Stop for lunch at Teriya Restaurant before arriving in Djenne.
Visit the Grand Mosque in Djenne.
Stay at Hotel Djenne Djenno for an overnight stay.
Have a tour with guide of Djenne.

DECEMBER 10 DJENNE - SEVARE
Visit Monday market day in Djenne - Have a walk early this morning before the sun rises to see the mosque. Later explore the weekly market, and then set out with driver and guide this afternoon for Severe and an overnight stay at Hotel Kanaga.

DECEMBER 11 SEVARE – TIMBUKTU
Transfer to the Mopti airport for 8:45AM flight, arrives at 9:35AM in Timbuktu. Transfer to Hotel La Maison for a two-night stay. Next, set out for a full day of touring, walking through the streets with a local Tuareg guide. Visit the Ethnological Museum, and then continue to the houses where various European explorers stayed and also visit the Djingareyber Mosque.

DECEMBER 12 TIMBUKTU
Touring of Timbuktu. Visit the archives to see ancient Arabic texts. Go to a local rooftop to see the city from above, to observe the action at the daily market, and then continue to the Grand Market. Have a sunset excursion out into the Sahara Desert to a small Tuareg encampment. Have tea with the residents who then perform some traditional drumming, singing and dancing. Have a hike around the dunes as the sun sets before returning to the Hotel La Maison for dinner.

DECEMBER 13 TIMBUKTU - MOPTI
Transfer to the airport for 8:00AM flight, arriving in Mopti at 8:50AM. Upon arrival, transfer to the Maison Rouge for a two-night stay. Set out for a tour of Mopti, including a walk through the Old Town. I would like to photograph Fula women.
From here, visit some of the local daily markets and continue to the port where fish is sorted and also see blacksmiths making nails used to build the pirogues and pinasse boats. Also see the massive slabs of salt.
Visit the Komoguel mosque
have lunch at Bar Bozo.
Have the later afternoon at leisure.

DECEMBER 14 MOPTI
set out this morning to visit the Dogon villages of Borko and Tintan, before returning to Mopti for the night.

DECEMBER 15 MOPTI - BANDIAGARA
This morning, set out by pinasse boat to explore Mopti by water. Make our way along the coast in both the Bani and Niger rivers, snd disembark at fishing villages on tiny islands in the river. Include visits to the Fulani village of Gnimintongo as well as Tongorongo.
Also visit Sekoubango, and visit the mosque Sekou Bango. Then transfer to Bandiagara in Dogon Country.
Along the way, have opportunities to stop and take photographs as we pass mud-brick villages, cattle herders and villages belonging to the Bambara, Bobo and Fulani peoples before arriving in Dogon Country. Then check into the Hotel Le Kambary for a three-night stay.

DECEMBER 16 BANDIAGARA: NIONGONO AND SONGO
Private touring of some of the plateau villages, including Niongo and Songo. See women pounding millet.
In Songo, also take a brief hike to the top of an escarpment to see rock art and scenic views of the village. Return to the hotel later in the afternoon for some time to relax.

DECEMBER 17 BANDIAGARA: DOURO, TIRELI, IRELI, AMANI
Depart with guide and driver for a full day exploring Dogon villages along the Bandiagara Escarpment. Descend the escarpment at Douro to Tireli, and see a traditional Dogon mask dance performance by local village residents before continuing on to the villages of Ireli and Amani. After exploring Ireli, have lunch and continue touring of Dogon villages, and meet a Hogon (Dogon spiritual leader) as we walk through the village. Then return to Bandiagara for dinner.

DECEMBER 18 BANDIAGARA - SEVARE
Continue exploration of Dogon culture and villages today before being transferred back to Severe for an overnight stay at Hotel Kanaga.

DECEMBER 19 SEVARE – BAMAKO,
Transfer to the Mopti airport for 9:00AM flight, arriving at 10:35AM in Bamako. Upon arrival, transfer to Hotel Salam and check into a day room until we are transferred to the airport flight home in the evening.

Let me know.

Daft as this may sound i am planning to travel to Bamako by car next December. Not sure what the visa requirements are. Also Iam not keen on traveling with large amounts of cash. Are ATM's wide spread or few and far between?

Any help or suggestions would be appretiated

Has anyone had experience with Balanzan Tours? I am planning to go to the Festial in the Desert in January 2008. Does anyone know any other good agencies? I like Saga Tours 17 day tour because they offer 2 nights in Timbuctou. However their price is prohibitive.
Any input anyone can give me is greatly appreciated. Thanx.

Has anyone used Riverside Mali to book a tour through Mali? I am interested to hear how they did.

1. i will be in the dogon area for 1 to 3 weeks. i am undecided as to whether or not to use a guide.any suggestions? 2. i will be in mali, mostly the northern half for 3 months. are there any places that exchange traveler checks in that part of the country? i would hate to carry cash for such a long time.

Hi,

I'm planning to go to Timbouctou in August and I'm interested what sort of transport can I use. Is boat the only option or the buses goes as well?

Tnx

how much does it cost for the people to take tourist across the niger river to villages?

Hi to everybody!

I am trying to organize a trip to mali this summer, the fact is that there are hundrends of agencies that orginze the trip but i will like to go alone with a girlfriend, is it ok for 2 girls to travel alone? is easy to get to places and move around? we will like to see mali-burkina faso, any advice?

thanks a lot!

It is a pain in the neck trying to establish contact with FAD organization ? They do not answer emails.

Does someone have a direct line to someone in there ??!!

i'm on the solo hype out there and am trying to find any useful info out there i can find... my friend from bamako tells me to just to relax cause out there everyone just works on a slower pace and everything will eventually all work out, but i still don't know how i'm getting out there or even who i can go with since he cant make it. if you have been able to get anything together can you please tell me how you did it, because for now the only thing i do know for sure is that i'm going.

my name is zak. 18yrs old tyin to figure out how to get to the fesstival on my own... i'm going to bamako to visit a friend. if anyone is going from bamako to essakane can hook me up with some info it would be more then appreciated.

Any input on the festival on the Niger in Segou will be appreciated.

Hi
As a malian citizen, it's a great pleasure for me to help you discovering my country. Did you heard about "the festival of the desert"? " the festival on the Niger"? Feel free to ask, i'll give you further infos and details..
PS/ If you maybe are already on journey here, make a sign, we've a tea and wine party each weekend( just for contact, free of charges)

Mohadib, a friend waiting for you :)

Any advice, pro or con, on the intention to try Nema to Timbuktu?

We will be Nouakchott, Mauritania in 3 days, expect to be there 3 days from now, November 30, and if things look
promising would like to take a shot at Nouakchott to Nema, Nema to Timbuktu if possible.

Today, November 27, travelling south along the coast of Moroccan Western Sahara, approaching Boujdour to spend
the night and continue south to the Mautitanian border tomorrow;

Travelling in a 1923 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, purpose built pickup body - 2WD of course, rather narrow tires though
tall (the widest we could fit while being consistant with the vintage), runs unleaded (lead is no problem though), main
tank capacity app 220 miles (330 km), with another 220 miles (330 km) on board.

So, concerned about road conditions, fuel availability.

Any advice, pro or con, appreciated.

I sign off with a song title from Bruce Cockburn;
"The trouble with normal is it only gets worse."

Tompgs

Does anyone know how we can get to the festival in Essakane near Timbuktu in January?

I need to find out if a travel company named Dougou Dogou Travel at Rue 530 Porte 100, Quinzanbougou in Bamako has an email address so I can contact them directly. Their phone number may be 221 6671.

We are a 50ish couple traveling to Mali in December to visit our PCV daughter for two weeks. Any recommendations on how much cash to take, and in what currency?

Does anyone have an opinion on this hotel? Can someone find out if they have an email address or website to contact directly as I need to make a reservation with this hotel soon.
Thanks.

Hello,

I am a male going to Mali. In a number of other predominantly Muslim countries I've gone to, wearing shorts around was not really well thogut of, even for males. I ended up wearing my long pants most of my journey.

How about Mali?

Hello
I am traveling to Mali with my husband for the first time. Could someone give advice/suggestions on a hotel in Bamako (we arrive in the wee hours of the morning)? Also any advice on guides we are planning on trying to organize there or is that a bad idea? Also most things I have read suggest getting your guides in Segou or Sangha does anyone have any experience in this? We are most interested in the Dogon and Djenne. Any advice on any of this and Mali would be great.

Thanks so much

I'm flying into Bomako and I need to continue on to Timbuktu. I gather that Air Mali is the only carrier by which one can fly into the city.

Does anybody know how I can get in touch with Air Mali? or make arrangements on a flight?

Hi
I'm staying in Bamako at the moment, would very much like to travel to either Dogon country or Tambouctou, but don't want to do it alone, it's much nicer and maybe even more safe to travel togheter. I'm 28 years old, swedish, my malian phone number is (+223)5253467.
There are buses from Bamako, going straight to Timbuctou or Mopti, they aren't expensive at all.
Hope for answers, bye,
Andrada