| Day: |
Description: |
| 1 |
BAMAKO:
Arrive in Bamako and check in to your hotel. No meals. |
| 2 |
BAMAKO - SEGOU:
Morning city tour of Bamako. We visit the markets and a craft centre. In the afternoon we continue to Segou, passing many small villages on the way. (B) |
| 3 |
BAMAKO - DJENNE:
Morning drive to Djenne, the ‘Queen of the Delta’, where we have time to explore the fascinating Monday market with its profusion of colour and produce. We also visit the mosque, the largest mud building in the world, and wander through the old part of town with its mud brick houses and narrow streets. (B)
|
| 4 |
DJENNE - DOGON VILLAGES:
Drive to the Dogon area where we start our trek through this fascinating tribal region of mud brick villages at the edge of the stunning Bandiagara Escarpment. Overnight camping. (BD) |
| 5 |
DJENNE - DOGON COUNTRY:
A morning wake up call from the donkeys and roosters before we continue hiking through picturesque villages. We visit a number of the most spectacular but least visited villages. Overnight camping. (BLD) |
| 6 |
DOGON COUNTRY - SEVARE:
Hike through more beautiful villages gaining an insight into the life of the Dogon villagers. Later we meet our bus and drive to Sevare. (BL) |
| 7-9 |
MOPTI - NIGER CRUISE:
We spend the morning exploring the colourful markets of Mopti spread along the banks of the Niger. Later we board small ‘pinasse’ river craft and begin our three day journey along the Niger towards Timbuktu. Along the way we visit several Bozo and Peul villages and enjoy the hive of activity surrounding the river - spend your time watching colourfully dressed villagers walking to market or washing clothes, children playing and cattle sunning themselves on the river bank. We spend the nights camped on the side of the river. (BLD) |
| 10 |
TIMBUKTU:
Arrive in Korioume and transfer to Timbuktu. Meet our Tuareg guide and climb aboard our camels for a ride to a nearby Tuareg settlement where we have dinner. Overnight camping. (BLD) |
| 11 |
TIMBUKTU:
Morning camel trek. In the afternoon we take a city tour of Timbuktu. (B) |
| 12 |
TIMBUKTU - BAMAKO:
Transfer to the airport for our flight back to Bamako. (B) |
| 13 |
BAMAKO:
A full free day to explore the wonderful town of Bamako which has arguably the best market in West Africa. Wander through streets lined with vendors selling indigo cloth, African music, traditional medicines and much much more. There is also time to visit the Musee National, an excellent ethnographic museum. (B) |
| 13 |
BAMAKO:
Tour ends after breakfast. (B)
(code: MTRT)
|
Our journey takes us through the wonderful West African country of Mali, travelling through remote desert landscapes to the isolated town of Timbuktu. We trek through Dogon villages with fabulous views, camping overnight in friendly villages. We also board a ‘pinasse’ (local boat) for a beautiful river journey, stopping at small encampments along the way and even spend a night in a nomadic Tuareg tent in the Sahara. Facilities are limited but for the true traveller, there is no more exciting destination than the city of Timbuktu!
