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The Road to Timbuktu
Mali
14 Days: Bamako to Bamako
(7 Nights hotel and 6 nights camping)
2008 R 14,490 LOCAL PAYMENT EURO 275 SGL SUPP.R 4,230

Other tours by same operator

ITINERARY DAYS

1 Bamako. Hotel.
2 Bamako - Segou. Hotel (BLD)
3 Bamako – Djenne. Hotel (BLD)
4 Djenne – Dogon Villages. Hotel (BLD)
5 Djenne – Dogon Villages. Hotel (BLD)
6 Dogon Country – Serave. Hotel (BLD)
7 Timbuktu – Essakane. Camping (BLD)
8 Essakane. Camping (BLD)
9 Essakane. Camping (BLD)
10 Timbuktu. Camping (BLD)
11 Niger Cruise. Hotel (BLD)
12 Niger Cruise – Mopti – Sevare. Hotel (BLD)
13 Bamako. Hotel (B)
14 Bamako. Hotel (B)

INCLUDED IN THE TOUR PRICE:

Itinerary as specified. Highlighted text is also included. Fully equipped vehicle, private bus, 4x4 vehicle, domestic flights, services of tour leader, all accommodation, all boat transfers, entrance fees. Please note that due to limited facilities, chalet and lodge accommodation may be on a sharing basis. B: Breakfast. L: Lunch. D: Dinner (All other meals not shown will be to the clients account).

NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOUR PRICE:

International Airfares, travel and medical insurance, personal spending money, visas, passports, vaccinations, personal taxes (including departure and border taxes) all optional activities, unscheduled or optional national / game parks and other activities, gratuities, restaurant meals and drinks, and all other items of a personal nature.

THE ROAD TO TIMBUKTU

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 destinations than the city of Timbuktu!

PRE DEPARTURE INFORMATION:

Most clients arrive a few days prior to the official start day. This is to give them plenty of time to enjoy all that Bamako has to offer. WildLife Adventures can organise any accommodation or activities you may require if you want to arrive early or stay on in Africa after your tour ends. Please contact us for assistance.

On Day 2 clients should meet at the Idjenne Maison d’Hotes, Quartier Missira, Bamako. Tel: (++ 223 2) 213082 after breakfast for the pre departure meeting. This will give you all a chance to meet your fellow travellers and get to know your guides. The meeting will cover all the aspects of the trip. Please bring with you to this meeting: your passport with relevant visa's and evidence of medical and personal insurance. Please also bring the Local Payment. This must be paid to the tour leader prior to departure and must be paid in Cash. The local payment is required to cover a wide variety of our on-tour expenses, which can include National Park entrance fees, excursions and activities, certain fresh foods, vehicle tolls and entrance fees, as well as some accommodation costs whilst travelling throughout Africa. The local payment is that portion of the tour cost which must be paid in cash to the  tour leader at the pre departure meeting.

If you have any questions regarding arrival prior to the tour or any other questions whatsoever, please contact your tour operator. If you are unable to attend the pre departure meeting, please let your operator know at least one week prior to your departure.

Other pre-tour accommodation is also available. Please contact your tour operator for assistance. All meals whilst in Addis Ababa will be to your own expense.

Pre Dep. Meeting Point: Djenne Maison d’Hotes
Address: Quartier Missira
Contact Details: Tel: (++ 223 2) 213082
                         Fax: (++ 223 2) 213082
Pre Dep Meeting: Approx. 09h00 on Day 2
Tour Start Time: Approx. 10h00 on Day 2
Tour End Time: Tour ends on Day 15 after breakfast
Tour End point: Djenne Maison d’Hotes
Contact Details: As above

DAY 1 – Bamako

Arrive and check into your hotel. Later this evening you will have the chance to meet your tour leader and the other members of the tour. No meals.

BAMAKO

Within Bamako, you will find a couple of tall buildings (a bank and a hotel), but most are modest. In the older parts of the city there are some old colonial buildings which are now used for government agencies, hotels, schools, and other functions. Most of the larger houses, with beautiful flowering trees, gardens and a swimming pool (necessary in the hot season) are inhabited by the expatriates and well-off locals. By contrast, the typical Malian home in Bamako is smaller and is either made of crude cement bricks or the typical building material for Mali, mud bricks. Don't be surprised to find goats, sheep, chickens, donkeys and cattle roaming the streets. The owners let them out so that they can find their own food and they graze on whatever is available.

DAY 2 – Bamako – Segou

Morning city tour of Bamako. We visit a high point for a panoramic view over the city, the lively markets and the excellent museum. After lunch we continue to Segou, passing many small villages on the way. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Approx. 3 hours driving

DAY 3 – Segou – Djenne

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 visit the mosque, the largest mud building in the world, and wander through the old part of the town with its mud brick houses and narrow streets. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Approx. 4 ½ hours driving.

DJENNE

Situated on an island in the Niger Delta, with a population of around 10,000, Djenné was founded in the year 1250.  The city thrived because of its direct connection by river to Timbuktu, and lay at the head of trade routes leading to gold and salt mines. Old Djenné was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1988, and about 2000 of the traditional houses have survived. You can easily get a feel for what sub-Saharan Africa must have been like a century ago. At one time, Djenné rivalled Timbuktu as the pre-eminent centre of trans-Saharan trade and Islamic scholarship. With the decline in trade routes, Djenné is now an agricultural town with a burgeoning tourism industry.

DAY 4 – Djenne – Dogon Villages

Using 4WD jeeps we drive to the Dogon area, a fascinating tribal area of mud brick villages at the edge of the stunning Bandiagara Escarpment. Our first stop is Songo, where we see the ancient cave paintings. Continuing to Banani we start our trek with a dramatic route down the edge of the escarpment. Overnight camping (for two nights) in the grounds of a very simple hotel. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Approx.: 6 hours driving

DOGON

The Dogon are an ethnic group located mainly in the Bandiagara and Douentza districts. The precise origins of the Dogon, like those of many other ancient cultures, are lost in the mists of time. The early histories come from oral traditions which vary according to the Dogon clan being consulted, and limited archaeological excavation. Because of these inexact and incomplete sources, there are a number of different versions of the Dogon’s origin as well as differing accounts of how they got from their ancestral homelands to the Bandiagara region.

The people call themselves Dogon or Dogom, but in the older literature they are most often called Habe, a Fulbe word meaning ‘stranger’ or ‘pagan’. Certain theories suggest the tribe to be of ancient Egyptian descent. After living in Libya, they are believed to have migrated to somewhere in the region of Burkino Faso, Guinea or Mauritania (different scholarly sources give different places for this period). Around 1490 AD, fleeing invaders and/or drought, they migrated to the Bandiagara cliffs of central Mali.

The concentration of Dogon villages of the Bandiagara escarpment are one of the most recognisable sights in Mali and an essential part of any visit to the country. Originally the Dogon lived in dwellings cut into the cliff face – some of these remain today with steep rock-cut ladders leading up to them – but over the years more and more of them have migrated to the plains at the foot of the cliffs.

Family plots are arranged round a courtyard open to domestic animals. Millet and wheat is stored in fortified towers often set above the corners of the main courtyard. The plots are adapted to the terrain and their thick walls often make them seem like fortresses. Inside the houses, a ventilation system provides relief from the searing summer heat and the biting cold of the Harmattan wind.

Hardworking and proud of their culture, the Dogon are well known for their products. Farmers grow sweet onions and other crops through irrigation on tiny patches of land amidst the rocks and cliffs. Carved wooden sculptures, masks, and doors are highly sought after by collectors. The scenery itself is also spectacular with the escarpment rising sheer from the flat plains below.

CAMPING

We camp in large 3-4 man igloo tents which are easy to erect and take down. Comfortable mattresses are provided (3-4" thick) though no bedding is included so you will need to bring your own. Generally the fly sheet is not needed. As we camp in the grounds of a simple hotel (we don't use the rooms as they are too basic and get very hot and stuffy) there are toilets and showers. Please use water sparingly as it is in short supply in this area.

DAY 5 – 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. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Approx. 1 hour driving

TREKKING

Our trek today takes us up and over the escarpment and offers some of the best views that you will see in West Africa. We start early so that the most difficult uphill part of the trek is done in the cool of the morning. Once on top of the escarpment the views are superb – the line of the escarpment stretches into the distance, towering over flat plains that lead towards Burkina Faso. It is well worth the uphill slog. Once we cross the breadth of the escarpment we descent the other side, again with superb views all the way, before returning to our camp ground.

The trek lasts 4-5 hours and has been graded easy as the uphill sections are not too long or steep. HOWEVER, the path is very rocky and scrambling over boulders (on both the uphill and downhill sections) is required in many places. It can also get extremely hot in Dogon Country and this can make the trek feel more strenuous. Lastly there are some sections which those with vertigo may find difficult – if you are worried about this please discuss your concerns with your tour leader before you start the trek. Once you have started it is not possible to turn back.

It is imperative that you wear a hat and drink a lot of water during the hike.

Those who do not wish to take part in the hike can opt out and explore villages near the camp ground.

After the morning trek we return to the camp ground for lunch and a siesta. Later in the afternoon we head out again to explore and trek through villages in another area of the escarpment.

DAY 6 – Dogon Country – Sevare

Morning hiking through more villages before we meet our jeeps and drive to Sevare. In the morning there may be the chance to see a traditional Dogon mask dance. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Approx.: 4 hours driving.

DOGON MASK DANCE

If you have the opportunity to see a Dogon mask dance this is something that you must not miss. The main village where this takes place is Tireli and you will be seated in the main meeting place in the village. As the drums start the masked dancers come down from the village, stamping their feet and kicking up clouds of dust in time with the music. Each mask has a story and the dancers are incredibly athletic as they act these out, all the time keeping the (sometimes huge) masks firmly on their heads. This is a real highlight.

DAY 7 – Timbuktu – Essakane

We spend the morning exploring Timbuktu, and visit the great mosque and museum. Later we head to Essakane, where the annual ‘Festival au Desert’ is being held. Overnight camping.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

DAYS 8-9 – Essakane

Two full days to explore and enjoy this unique and vibrant festival. Overnight camping. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

DAY 10 – Timbuktu – Niafounke

We leave the festival behind and head back to Timbuktu, before continuing to the small town on Niafounke where we spend the night. Overnight camping. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

NIAFOUNKE

On the way to Niafounke rounded Bella huts (former Tuareg slaves) and open Tuareg tents appear as a dot on the horizon. The presence of various tell (archaeological sites like small hills with terraces, jars and tombs) stand as mysterious testimonials of populations that lived on this region in a remote past. The landscape is more and more green offering good conditions for farming. Rice plantations surround Niafounke, enabling the town to provide food to the rest of the region.

Niafounke is a small town, with administrative buildings built by the French colonial administration, inspired by local architecture. This colonial ‘Sudanese Style’ is an interesting attempt to integrate the architecture of those years with the African styles in order to respond to the climatic and aesthetic needs of those countries.

Niafounke is also the cradle of African blues, inspired by Ali Farka Touré and his court of musicians.

DAY 11 – Niger Cruise

This morning we board our small ‘pinasse’ river craft and begin our journey along the Niger. Along the way we see several Bozo and Peul villages and enjoy the hive of activity surrounding the river –spend your time watching colourfully dressed villagers walking to market, washing clothes, children playing and cattle sunning themselves on the river bank. Tonight we camp by the side of the river. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

DAY 12 – Niger Cruise – Mopti – Sevare

This morning we continue our cruise, until we arrive in Mopti this afternoon. After time to explore Mopti and its colourful markets, we meet our bus and drive to Sevare. (BLD)

MOPTI

Located at the confluence of the Bani and Niger rivers, Mopti is built on three islands connected by dykes. It is a real melting pot of West African culture, with many tribes calling it home, including the Bambara, Songhai, Fula, Tuareg, Moors, Bozos, and Dogon. It has a busy river port and pirogues and pinasses carry goods up and down the Bani/Niger River.

The Marché des Souvenirs is busy and colourful. If you don't fancy shoving your way through the crowds at street level you can retire to one of the cafés nearby and gaze down on the melee whilst you enjoy a cool drink.

DAY 13 – Bamako

We drive back to Bamako, where the rest of the day is free to explore or relax. (B)

DAY 14 – Bamako

Tour ends after breakfast.

2008 Departure Dates
 

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