Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Bamako. Upon arrival at Bamako Senou airport, you will be met, assisted and transferred to your hotel, overnight at hotel Mande or a Similar.
Day 2: Bamako - Mopti
Breakfast and departure to Mopti, arrive and lunch in San. Arrival and visit of Mopti “the Venice of Mali” considered as the melting pot of Mali because of the number of ethnics living in perfect harmony together, visit of the mosque built in around 1936 similar to the one of Djenne, the market where women sell condiments of many species; the handicraft centre with the object of Malian culture (Dogon, Bambara, Senoufo etc…). Pinasse in the afternoon to visit some bozos campements and undergo the sunset in Mopti, Overnight in the hotel Flandre or Similar. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 3 & 4: Mopti – Niger River Cruise. Breakfast and boat for the birds watching during three days you will enjoy a great variety of multi colour birds, to see Malian fisher’s men with their canoe, the bozo villages on bank of the river two night of Camping will full board. Includes: (B), (L), (D).
Day 5: Boating - Timbuktu
Arrival at Timbuktu in the afternoon, the legendary city of Timbuktu, the city of 333 holy, the mysterious city or the doorway to the desert founded around the 11th century by the Tuareg Imagcharen. In Timbuktu the tradition says: “gold comes the south, salt comes from the north, money come form occident, but the speeches of God, holy things, wonderful stories can be found only in Timbuktu. The 6 th administrative capital of Mali, Timbuktu attracts many tourists who like to discover an exceptional cultural heritages, adventure landscape and fabulous histories of the city. Timbuktu has maintained many ancient monuments you will visit like: the old Islamic manuscripts in the Baba Ahmed Institute, the houses of exploratory Gordon Laing, Henri Barth, Mongo Park, and Rene Caille, the handicraft centre to discover the wonderful work of the Tuareg: the jewellery and the blankets. Overnight at Hotel La Colombe or similar.
Day 6: Timbuktu
Breakfast and Visit of the old Islamic manuscripts in the Baba Ahmed Institute, the houses of exploratory Gordon Laing, Henri Barth, Mongo Park, and Rene Caille, the handicraft centre to discover the wonderful work of the Tuareg: the jewellery and the blankets. Lunch and in the afternoon camel ride to the desert trekking, you will have a ceremony of tea with Tuareg and back for overnight in your Hotel La Colombe or similar.
Day 7: Timbuktu - Gao. Breakfast and drive to Gao, the classic trans-Saharan route through Algeria and into Mali. He was the oasis at the end of the long haul through the desert. Arrival and visit of the The Tomb of Askia, The Backstreets, and the riverside market is authentically busy, the dune and overnight at your hotel.
Day 8: Gao - Hombori. Breakfast and drive to Hombori, arrival, you will see Fadima Hand, walking in the city and overnight at your Hotel.
Day 9: Hombori - Douentza. Breakfast and direction to Gourma elephants reserve to enjoy the nature by the way visits of some villages, continuation for your Overnight at the Campement in Douentza.
Day 10: Douentza – Bamba – Yendouma – Youga - Koundou
Breakfast and camel trekking to visit some Tuareg campement, back and drive to Mali's fascinating Dogon country, being among of the most enigmatic people of Africa, the Dogons are living in stones and mud houses and granaries built up high on the narrow edges of the cliffs. The Dogons are animists, worshipping their ancestors and the spirits of nature. Having preserved their traditions through the centuries, the Dogon architecture is certainly the most well known element by external world, along with other practices such as mask dances (to request to a deceased spirit to leave the village and then rejoin the ancestors) or the fox divinatory game.
The Dogons are farmers cultivating their fields either high on the cliff, in the plain or down of the cliff. The Dogons fled the advancing of Arabs coming from the north, and found shelter in one of West Africa's most inhospitable areas difficult to reach. This difficulty contributes to Dogon’s isolation even between them, and in time each village developed its own dialect, un-comprehended by the neighbours. Today, there are about fifty of idioms in spoken Dogon language. First we’ll visit the Dogon village Songo, renowned for its rock paintings and circumcision grotto, and then continue to Yendouma, the three Youga and Koundou on the edge of the Bandiagara escarpment in north, where we stay overnight Overnight in Camping.
Day 11: Koundou - Ibi - Banani - Ireli - Amani - Tireli. Breakfast and trekking for cliff descend in the Bandiagara escarpment to visit the village of Ibi, Banani, where the ancient Tellem Cave dwellings in the cliff face, with Amani, where we will visit the sacred crocodile sanctuary, continuation to Ireli and overnight in Tireli where you can assist to a Dogon mask dance.
Day 12: Tireli - Komokan - Nombori - Dourou. Breakfast and we continue with our pilgrimage Komokan, Nombori, see other small but interesting villages on the escarpment edge, continuation and overnight in Dourou. Includes: (B), (L), (D).
Day 13: Dourou - Begnemato - Djoundjounrou - Yatabalou - Ende. This morning, we will visit Dourou, where you will discover the Toguna and the Hogon then we continue with our visit, with Begnemato, Djoundjounrou and Yatabalou, you will see the table of divinisation, the dogon granaries and continuation for your overnight in Ende. Includes: (B), (L), (D).
Day 14: Ende - Teli - Kani Kombole - Bankass - Somadougou - Djenne
Breakfast and continue with our Dogon Country discovery Teli, Kani Kombole meet your car in Bankass and drive to Djenne the city classified as World Heritages because of its architecture. The city considered as the twin of Timbuktu because of its attachment on Islam. Founded around the 10 th century by Soninke, a religious city considered as one of the oldest city in Africa. The visit of children learning in Coranic School is worthy. Djenne is very famous by its biggest mud monument in the world. Arrival and Overnight in Djenné (Campement Hotel). Includes: (B), (D).
Day 15: Djenne - Segou
After breakfast and visit of Djenne the mosque, the former Djene Djeno and departure to Ségou, the capital or city of 4444 Balanzan considered as a mythic tree which is leafy in dry season and no leaves in the rainy season; the Balanzan “acacia albilda’ signify the bravery and the courage of the citizen of Ségou. Capital of the Bambara Kingdom of Ségou during the reign of Biton Coulibaly from 1712-1755. Ségou is Conquest in 1862 by the Toucouleur El Hadj Omar Tall and occupied by the French colonist Archinard in 1891.The Bambara ethnic is very proud of theirs culture and tradition showed by the dance step (the “Bara” and the “Bondjalan”. The 4 th administrative region of Mali with around 1 675 358 inhabitants composed of Bambara, minianka, bwa and Soninke, Fulani , maure, somono and bozo shared in an area of 60 947 km2. By the way, Lunch and visit of San the bobo capital city the sacred well, the mosque and continuation to segou, arrival visit of the Bogolan center, the colonial building and overnight at the hotel Esplanade or a Similar.
Day 16: Ségou - Bamako
Breakfast and departure to the Capital city of Mali, Bamako is situated on the Niger, one of Africa's great rivers. Mali is a country of many tribal peoples, each with its own exuberant style of clothing and jewellery. There is nowhere better to see this colourful diversity than in the streets and markets of Bamako. By the way visit of Sekoro the capital of the former Bambara kingdom to see the vestibule, the king’s tomb. Arrival and you will visit the city market, the antiquary’s village and the artisan’s village.
The city has a large art and craft centre where sculptors, weavers, leather workers, jewellers and metal workers exhibit their wares and skills. You can spend hours exploring the hundreds of stalls. From carvings and cassettes, to fabrics, beads, brass and gold, the variety of goods is staggering. One area of the market is devoted entirely for traditional African medicines. Here you'll find the freshly shrunken heads of birds, monkeys and crocodiles, along with lizard skins and other gruesome treatments and preparation for your departure.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Transfer upon arrival and departure in the airport
- Luggage handling in the airport and in the different accommodation areas
- Hotel accommodation, double occupancy
- A day room in Bamako
- Half board pension
-Full board in trekking day
- Attend all listed sites
- Niger River Cruise
- An experienced English speaking guide
- Camel ride on the dunes
- Taxes in the villages
- Dogon mask dance
- Any other agency service.
Price Excludes:
- International flight tickets fees
- Mineral water (except the trekking days), and other drinks
- Personal sellings and tips
- The insurance: repatriation, cancellation, luggage loosing.
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Mali
Local Culture
Cultural Journey
Crafts Tours
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