Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Thu Bamako arrival. Upon arrival at Bamako Senou airport at 20:50, you will be met, assisted and transferred to your hotel, overnight at hotel Mande or similar.
Day 2: Bamako City tour
Breakfast and Bamako city tour 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 colorful diversity than in the streets and markets of Bamako. First panoramic overview of the city from Point G, down to visit of the national museum and we will also 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, jewelers 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, overnight in Hotel Mande or similar.
Day 3: Sat Bamako-Segou
After breakfast, departure from Bamako to Ségou, the capital or city of 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 4th 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 visit of Sekoro to see the king’s Biton tomb, the vestibule and the mosque built for his mother, Arrival and visit of the colonial buildings, the bogolan centre a traditional mud clothes to learn its different designs, overnight at your hotel Esplanade or similar. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 4: Sun Segou - Djenne
After breakfast 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. By the way lunch in San the capital of the Bobo Country where you see the bobo granaries, the sacred well and the mosque of San continuation to Djenne, arrival and we will visit the mosque, the virgin Tomb and the former Djenne Djene Djeno. Overnight in Djenné (Campement Hotel). Includes: (B), (D).
Day 5: Mon Djenne Monday market
After breakfast Djenne the city tour, 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, we will start by the market considered as one the most colourful market in West Africa due to its African typical products, we will end our tour by some surrounding villages. Overnight in Djenné (Campement Hotel). Includes: (B), (D).
Day 6: Djenne-Mopti
Breakfast and departure to Mopti, arrive and lunch in bar Bozo 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 7: Wed Mopti- River Sailing to Delta du Niger bird watching. Breakfast and river sailing to the Delta du Niger where you will enjoy the nature, the multicolor bird, the bozo campement overnight in camping
Day 8: Thu Bird watching. Breakfast, Then boat for the birds watching during this 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 (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner); overnight riverbank encampment in Niafounke.
Day 9: Fri Delta du Niger sailing-Niafounké Ali Farka Toure villages Breakfast and drive to Niafounké Ali Farka Touré village, arrival visit of the village and overnight in the camping.
Day 10: Niafounké-Timbuktu
Depart from Niafounké to reach 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 touareg Imagcharen. In Timbuktu the tradition says: "gold comes the south, salt comes from the north, money comes from occident, but the speeches of God, holy things, wonderful stories can be found only in Timbuktu. The 6th 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 d visit Timbuktu city: the mosques, the museum and archives. The Mosque of Djinguareyber, built in 14th century by emperor Kankou Moussa on his way from the Pilgrimage; the mosque Sankore of the 15 th century which hosted many intellectuals from its University; the Mosque of Sidi Yahia built at the end of the 15 th century by an old woman of the city. Overnight at Hotel La Colombe or Similar. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 11: Timbuktu visit and camel trekking 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 touareg: the jewellery and the blankets. In the afternoon camel trekking to visit some touareg campement, have a tea ceremony with Touareg back and overnight at Hotel La Colombe. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 12: Timbuktu-Douentza elephant reserve Breakfast and departure to Douentza, you will visit some villages by the way, Arrival and tour of Douentza in the afternoon. Then direction to Gourma elephants reserve to enjoy the nature by the way visits of some villages, overnight at the Campement. Includes: (B), (D).
Day 13: Elephant reserve Breakfast and continuation to enjoy the nature whre you can met the elephant, overnight at the campement.
Day 14: Douentza-Dogon Country
Breakfast 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 Sangha, on the edge of the Bandiagara escarpment, where we stay overnight. Overnight: Campement Hotel Guina, Sangha (2 nights). Includes: (B), (D).
Day 15: Dogon Country trekking through the south. Depart Bandiagara for trekking to visit some villages in south in the descent of cliff like Djiguibombo, the village of «Kani Kombole», (Thursday, market day) if possible. Continuation and lunch, then visit of " Teli (old houses troglodytes of the Tellems), trekking to visit Ende, where you will discover the table of divination very much used by dogons to undertake an unspecified adventure or to make a marriage and overnight at Ende.
Day 16: Dogon Country trekking in Bandiagara Escarpment This morning, we will visit Ireli, where you will discover the Toguna and the Hogon then we continue with our visit, with Amani, where we will visit the sacred crocodile sanctuary, Tireli experience the authentic traditional Dogon Mask Dance and Komokan. See the caves of Deguimbere and other small but interesting villages on the escarpment edge, continuation and overnight in Nombori. Includes: (B), (L), (D).
Day 17: Dogon Country. Trekking through the North Breakfast and visit of Yendouma, to day we continue our tour of Dogon Village in north. The Dogons are animists, and having preserved their traditions down through the centuries, are considered to be one of the most original civilizations of West Africa. Today's sightseeing involves walking over rough ground to visit some of the villages, and fairly steep and rough paths have to be negotiated the three Youga and Koundou where you will have overnight. Includes: (B), (L), (D).
Day 18: Dogon Country-Mopti Breakfast and visit of Sanga, meet your car and drive to Mopti, arrival and free afternoon, overnight at hotel Flandre or a similar.
Day 19: Mopti. Bamako departure 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 colorful diversity than in the streets and markets of Bamako, arrival do your last shopping and transfer to the airport in the evening and departure at 23:40.
Member discount:
10% discount for InfoHub customer. Request a free gift certificate.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Hotel accommodation as mentioned (or similar category)
- Meeting and assistance upon arrival and departure at Airports
- Private ground transportation by AC (where available) cars or minivans
- Experienced English-speaking guide
- Airport-Hotel-Airport transfers and luggage handling
- All hotel taxes and local tourism taxes
- All tours and sightseeing with entry fees included
- Meals as indicated (B=breakfast, D=dinner)
- Full board during the camping day
- River sailing with meal in full board
- Camel ride and tea ceremony with Touareg
- Any other agency service.
Price Excludes:
- Travel insurance (highly recommended)
- Visa fees (if applicable)
- Gratuities, tips and other such costs
- Drinks/Beverages and any personal expenses
- Meals not specified and Mineral water.
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Mali
Local Culture
Cultural Journey
Birdwatching
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