Tuesday 28^th January – Bamako (-)

• Arrival into Bamako at your convenience
• For those who arrive early, we will arrange a city tour of Bamako
• We will visit the Rose Market of Bamako which will give you an idea of the hustle and bustle of the Malian capital, where many come to reach their dreams, very rarely successfully. In this Market, everything can be found, for those who know where to ask.
• A visit of the National Museum of Mali, with an astounding collection of masks and traditional outfits.
• We visit the tower of Africa, the highest tower in Mali.
• Lunch at Bating Restaurant for some local fare.
• We ascend the Point G hill to get a view of the whole of Bamako
• By this time, everyone should have arrived and so we meet for our greeting dinner as well as a short orientation about the do’s and don’ts of Mali.
• Bamako and Segou being the only two towns of Mali with somewhat of a nightlife, we will indulge!
• Overnight in Bamako at Hotel Les Colibris, or similar

Wednesday 29^th January – Segou (B,L)

• Up nice and early to hit the road to Segou.
• We will stop on the way to grab breakfast near a plantation and then stop again at the entrance of the city, to the monument to the kings that have ruled Segou where our guide will introduce us to the history of Segou.
• For those who will go to Burkina Faso, we stop by the consulate in the city so that our visas are processed during the day. We will leave our passport there and they will be prepared while we are touring.
• Lunch at our favourite local restaurant in Segou. Options aren’t plentiful but everything here is absolutely delicious!
• We head to the Somono neighbourhood, which has some of the oldest adobe buildings around, the traditional architectural style of Segou, meant to keep the house cool in the intense summer, there we’ll take part in a traditional Malian tea ceremony.
• We venture out of Segou proper to visit artisan villages around such as the village where calebasse bowls are made and a village of blacksmiths.
• This evening, we are invited at a local family to try a homecooked meal of Segou specialities.
• We have the chance to have our own crib in Segou, so we`ll make sure to make the best of it by organizing our own little house party, with an optional visit of the town’s best bars.
• Overnight in our own crib, Residence Djiguigombo with some of us camping and some of us having rooms.

Thursday 30^th January  – Segou (B,L,D)

• After an early breakfast, we head on a pinasse, the Malian boat of choice, to go on a cruise along the Niger river, the third biggest river of Africa. We can expect to see the lifestyle of the people of the banks, most of them being from tribes of nomadic fishermen
• On the way, we stop in one of those fishermen village to interact with them and then stop again in a village of potters
• we continue our boat trip to Segoukoro. In the old days, Segoukoro was the capital of the Bambara kingdom
• There, we have an appointment with non-other than the village chief, who is a direct descendant of the kings of the old day. We have tea with him, with him available to answer all of our questions about the history of Segou and the royalty
• The King’s descendant show us the rebuilt vestibule, where the king used to receive his guests
• We tour the village, home to four mosques, the most famous being the waterfront one which the very famous king Biton Coulibaly built for his mother.
• Lunch on the boat as we sail back to Segou. Once in Segou, we jump in the cars for the 4-5 hours drive to Djenne
• In the late afternoon, we will reach Djenne. Djenne, or the capital of mud, is a one of a kind city made of narrow streets and buildings made of mud. While it used to be one of the jewel of tourism in Africa, it has been completely left alone in the recent years due to fears of most tourism company. We will thus get the whole town for ourselves to explore
• We climb a nearby building to get a view of Djenne’s Great Mosque, the world’s biggest mud building. Truly a sight to behold. The inside of the Mosque can only be visited by Muslims.
• While we head out for dinner in a restaurant specially opened for us as the local economy has collapsed and restaurants aren’t opened daily, our team installs our tents in a local family’s compound
• Overnight camping in our host family’s compound

Saturday 1^st February – Djenne (B,L,D)

• Up in the morning for our city tour of world-heritage Djenne with our local guide who can answer all of your questions about the city and its history
• We visit koranic schools as well as the museum of Djenne’s manuscripts, where a single man is trying to protect documents of the old days
• We stop by the sacred well, where it is said the ancestors of the town were consulting the spirits to plan their next moves
• We visit the shrine of Tapama, a young virgin who was sacrificed to appease the bad spirits
• For lunch, we try the local speciality of Djenne, the Tion Tion, a delicious fish fried rice
• In the afternoon, we head out of the walled city and into the different surrounding villages. Each village is profoundly different from the others, as they were built by different tribes, such as Bozo, Fulani, Bambara and Sonrhai, with their own cultures and way of life. We’ll be going around in style, as we’ll blaze off on dusty roads on our own horse-cart!
• We head back for dinner with our host family
• Overnight in Djenne camping in our host family’s compound, people with single supplement stay at a nearby hotel.

Sunday 2^nd February – Mopti (B,L,D)

• Today we head north, to Mopti
• Mopti is right under the security corridor established by the UN Forces and an interesting city full of life
• We grab lunch on the way to Mopti
• Our afternoon will be dedicated to exploring Mopti and its bustling streetlife. It has a magnificent mud mosque similar to the one we saw in Djenne as well as a women’s market.
• In the late afternoon, we head for a boat ride around the busy port of Mopti. Here, the Bani River and Niger river meet. It is a important hub of transportation in Mali, with people here embarking on the dodgiest 3-day trip, aboard a shabby pinasse, to Timbuktu of all places! This boat ride is one of YPT’s favourite, around the world!
• Dinner at our hotel
• Overnight in hotel Doux Reves, or similar.

Monday 3^rd February – Mopti & Dogon Country (B,L,D)

• After breakfast, we do one last thing in Mopti: the Monday market! It is a wonderful place to stop and people watch as people from the surrounding region all gather to sell and trade their wares
• We make our way to the Dogon Country, probably Mali’s wildest and most interesting part
• Our first stop within Dogon Country is the town of Songo. From here, we’ll get to see a traditional Dogon village. The people here used to live up the rocks to keep their animistic beliefs and flee persecution from the muslims. Now, they have come down
• We get to the place where this village organize the circumcision ceremony for the whole of the surrounding villages. Here, we find a big rock painting retelling the stories of the villages as well as the circumcision ceremony. It is here that boys have their foreskins cut on a rock. Our guide will explain us all about the ceremony, which lasts more than a week
• From there, we’ll climb up the mountain for an impressive view of the town
• We stop for lunch in Bandiagara, the biggest town in the area
• Our 4WD drops us in Aindelou, from here, we’re heading to an isolated Dogon village which we can only reach by a short 4 km trek through a rocky scenery like nowhere else. Don’t worry, we have porters to carry luggage for those of us who have too much luggage
• On our way, we’ll stop through typical Dogon villages, our guide, from here, will be there to explain all of our questions about the local culture
• We arrive in Begnimatu, YPT’s favourite Dogon village, where we introduce you to the most kind people and pillars of the society
• Begnimatu is three villages into one, with a muslim, Catholic and a Christian neighbourhood. The village is perched on the mountains, in a canyon. Sunsets here are really a sight to behold
• The locals prepare a feast for us
• Since we’re in the Christian neighbourhood, we can have a party with the locals. It is also our last night with those doing only the Mali part of this trip so a farewell party is in order!
• We sleep in Begnimatu, camping on the houses’ rooftop under a very starry sky

Tuesday 4^th February  – Dogon Country & Ouahigouya (B,L,D)

• TRIP HIGHLIGHT – After breakfast, we are invited to a traditional Dogon mask ceremony. Here, the elders of the village chant in order to chase bad spirits while the very sacred Dogon masks are taken out of their hiding place to be worn for a dance. All members of the community, muslims, catholics and animists alike, unite to reenact ancestral dances
• After the ceremony, it is time for us to trek down the rocks, stopping by the villages of Doundiourou and Bagourou, where we can see traditional Dogon Justice Halls. Those justice halls, with ceilings too low for people to stand, are where family elders meet to discuss and solve issues peacefully
• We arrive in Ende and eat lunch there, meeting our drivers
• It is here that we part way with those heading back to Bamako
• GROUP A starts a 4 hour road trip to the town of San
• Dinner and overnight in San
• GROUP B starts making its way toward Burkina Faso. We cross the border and go through the necessary car and immigration formalities
• GROUP C in the morning, a pickup is organised from Ouagadougou to bring you to the members of Group A. From then, Group C and Group A follow the same itinerary.
• Arrival in Ouahigouya, where we have dinner and overnight at Pension La Colombe, or similar

Wednesday 5^th February (B,L)

• Group A wakes up in San, where after breakfast, we visit the outside of the adobe mosque as well as the rest of the village
• Drive back to Bamako, stopping in Segou for lunch
• Arrival in Bamako, where we stop to at a hotel to refresh and have dinner
• Airport drop-off according to your flights
• End of tour
• Group B wakes up in Ouahigouya.
• After a good breakfast we head down toward Bobo Dioulasso but it wouldn’t be a YPT trip if we didn’t stop in Yako.
• Yako is the birthplace of Thomas Sankara, the Che Guevara of Africa. While his time in power was very short and abruptly ended by the treason of his best friend and subsequent murder, Thomas Sankara is a very important figure of Africa. While he was ruthless, Sankara did a lot concerning education and empowerment of women and, as he didn’t last long enough to terrorize most people, is mostly remembered fondly
• Our guide explains the history of Sankara
• We arrive in Bobo Dioulasso in the late afternoon
• We head out for dinner and then visit the maquis, typical Burkinabe open-air bars which turn into nightclubs when the time is right!
• Overnight at hotel Les Roses in Bobo Dioulasso, or similar

Thursday 6^th February – Bobo Dioulasso (B,L,D)

• Today, we spend the morning visiting the second largest city in the country.
• We visit the old neighbourhood to get a feeling of what life used to be like in old Burkina Faso, or, as it was called in colonial times, the Upper Volta
• We then head for a short ride followed by a short 1 KM trek to Dafra is known as a famous pilgrimage site in Burkina Faso and people come from very far to sacrifice animals to the local catfish! Things get very real as we get up close to those animist rituals. Please note that it is taboo to wear red clothes and take photos on this site.
• We stop by the Sudanese-style mosque Bobo Dioulasso is known for
• In the afternoon, we head out for nothing less than horseback riding to the countryside. If you don’t feel comfortable riding a horse, you can also get there in our 4WD.
• Tonight, we will be bush camping! Our delicious dinner is arranged here on our campfire, you’ll be surprised what our local friends can whip up on a campfire and drinks are included!.
• Overnight camping in a village.

Friday 7^th February – Sindou (B,L,D)

• After our bush breakfast, we can pay a visit to the nearby maternity clinic but, due to the needs, also proximity care clinic of the village. The doctor will introduce us to the health situation in  Burkina Faso.
• We ride the horses back into town where we leave them and jump back in our 4WD to head to Sindou, a couple hours away.
• We check into our huts in Sindou before carrying on slightly past Sindou to visit  Kawara – a village of potters. It will take a bit of convincing but with luck and using the great contacts we have, we’ll try and convince the locals of organizing their traditional pottery dance for us

• We head back to Sindou, one of the most well-known village of the Senoufo region and visit it
• In the afternoon, we visit the village as well as check out the impressive rock formations for which it is renowned. It is the highest point of Burkina Faso. People used to live here as it was an easy to defend location.
• Each rock formation has a story, and our local guide is sure to tell us some of them!
• Those who want to stay around longer to see the sunset are most welcome!
• Dinner in Sindou, arranged by the locals.
• Overnight in huts in the village of Sindou

Sunday 9^th February – Banfora (B,L)

• Early wake-up call this morning! We wouldn’t want to miss an epic sunrise boat trip. On the way, we are sure to spot some hippos. Here, hippos are seen as sacred animals and the beasts live in harmony with the locals. The hippos are used to human, so we’ll be hopping on barge and go right next to those animals, despite their reputation as the deadliest creatures in Africa!
• After breakfast on the lakeside, we continue to the Fabedougou Domes, natural rock formations which have to be seen to be believed! Here, the population used to hide from the neighbouring tribes.
• From there, we take a short hike of a kilometer and a half to the Karfiguela falls
• Picnic and a dip in the refreshing basins next to the falls
• We’ll reach Banfora in the afternoon just in time for the weekly market there. It is quite different from the one we’ve seen in Mopti but again reunites the people of the whole region who come here for some essential bartering.
• Dinner in Banfora, there are plenty of options, from local maquis to nice and cozy french restaurants.
• Overnight in Hotel Calypso, Banfora, or similar

Monday 10^th February – Ouagadougou (B,L)

• Today is our last bit of road and quite a bit of road (480 KMs) so we have to wake up early for that drive of at least 7 hours.
• We make a few scenic stops on the way to stretch our legs including a last stop in Bazoule where there is a sacred crocodile pond. The people of Bazoule live in harmony with the crocs, which they never hunt, harm or kill. In exchange, the crocs do not eat them! We’ll get to literally go and play with the crocodiles.
• Arrival in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso
• TRIP HIGHLIGHT – While its successors have tried to erase any trace of him, the memory of Thomas Sankara is still very much alive in the people of the city, this is why we’ll spend the day touring the city along with friends and relatives of Thomas Sankara, who will be there to explain us how the man was during his life. However, now that Blaise Compaore has been kicked out of the country, the fame of Sankara knows a renewal and we’ll make sure to visit his brand new statue.
• We head to Ouaga 2000, the weird project of making a futuristic city to visit two monuments of great importance. The Monument to National Heroes and the Monument to the Martyr, if you’ve been to North Korea, you’ll think that these monuments would fit right in there!
• We visit the roundabout of the second of October, commemorating the day Sankara announced the revolution
• Dinner in Ouagadougou at a phenomenal restaurant for our farewell dinner.
• It wouldn’t be right to leave Burkina Faso without a proper sendoff in the cities busiest maquis!
• Overnight at Hotel Le Grand Calao, or similar

Tuesday 11^th February – Ouagadougou (B,L)

• Airport drop-offs are organized depending on your time of departure, after lunch
• For those leaving later, visits of the National Museum, Music Museum and handcraft market of Ouagadougou are on the menu!
• End of tour with YPT able to organize your connection to your next destination or organize other individual trips in West Africa such as in Togo, Benin or Senegal

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