Friday 26th January – Bamako

• Arrive at your convenience into Bamako – the largest and capital city of Mali which is well connected from many countries within Africa and most of Europe. Boasting bustling markets, beautiful Mosque’s and an enormous national museum, it’s a perfect place to kick things off.
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at 2pm in the lobby of our hotel, Hotel Tamana
  (or similar), to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide, including those joining from our earlier Mauritania tour.
• Head out into the city of Bamako to a lovely local restaurant for authentic Malian cuisine and to get to know each-other a little better.
• Depending on time, we can make a visit to a traditional puppet maker’s workshop.
• Out again to explore Bamako’s night-life, mingle with some of the locals and maybe have a few drinks.
• Overnight at hotel in Bamako.

Saturday 27th January – Bamako – Segou

• Breakfast at hotel and begin drive to Segou (4 hours) – a town built on the banks of River Niger.
• Before arriving at Segou we’ll stop at the town of Segoukoro – the former capital of the Bambara Kingdom, all the way back in the 18th century and still holding the tomb of its old king.
• We have an appointment with none other than the village chief, a direct descendent of the very king who ruled all those years ago. You’ll have tea with him and he’ll help answer all of our questions about the history of Segou and its royalty.
• The King’s descendants will show us the rebuilt vestibule, where the king used to receive his guests.
• Explore the village, home to four mosques, the most famous being the waterfront one which the famous King Biton Coulibaly built for his mother.
• We’ll head onwards in a pinasse – the Malian boat of choice. We’ll be cruising along the Niger River, the third largest river of Africa.
• We’ll take a few stops at a local fishing village to get a closer look at the lives of the locals.
• Take in the natural beauty of west Africa as we cruise down the river, having a meal on the boat and chatting about events thus far.
• On our way to Segou, we’ll be stopping off at the Soroblé bogolan (mud-cloth) center. This traditional cotton fabric is dyed with fermented mud and represents one of Mali’s most influential cultural practices.
• Arrive into Segou and explore an old colonial era neighbourhood, meeting a local family who’ll be cooking us our meal.
• We’ll visit a local cathedral, then make our way to a traditional millet beer brewery and sample the local product to see in the evening.
• Head to the centre of the town and seek out what kind of food Segou has in store for us, stopping by a local restaurant and later checking out some of Segou’s nightlife.
• Overnight at the Hotel Djoliba.

Sunday 28th January – Segou – San

• Breakfast in Segou.
• Further explore a Somono neighbourhood – a place filled with adobe (mud-brick) buildings, a traditional architectural style house found mostly in Segou that help keep the family inside cool during intense summers. Here we may also be able to take part in a traditional Malian tea ceremony.
• On our way to Segou, we’ll be stopping off at the Soroblé bogolan (mud-cloth) center. This traditional cotton fabric is dyed with fermented mud and represents one of Mali’s most influential cultural practices.
• Visit the local week market, checking out the produce and seeing the bustling, vibrant life of the town.
• For lunch, a traditional peanut sauce dish will be made for us at the compound of a local family at the Residence Djiguimbombo.
• Depart for the town of San, where we’ll visit a stunning adobe (mudbrick) mosque. Unfortunately, the interior can only be visited by Muslims, but at least everyone can admire the sheer style and artistry of the building itself!
• Find ourselves a nice place to have dinner, then maybe see what the nightlife in San has to offer us.
• Overnight in San at the Hotel Teriya.

Monday 29th January – San – Djenne – Segou

• Early breakfast and then at around 6am begin a long drive to Djenne – known as the ‘capital of mud’. The local architecture, from the streets to the buildings is made from mud brick, often resulting in fascinating, unique architecture.
• A centre of Islamic scholarship, we’ll check out some Quranic schools and drop by the Museum of Djenne’s manuscripts – here a single man protects these ancient, irreplaceable artefacts.
• Get up nice and high for a grand view of Djenne’s Great Mosque – the world’s largest mud building and a UNESCO world heritage site. The inside of the Mosque can only be visited by Muslims.
• Lunch is served by none other than the wife of our esteemed guide, the regional specialty ‘Tion Tion’, a delicious fish fried rice dish.
• We’ll see a sacred well – according to local legend, the ancestors of the town used the well to consult the spirits before making big decisions.
• Explore the Shrine of Tapama, where a young virgin was once ritually sacrificed to appease ‘bad spirits’ in the town.
• At last, we’ll head back to Segou once more for another shot at whatever fun there is and whatever there is to eat when the sun goes down.
• Overnight in Segou at the Hotel Djoliba.

Tuesday 30th January – Segou – Bamako

• After breakfast, an early start back to the capital of Bamako.
• We’ll start our tour of Bamako off by visiting the bustling ‘Rose Market’, a massive open-air market where you can haggle furiously with the locals and pick up a wide variety of local goods to bring home!
• Explore the National Museum of Mali – With a collection of items 10,000 strong, ranging from traditional masks and costumes to textiles, old photos and many videos, this is a great place to dip your toes in Malian culture before getting stuck in for the rest of the tour.
• Visit the Tower of Africa – The tallest structure in Mali at 80m (262ft) in height, this is no drab grey city skyscraper. Built to evoke traditional banco (mud-brick) style, the highly decorative building takes inspiration from some of Mali’s greatest treasures, like its UNESCO world heritage Mosque’s.
• See the grand, marble Malian Independence Monument
• Lunch at Bating Restaurant providing incredible local dishes such as Poulet Yassa, a spicy marinated chicken or fish dish with lemon, mustard or onions.
• If time permits – ascend to the top of Point G Hill – a French military hospital which was built on top of this hill between 1906 and 1913 offering fantastic views over Bamako.
• If we have time and didn’t get to see it earlier, we may even be able to check out a puppet-makers workshop!
• Dinner at a popular local restaurant, giving us the chance to mingle with some of the locals!
• Bamako being the largest city in Mali has its own vibrant and exciting night-life. No need for serious planning here, we’ll go out and see what we can find, it won’t take long to find something great!
• Overnight at hotel Tamana (or similar) in Bamako

Wednesday 31st January – Bamako – Manding Country – Bamako

• Morning departure to Manding country, home of the Mandinka people who are an ethnic group descended from the 13 th  century Mali Empire.
• Visit Kamadjan Arch, a beautiful natural and historic stone arch that served as a meeting place for soldiers, war councils and people of great intelligence all the way back in the 13 th  century.
• Around the site are other historic places to visit, including sacrificial caves and the ‘consultation cave’.
• Trip highlight – We’ve got a very special treat: A Dogon mask ceremony. This is where the elders of the village chant in order to chase bad spirits while the very sacred Dogon masks are taken out of their traditional homes to be
  worn for the dance.
• Final farewell dinner at a nice local Malian restaurant in Bamako.
• Evening drop-off at the airport for those on an outbound flight.
• Or overnight at hotel Tamana for those continuing on to Burkina Faso.

Thursday 1st February – Bamako – Manding Country – Bamako – Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Head to airport and depart to Ouagadougou – the capital of Burkina Faso.
• Head out for lunch at a local restaurant to explore a little of Ouagadougou and get to know each-other before starting off proper.
• As the sun sets, it’s time to head out and explore the local nightlife and find a nice place for dinner.
• Overnight in Ouagadougou at Hotel Dima.

Friday 2nd February – Ouagadougou to Banfora

• Breakfast in town.
• Morning departure to Banfora via Dedougou and Bobo Dioulasso, complete with some stops at local roadside villages.
• Visit the Fabedougou Domes to watch the sunset. These stunning rock formations are over 2 billion years old, yet they’ve hardly weathered at all in millennia. Looking closely, one can see the signs of ancient ocean erosion, from eons ago when the land was covered in water. This area was historically used by locals to hide from neighbouring tribes.
• Dinner in town with plenty of options from local maquis to nice and cosy French restaurants.
• Overnight in Banfora at the Hotel Calypso.

Saturday 3rd February – Sindou – Bobo Dioulasso

• Early sunrise boat trip on the Tengrela Lake where we can watch hippos up close and personal! (But not too close and personal… Though according to local legend, the hippos are sacred and would never attack humans.)
• Lakeside breakfast
• Travel onwards to the village of Sindou.
• Hike 1.5km to the Karfiguela Falls, a series of waterfalls that marks one of Burkina Faso’s most popular tourist sites.
• Picnic lunch by the falls and a dip in the refreshing water to cool off from the hot Burkinabe sun.
• Explore the village and the impressive rock formations for which it is renowned for, the ‘Peaks of Sindou’. Reaching a grand 415 meters above sea level, it’s the highest point in Burkina Faso. Historically, the peaks were a popular place for many to live as it offered excellent natural defence against invaders. Each rock formation has a story and our local guides can tell us all about them while we enjoy the stunning views of Burkina Faso.
• Drive out of Sindou and visit Kawara – a village of potters known for performing a traditional pottery dance.
• Continue onwards to Bobo Dioulasso, the second largest city in the country and home to beautiful neo-Sudanic architecture for dinner.
• Visit the maquis, typical Burkinabe open-air bars which turn into nightclubs. A good opportunity to mingle with the locals and have a fun time!
• Overnight in Bobo Dioulasso at the Hotel l’Auberge.

Sunday 4th February – Bobo Dioulasso – Ouagadougou

• Breakfast in town.
• Explore the old neighbourhood and grasp the feeling of what life was like in old Burkina Faso, or as it was known during the colonial times – the Upper Volta. Burkina Faso, the name given by Thomas Sankara, can be translated as “The land of the upright men.”
• Visit the Grand Mosque, built in traditional Sudanic architecture from the late 1900s, when this area was part of the ‘Kingdom of Sia’.
• Time allowing, followed by a short drive and a 1km hike to Dafra – known for the famous pilgrimage site in Burkina Faso where people come from 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.
• Road-trip to Ouagadougou. We’ll make scenic stops and have a lunch break along the way to stretch our legs including a last stop in Bazoule – a sacred crocodile pond. Much like with the hippos earlier, the locals respect and co-exist with the crocodiles. The crocodiles are never hunted, harmed or killed. In exchange, the crocs do not eat the locals. Believe it or not, it’s even possible to play with the crocodiles, some of which are believed to be over a hundred years old, with the oldest dubbed the ‘old man of the lake’.
• Arrival in Ouagadougou, where we’ll find a restaurant to eat at and then go enjoy some night-life!
• Overnight in Ouagadougou at the Auberge du Grand Calao hotel.

Monday 5th February  – Ouagadougou – Tiébélé – Manga

• Early breakfast and 7am pickup for another long road-trip to Tiébélé via the city of Pô. It’s in this city where the military first rebelled in 1983 to overthrow the president and bring pan-African revolutionary Captain Thomas Sankara to power.
• Arrival in Tiébélé, where every house is a work of art! The traditional Gourounsi architecture is met with elaborate decorations to the walls of home, turning what could have been simple brown mud-brick to vibrant, intricate exhibitions of the local artistry of the Kassena people. Sometimes the paintings are purely decorative, other times they are an expression of local religion or commentary on life, much like western graffiti art.
• After a long look around, including visiting the local Royal compound, we’ll have lunch in a local encampment or in Pô.
• If possible, we may get to attend a traditional Kassena house painting performance!
• At around 3pm, we’ll make our way back to the city of Manga, where we will
  spend the night
• Overnight in Manga at Hotel Imane.

Tuesday 6th February – Manga to Ouagadougou

• Morning breakfast and an early trip to Laongo granite park. Here, over 2000 sculptures carved into stone greet visitors, expressing the history, culture, spiritual practices or even just the basic raw creativity of local Burkinabe artists.
• Return to Ouagadougou in the early afternoon to take in its sights properly.
• Explore Ouaga 2000 – the futuristic city project where you’ll visit two monuments of great importance: the Monument to National Heroes and the Monument to the Martyrs. If you’ve visited North Korea, you’d feel that these monuments would fit right into Pyongyang.
• Visit the roundabout of the Second of October – commemorating the day Sankara announced the Burkinabe revolution.
• See the local railway station, a pride of Sankara’s revolution where the Burkinabe people built the rail with their own hands, without foreign aid.
• Visit the statue of Thomas Sankara, where we’ll learn about Sankara’s role as ‘Africa’s Che Guevara’, a socialist revolutionary who continues to enjoy immense popularity among the Burkinabe population.
• Check out local bronze workshops to see some of the artisanal crafts the capital has to offer, following up by buying some crafts ourselves at the village markets!
• One last ‘Farewell’ dinner at a lovely restaurant in Ouagadougou, serving some of the best meals Burkina Faso has to offer.
• Tour concludes with airport drop-off arranged according to your flight details – YPT is also able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for flights. For those departing later, YPT can arrange visits to the National Museum, Music Museum and handicraft market of Ouagadougou.
• Overnight in Ouagadougou at hotel Auberge du Grand Calao

Wednesday 7th February – Ouagadougou

• Breakfast in the hotel.
• Tour concludes.

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