Mali Tour

DESCRIPTION

We begin in the capital of Mali, Bamako, where you might immediately notice how few foreigners there are. Yes indeed, this is a country the mainstream tourism market has steered clear of, which only makes us more excited to explore! We’ll soon be heading to Segoukoro, former capital of the Bambara Kingdom, where we’ll meet the local village chief to learn about local life and history. When we’ve had our fill, we’ll sail down the Niger river on a pinasse, passing local villages along the riverbanks until we arrive at Segou, a sleepy town with some truly delicious and authentic local food.

With much more to see, after a brief stop in the town of San, we’ll move on to Djenne, the so-called ‘capital of mud’ where just about every structure is made out of mud! If you don’t think that sounds impressive, just wait until you see the Great Mosque, the world’s largest mud structure and a UNESCO world heritage site. After some lovely home-cooked meals, we’ll be heading back to Bamako and crossing a river to our own private island for the day! We’ll be camping overnight in the great outdoors of Africa.

After this, we’ve got a real treat for you. We’ll be heading out into Mandinka country to visit the Arch of Kamadjan, an incredibly historically, culturally and spiritually important place for many in west Africa, taking in the gorgeous views and watching local cultural practices, like a sacred mask ceremony in which village elders scare away bad spirits to welcome in the good.

Those wishing to keep the fun going can combine this tour with our next trip to the nation of Burkina Faso, immediately after this one! Those wanting to do things a little earlier can also combine with our tour of Mauritania, which leads directly into this one, as well as our tour of Algeria that starts right before that!

ITINERARY

Friday 27th 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, The Sleeping Camel / Hotel les Colibris, 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 28th 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 Résidence Djiguibombo.

Sunday 29th 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.
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.
For Group B members visiting Burkina Faso – We’ll be stopping off at the consulate early to sort out visas, getting them processed during our stay in Segou.
Visit the Monument to the Kings located at the entrance of the city
Depart for the town of San, where we’ll visit a stunning adobe (mud-brick) 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 30th 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 Résidence Djiguibombo.

Tuesday 31st January – Segou – Bamako

After breakfast, an early start back to the capital of Bamako.
In preparation for our later departure, we’ll visit the National Institute of Health for a PCR test (coronavirus test).
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 and the capital’s railway station!
Lunch at Bating Restaurant providing incredible local dishes such as Poulet Yassa, a spicy marinated chicken or fish dish with lemon, mustard or onions.
Ascend to the top of Point G Hill – a French military hospital 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 in Bamako

Wednesday 1st February – 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.
Return to Bamako to pick up our PCR test certificates.
Final farewell dinner at a nice local Malian restaurant in Bamako.
Evening drop-off at the airport for those on an outbound flight.
Overnight at hotel for those continuing on to Burkina Faso.

Thursday 2nd February – Bamako – Manding Country – Bamako