Mali
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Dreamed of travelling to the end of the earth? Yes, the fabled Timbuktu does exist and you can find it in Mali!
Mali is a facinating country to visit, with diverse landscape from the sahel to the Sahara Desert and diverse cultures from the traditional Dogon to the nomadic Tuareg. Mali has a rich history going back centuries and is well known on the world music scene as producing some of the best African musicians including Salif Keita, Amadou and Mariam and Rokia Traore.
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Introduction to Mali
Language: French and Bambara, many other local languages spoken such as Peul, Tamashek, Songhai...English is not widely spoken however you can usually find someone who speaks it.
Money: West African Franc (CFA) that is also used in Ivory Coast, Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo. There are Bank Machines (ATMs) in Bamako for Visa and Mastercard (only at Banc Atlantic), and in Mopti and Timbuktu for Visa only. It is easiest to change Euros, however US$ can also be changed. Travellers cheques can be changed at certain banks only, but can be a hassle and usually a large service fee applies.
People and Culture: The Bambara are the largest ethnic group in Mali. Others include the Peul, Malinké, Bozo, Bobo, Senufo, Tuareg, Songhai...
Mali is a Muslim country but there are also small Christian and animist populations.
DOES and DON'TS To Respect Malian Culture:
DO wear clothes that cover your knees (both men and women). What you wear on the top is not as important, ladies can have bare arms.
DO greet anyone by saying hello and asking how they are before asking for directions, a bus ticket, help, etc.
DON'T eat with your left hand, it is traditionally used for wiping your bum!
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST ABOUT MALIAN CULTURE:
Toilet paper is not widespread. Instead you will see a plastic teapot beside the toilet (or hole in the ground) filled with water. This is for washing yourself. Make sure you locate the teapot before going to the bathroom- sometimes they are left outside by a water pump.
In general, Malians work a half-day on Fridays. This is to allow them to go to the mosque and pray. Expect shops to be closed for a short time Friday afternoon. Most shops are closed on Sundays.
Getting to Mali
Getting Around Mali
The following are lists of prices and recommendations that I have collected from CouchSurfers from 2008-2009.
Bus prices:
- Bamako to Ségou: 3,000CFA
- Ségou to Sévaré: 5,000CFA
- Bamako to Sévaré/Mopti: 6,000CFA to 8,000CFA
- Mopti to Timbuktu in 4x4: 13,000CFA to 15,000CFA per person in private 4x4 (The driver or helpers will fill it up with tourists before it leaves, usually works out cheaper and more comfortable than the public transport 4x4. For example 8 passengers compared to 12 passengers!)
- Gao to Sévaré: 7500CFA
- Sévaré to Bandiagara: 1500CFA
- Timbuktu to Douenzta: 7500-10,000CFA in a 4x4
- Bandiagara to Sangha: 1,500 -5,000CFA depending on if it is market day
- Sévaré to Djenné Carrefour: 3,000CFA
- Djenné Carrefour to Djenné: 1,500CFA in taxi brousse
- Djenné Carrefour to Bamako: 7,000CFA, big busses leave Djenné for Bamako at 10am every day, minibusses until 10am otherwise go to the carrefour to find transport
- Note, you will usually have to pay 500- 1,000CFA for each piece of luggage that you want to put under the bus.*
Boat:
- Mopti to Timbuktu by cargo pinasse: 30,000CFA including food but not water
- COMNAV Ferry from Mopti to Timbuktu: 36,500CFA in 2nd class including meals, 5,500CFA in 3rd class
Places to Visit
- Bamako
- Teriya Bugu- A 'solidarity tourism' project with a hotel on the banks of the Bani river set in a beautiful garden. Proceeds from the hotel support the village, which you can visit. Located a few hours from Ségou.
- Kangaba Campement- A campement located just outside of Bamako in a quiet, relaxing area with nice scenery. They also offer music and dance classes.
- Yaala Campement- Located in Sélingué on the banks of Lake Sélingué this is a relaxing getaway from Bamako. You can swim, take boat rides or explore the nearby villages and countryside on foot or bike.
Dogon Country / Pays Dogon
I'm not going to rewrite what is much better written and researched in various guidebooks, however here are some tips on making the most out of Mali's tourist gem even when on a budget:
- "Guides" to the Dogon Country start advertising themselves as far away as Bamako and by the time you reach Mopti can be very persistent. My advice would be to resist and make it all the way to Bandiagara where the guides are more likely to actually know what they're talking about. Do not worry, there is no shortage of guides and this way it is easier to find one with whom you get along with.
- The closer you get to Bandiagara the cheaper the guides become. There is actually an official set price for all services in the Dogon COuntry (except for transport) which can be found in the information centre in the Palais Tall in Bandiagara (most guides will not go into the details of price even when asked and generally give quotes on a per day per person basis). The price list can be found on the image opposite (correct as of Jan 2009). As you can see the escarpment is divided into 2 zones, with the southern zone - Djuiguibombo-Dourou - being cheaper than the northern zone. Bear this in mind when negotiating prices with guides.
- If you are reasonably fit and don't mind a fair bit of walking the times needed to cover the distances are often inflated. The recommended time to do the southern half is 3, preferrably 4, days. I did it in 2 without feeling that I was rushed or that I had missed out on anything along the way. Therefore it should be possible to do the entire length - Djuiguibombo-Sangha - in about 5 days, certainly 6, although it may be worth spending an extra day somewhere if there is a festival or other event.
- Bottled water is available in the villages but is very expensive (1000 CFA per bottle) so it is a good idea to bring some sort of purification system. You might be able to find Micropure pills in Bandiagara but it would be best to procure them either in Bamako or Sevare/Mopti.
Festivals
Festival International Ali Farka- Music festival held in Niafunke, the home of Ali Farka Toure. Happens in November
La Traversee des Boeufs/ Cattle Crossing Festival- End of november, at Diafarabe, about 3 hours from Segou.
FESCauris- Festival des Cauris- 2ème édition du 24 au 26 octobre 2008, à Siby (45 min de Bamako). Evénement culturel organisé autour du matériel de civilisation cauris regroupant les pays de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (Côte d’Ivoire, Sénégal, Bénin, Gambie, Guinée, Burkina, Guinée Bissau, Mali). Pour cette 2ème édition, le festival va réunir des artistes musiciens venant du Mali et des pays africains, des troupes traditionnelles et des chasseurs. Contact : Kory Consult - koryconsult@gmail.com Music and culture festival happening every October in Siby, near Bamako.
Festival de Gouina- Music and culture festival camping at the Chutes de Gouina (waterfalls) in Kayes region. Happens early February.
Festival Kayes-Medine- Cultural and musical festival in Kayes. Happens at in early February.
FESMAMAS- Festival des Marionnettes de Markala Big traditional marionette festival taking place in Markala every year around March/April.
Les Voix de Bamako Free music festival taking place in January.
Festival Sur le Niger: Music and cultural festival that takes place every year around the end of January- beginning of February in Ségou.
Festival au Desert- Takes place early January in Essakane, Timbuktu Region. Traditionally a gathering of Tuaregs, it is now an international festival drawing some of the best musicians in Mali and West Africa.
Doing the Festival in the Desert on your own: It is very possible to do the festival on your own and not book through a tour company.
You can fly to Timbuktu from Bamako (round-trip 250,000CFA in 2009) from any travel agent in Bamako, or through the contacts on the website (it is possible just to buy the ticket for the charter flights for the festival without booking a whole package). This year it was possible to just show up at the airport around the time of departure and buy a spot, but I'm not sure if that is always the case. Or you can take the bus to Mopti (about 9 hours, about 8,000CFA). From Mopti it is easy to find drivers going to Timbuktu, usually they will find a group of people to fill a 4x4 and you are off (about 13,000CFA per person, about 10 hours depending on the ferry). This even ends up usually cheaper than taking the public transport 4x4 which only leaves certain days and is more crowded.
Once in Timbuktu you can find again many drivers headed to Essakane for the Festival waiting at the airport or around Timbuktu. Going rate one way per person was 20,000CFA but you can always try to bargain it down. Make sure you check out the vehicle before agreeing to anything because your spot can range from a Toyota Land Cruiser down to being cramped into the back of an old pickup truck full of luggage and other people. After a 3 hour drive through the sand and sun you might not find that an enjoyable journey! You can arrange with your driver to take you back to Timbuktu (probably the best idea) but you can also wait until the last day and find some way back.
Once in Essakane there are people renting out tent space in traditional Tuareg tents, these were about 20,000CFA per night and can sleep at least 6-8 people. You can also bring your own tent and camp for free. There are some mattresses available but there weren't enough to go around. Having one might not be a bad idea because it was very cold at night and sleeping off the ground could make it a lot warmer. Most of the camping areas have a guard to watch your stuff while you are away. Make sure you find out for sure if the guard is being paid out of the amount you pay for your tent, or tip him a bit when you leave.
You can buy your ticket at the entrance to the Festival, or you can pick it up in Timbuktu on your way.
There are lots of little canteens selling street food (rice and sauce, couscous, fries, eggs, pasta...) for reasonable prices (about 500CFA) and there is even a little market where you can buy vegetables, bread (10CFA per piece of Tuareg bread), roasted sheep, and a few other basics if you want to make your own snacks. Water is available for about 1,000CFA a bottle, brining your own from Bamako (or Mopti) is a lot cheaper (350CFA per bottle). Soft drinks and beer are also available at the canteens, market and the few bars for about 750-1,000CFA per bottle. There is one 'nice' bar/ nightclub under a tent where you can buy meals for 4,000CFA for (generally) pretty basic pasta as well as beer, wine and alcohol of all sorts.
In order to keep costs down, I brought a box of water from Bamako as well as all my food. However, food at the festival was not that expensive, I was impressed to discover. You can find cans of tuna salad, humus, veggies in Bamako or Mopti/Sévaré that make easy but good sandwich filler.
Useful Links for Info on Mali
Mali Ministry of Culture- Some info on festivals and events
Mali Ministry of Tourism and Artisans- You can download their program of cultural events for the year. Info on tourist destinations around Mali.
