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At Koundou Gina Village/Mirjan Van Der Wielen
Dogon Dancer/Robert Della-Sala

Timbuktu & Dogon Trails - 2010/11 Itinerary

16 days - from $2460

Unfortunately we are not running our tours to Mail at the moment due to current Foreign Office advice which recommends against travel to the provinces of Mali north of the River Niger from Mopti. This affects many of the highlights of our itineraries. We hope to operate tours in Mali in the future once the situation has stabilised and travel to this region is again safe.

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Mud Mosque at Djenne
We drive to Old Segou, and then on to the old trading port of Djenne. Its narrow alleyways and mud-brick Afro-Arab architecture make it a place of wonder. The Grand Mosque here is the tallest dried-earth building in the world. We ramble through Djenne's scenic market which sells everything from stylised wood carvings and gold jewellery to salt blocks and dried fish.


Niger Cruise & Timbuktu
We charter our own pinasse (a canvas-roofed motorised boat) to cruise from Mopti to Timbuktu. We'll pull in to explore villages with friendly fishermen, and to observe a variety of birdlife on the marshy shores. At night we camp on the banks of the Niger, savouring the adventure of cruising one of the world's greatest rivers. Finally, we arrive in Timbuktu and explore the winding alleys of this intriguing city, once a famous centre on the lucrative trans-Saharan caravan route, wealthy from trade in cargoes of gold and salt.


In Dogon Country
Entering Dogon country - a wilderness of rock, shrub and barren sands - we set out amongst the Dogon villages, exploring each village and camping under the stars at night. Their characteristic flat-topped and cone-roofed houses are stacked tightly together in tower-like constructions below the great yellow sandstone cliffs of the Bandiagara Escarpment. Little influenced by outsiders, Dogon tribal life is ruled by magic and cosmology, symbolised in funeral celebrations and spectacular masked dances which we hope to witness. Their carvings are prized collectors' pieces.

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Itinerary:

Day 1 Join the tour in Bamako. Day 2 Drive to Segou. Day 3 Djenne mud mosque From Segou we reach the old trading port of Djenne and discover its scenic market and Grand Mosque, the tallest dried-earth building in the world. Days 4/6 3-day Niger River cruise We cruise from Mopti to Timbuktu on our own pinasse (a canvas-roofed motorised boat) exploring villages as we go and camping at night on the banks of the Niger. Days 7/8 Timbuktu Exploring the winding alleys of this intriguing city, once a famous centre on the lucrative trans-Saharan caravan route, wealthy from trade in cargoes of gold and salt. Day 9 Into the Sahel 4WDs takes us into the fringes of the great Sahara. Days 10/13 4-day Dogon trek We set out among a wilderness of rock, shrub and barren sands in search of Dogon villages with their characteristic flat-topped and cone-roofed houses clinging to the sandstone cliffs of the Bandiagara Escarpment. We learn more about the Dogon's daily lives and camp under the stars each night. Days 14/15 Segou We return to the Malian capital via Mopti and Segou. Day 16 Tour ends in Bamako.

Accommodations: 5nts hotel, 2nts campement, 6nts wild camping; 14 breakfasts, 7 lunches & 6 dinners included.
Transport: Bus/4WD vehicles/Pinasse cruise (3 days)/On foot in Dogon Country (4 days).
Comment: Walking in Dogon country is graded moderate (3-6 hours a day) in hot, arid conditions.
Group: Approx. 12 to 16.
Staff: Explore Tour Leader, driver(s), some local guides, cook and porters. Dogon guide and boat crew.
Trip Reference: MA2010

Dates & Prices
Start End Prices in US$ Local Payment Availability
11 Feb 1126 Feb 11$24600

Prices and itineraries shown for tours departing from January 2011 onwards are subject to change and confirmation with the publication of our 2011/12 brochure, due to be published in October 2010.

The price of a Single Room Option does not necessarily guarantee a single room for every night of the tour. For more information, please refer to the trip dossier / more details for this tour.
Single rooms are available for this tour at a supplement from US$ 370, depending on availability.