Mali holiday, Timbuktu and Dogon trails
| country: | Mali |
| departures: | 2010: 29 Oct, 26 Nov, 24 Dec 2011: 22 Jan |
| price: | From £2260 - £2330 (15 days) including flights from the UK, from £1710 excluding flights. Based on 2 sharing. Single supplement £240 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
For those who prefer not to trek but still have a sense of adventure, this itinerary has been specially designed to make this remarkable country accessible. Short, easy walks in Dogon Country.
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.
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.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Bamako |
| Day 2: | Arrive Bamako; Sightseeing |
| Day 3: | Drive to Djenne |
| Day 4: | In Djenne |
| Day 5: | Drive to Mopti |
| Day 6-7: | Cruising to Timbuktu on the Niger River |
| Day 8: | Arrive Timbuktu |
| Day 9: | Exploring Timbuktu |
| Day 10 12: | 4WD across the Sahel to Youga Nah; exploring Dogon Country |
| Day 13: | Drive to Segou |
| Day 14: | Drive to Bamako |
| Day 15: | Fly London |
small group cultural tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Community:
Festivals express the very soul of a community, rooted as they are in local history and folklore. They’ll engage all your senses, with their din, colours, scents, tastes – the sheer rawness and spontaneity of the whole experience. This is a fabulous way to learn about the local customs and traditions and get an authentic view of the country you are travelling to in an unpackaged way. The Festival on the Niger keeps traditional music and dance alive and it is a delight to be able to participate in the event. Travel to West Africa is very much about the people and their culture. We don’t want to go as voyeurs though; we want to really learn about the local people and respect their traditions so their heritage is preserved on their terms. We include a variety of activities on this trip give many opportunities to learn about local life and customs and foster positive communication between ourselves and the host communities. This is greatly helped by using local guides at key points as they can bridge the gap between our different worlds. Employing local guides also generates employment in a region where there are limited opportunities. Our tour also supports a variety of local businesses such as hotels, boat operators, craftspeople, transport operators and small tourism initiatives, meaning that we really do bring an economic benefit to a wide range of people in the region. The visits to Dogon country are completely on the local people’s terms as tourism to the area is managed and operated by the people themselves. They derive employment and an income and the pride that they can preserve and share their culture without diluting it. Environment: As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |