West Africa tailor made tours

country:	Benin, Mali, Togo, Burkina Faso
departures:	This trip can be tailor made throughout the year
price:	From £3200 (18 days) excluding flights. Price includes hotel accommodation and meals as per itinerary, private ground transportation by AC cars or minivans, experienced English-speaking guide, airport transfers, all taxes, all tours and sightseeing with entry fees
offers:	SPECIAL OFFER: You will have a discount of 10% on all our Mali Tours from 15 Mar to 30 Nov 2010.
vouchers:	Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday

photo gallery see previous photo

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introduction to West Africa tailor made tours

We begin exploring West Africa in Mali; a country of many tribal peoples, each with their own exuberant styles of clothing and jewellery.

There is nowhere better to see this colourful diversity than in the streets and markets of Bamako. After Bamako we will leave for Dogon Country- visits here are often considered a pilgrimage- via Ségou to discover the colonial buildings, Mopti the melting pot of Mali and Djenne, with the largest mud building in the world. Continuing to Bobo Dioulasso- one of the largest cities in Burkina faso, to see the Musée Provincial du Houet, but without a doubt the most interesting sight is the Grande Mosquée (the old great mosque).

Then we will leave for another city of Burkina Faso, Gaou, and on the way we will visit Banfora, the lake of Tengrela. After visiting Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso we will leave for Cotonou via Natitingui to discover the Somba culture and Abomey, the former capital city of the kingdom of Dahomey.

After visiting Cotonou, the capital city of Benin, we will drive to Lome via Ouidah, an important traditional-religious center and ancient slave depot, which has sent thousands of slaves to the new world. Here we visit the Museum in the Old Portuguese Fort, continuation to Lome the capital of Togo to enjoy its big market and the museum for the end of your trip.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Arrive Bamako, Mali: After our International flight arrives in Bamako, capital of Mali, we are met by our local representatives and have an airport-to-hotel transfer. The rest of the day is free. Overnight: Le Grand Hotel, Bamako (2 nights), (Dinner).
Day 2:	Bamako: After a refreshing night-rest and breakfast at our hotel we start with a leisurely Bamako city tour and visit the Point G for the panoramic overview of the city, the National Museum, the city market, the antiquary’s village and the artisan’s village. The city has a large art and craft centre where sculptors, weavers, leather workers, jewelers and metal workers exhibit their wares and skills. You can spend hours exploring the hundreds of stalls. One area of the market is devoted entirely for traditional African medicines. Here you'll find the freshly shrunken heads of birds, monkeys and crocodiles, along with lizard skins and other gruesome treatments. (Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 3:	Bamako / Segou: After breakfast, we leave Bamako and drive northeast to Segou, Mali's second largest city and former colonial administrative center. At Segou we will observe the city’s old, beautiful Sudanese-style colonial architecture, and then visit the lively port on the Niger, the pottery makers, the traditional weavers and mud cloth artisans. Later we drive to the nearby village of Sekoro, former capital of the Bambara Kingdom and see the tomb of King Biton Coulibaly. Overnight: Independence Hotel, Segou (1 night)(Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 4:	Segou / Mopti: We’ll continue today Mali’s exploration and after breakfast we drive along the banks of the Niger River to Mopti, known as the Venice of Mali. Nestled between the Niger and the Bani Rivers, Mopti is a major fishing port and has a bustling market, where we can spot many of Mali's ethnic groups, an effervescent amalgam of cultural diversity like: Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Tuareg and Songhay. Here we can shop gold or silver jewelry, Tuareg leatherwork, or Fulani blankets of cotton or wool. Spend some time cruising on the Bani and Niger rivers by visiting the fishermen’s village. After we visit the city’s beautiful mosque, we’ll enjoy a sunset sail on the Niger River in a traditional pirogue. Overnight: Kanaga Hotel, Mopti (1 night)(Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 5:	Mopti / Sangha - Dogon Country: After breakfast, drive to Mali's fascinating Dogon country. Being among of the most enigmatic people of Africa, the Dogons are living in stones and mud houses and granaries built up high on the narrow edges of the cliffs. First we’ll visit the Dogon village Songo, renowned for its rock paintings and circumcision grotto, and then continue to Sangha, on the edge of the Bandiagara escarpment, where we stay overnight. Overnight: Campement Hotel Guina, Sangha (2 nights)(Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 6:	Dogon Country: This morning we descend the Bandiagara escarpment to visit the village of Banani, where the ancient Tellem Cave dwellings in the cliff face, further the Ireli Village. Then Amani, where we visit the sacred crocodile sanctuary, and Tireli, where we may witness a traditional Dogon mask dance. See the caves of Deguimbere and other small but interesting villages on the escarpment edge, before returning to Sangha. (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 7:	Sangha / Djenne: We’ll spend another morning exploring Dogon country, before our early afternoon drive to Djenne. Djenne, Timbuktu’s ancient sister city when they were at their glory time, has been preserving the atmosphere for centuries with its mud buildings along the old narrow streets. The city was an important port for caravans selling the salt coming from the desert to the south areas. Presently, Djenne is well known for its interesting weekly market and the big mosque, the biggest mud architecture in the world, built in the 13th century and declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Overnight: Hotel Campement Djenné (2 nights), (Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 8:	Djenne: As we have set the departure with this event in our mind, today we will experience Djenne on its weekly market day, when Djenne is at its colorful best. The atmosphere on the streets ‘teleports’ you back to medieval times. We will visit the magnificent Grand Mosque, the largest mud brick architecture in the world and wander around all day long. (Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 9:	Djenne / Sikasso: After breakfast we drive to Sikasso. Sikasso is considered to be the green belt of Mali. Later we visit the Missirikoro Mosque, some 15 km from Sikasso, the Mansa Daoula Tomb (founder of Kenedougou Kingdom) and the Farako Falls. Overnight: Hotel Zanga, Sikasso (1 night) (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 10:	Sikasso / Bobo Dioulasso (Burkina Faso): This morning we leave Sikasso and cross the border from Mali to Burkina Faso. After a smooth ride we arrive to Bobo, where we check into our hotel first, then have a brief tour of Bobo. The city of Bobo Dioulasso is a very relaxed place and a pleasure to spend a day. It has boulevards and interesting market places with a chilled-out feel and very little hassle even in the Grand Marché. There are a few interesting sights here. Among the major highlights to see is the Musée Provincial du Houet, but without a doubt the most interesting sight is the Grande Mosquée (the old great mosque). Overnight: Hotel Auberge, Bobo (1 night)(Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 11:	Bobo Dioulasso / Gaoua: Today we complete our tour of Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso's second largest city and visit the old mosque and visit the old Kibidwe artisans' district. The old Kibidwé district is a great area to stroll around and it's well worth the experience to see how this side of the city lives, and if we're lucky we may be treated to a performance by some of the musicians who live in the part of the town. In the afternoon we leave Bobo and continue drive to Gaoua. En route we stop in Banforo to visit the Karfiguela waterfalls and Lac Tengrela. We also stop at the mysterious stone ruins of Loropeni whose origins are unknown, but the local Gan people call them the "house of refusal”. Arrive in the evening at Gaoua for an overnight stay. Overnight: Hala Hotel, Gaoua (1 night)(Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 12:	Gaoua / Ouagadougou: Gaoua is the capital of the Lobi country. It is one of the ethnic groups having succeeded in preserving all its particularities and habits. Former warriors reconverted today into farmers and hunters, but resisted savagely to all the invaders, who were African or European. After breakfast we visit the Poni Museum, dedicated to the Lobi culture. The museum is spectacular and displays constructed homes of the two traditional ethnic groups who live in the area, see the distinctive, fortress-like Lobi architecture and the pictures are also impressive. Later we drive to Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. Overnight: Hotel Mercure Silmande, Ouagadougou (2 nights)(Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 13:	Ouagadougou: We spend our day exploring Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital city. All the sights can be easily reached on foot. The city’s atmosphere is relaxed and the Burkinabés are known to be very hospitable and friendly people. We’ll visit the Grand Market and the National Museum, with its interesting collection of regional clothing, masks, household utensils and ancestral statues; also visit the crafts markets at the Artisans Center, where we will find basketry, batik fabrics, wooden statues and masks, jewelry, leatherwork and bronze castings. In the evening we can explore the city on our own. Unlike many other Western African / Sahelian cities, Ouagadougou is not predominantly Muslim so it's also got a lively nightclub scene. (Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 14:	Ouagadougou / Natitingou: We depart Ouagadougou after breakfast and drive to Fada N'Gourma, where we cross the Burkina Faso - Benin border and continue to Natitingou, in Somba country. It is said that if some want to see the traditional way of life in the authentic villages of Benin, the best place to start is this little town of Natitingou. Overnight: Hotel Tata Somba, Natitingou (1 night)(Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 15:	Natitingou / Abomey: In the morning we visit the Natitingou Museum for an interesting overview of the Somba culture. From the city it is possible to reach some nearby villages that are completely made of mud and branches and dung. These are original and un-commercial because they simply don't know the concept of tourism over there. It is even possible that we meet the chief of the village (or the medicine man). Later we drive to Abomey, the birthplace of voodoo. Overnight: Hotel Daco, Abomey (1 night)(Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 16:	Abomey / Cotonou: Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, the city of Abomey is widely considered the historic capital of Benin. This morning we’ll start with the Royal Palace Museum (listed WHS), site of these ancient palaces of the twelve kings of Abomey, who reigned from 1620 through 1900. This museum tells the story of the kingdom of Dahomey before the French colonization. After a short visit to the artisans' center, we depart for Cotonou. Upon arrival, we proceed with a city tour of Cotonou, including the fish market and the international Dan Tokpa market and handicraft center. Ganvie, "the Venice of Africa" is a village build on stakes in the lake and is a few kilometers north of Cotonou, where we may take a ‘pirogue’ excursion over the lagoon. Overnight: Hotel Du Lac, Cotonou (1 night), (Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 17:	Cotonou / Ouidah / Lome (Togo): Once we leave Cotonou and travel 40 km west, we enter Ouidah, an important traditional-religious center and ancient slave depot, which has sent thousands of slaves to the new world. Here we visit the Museum in the Old Portuguese Fort. We continue with the Temple of Pythons, the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Kpasse sacred forest. Perhaps we will witness here a traditional voodoo ceremony, featuring the spirits of departed ancestors. This afternoon we depart Benin and enter Togo, as we drive toward our last West-African destination, Lome. Overnight: Corinthia Hotel, Lome (2 nights), (Breakfast, Dinner).
Day 18:	Lome: Togo seems to be squashed in between neighboring Ghana, Burkina Faso and Benin. Yet this tiny sliver of a country manages to squeeze in dense forests, savannah, coastal lagoons, long sandy beaches and swampy plains. Togo formed part of the Slave Coast, from where captives were shipped abroad by European slavers during the 17th century. Its capital city Lome is the country's administrative, communications, and industrial center, and the chief port, handling such items as coffee, cocoa, copra, and palm nuts. We’ll visit here the National Museum, the market and the artisans' village. Afterwards, we return to our hotel for checkout and also have some last minute shopping. In the evening we are taken to the International Airport for our flight back home. After an unparalleled Cultural experience, we leave this pure part of the African continent with soul-enchanting and mind-bending memories. (Breakfast, Diner). - End of our tour and services -

travelling with a local operator

This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.

how this holiday makes a difference

Environment
Roads can be poor in these parts of Africa and distances long but, conscious of our environmental impacts, we have reduced the number of domestic flights on this tour. This also enables us to get more of a feel for the country as we travel by road through small towns and villages to get Togo via Mali- Burkina - Benin.

We aim to support development first and foremost by doing business well but there are many people in these parts of West Africa who are unable to benefit from tourism. For this reason we also support a project of one of our clients who want to give Cow, chicken to ten villages in Mali, Burkina and Senegal to provide breeding livestock and agricultural training to rural communities and give them better protection against food insecurity in January 2010.

Before your trip you will receive advice from our Responsible Travel Policy. To understand our environmentally sustainable principles, and outline how each customer can minimize their impact while travelling, this makes for a great source of information. We minimize paper use in our operations, do not produce brochures and all our messages are through email. We encourage our clients to help local project to plant trees.

As we know the danger that nature faces to day we seldom use domestic flights in our trip, most of our travel is done on ground. During our trip we do lot of camping and staying in guesthouses in village, as they have no big hotels that waste water, and some of them use solar energy for their light. This trip minimizes waste by advising clients to follow the African example and recycle everything.

Community
Life for the majority of West African people is difficult but if we try to develop responsible tourism that can be a great means of development. You will have an opportunity to shop for local sculptures and the unique masks that are made in these areas surrounding the bustling market Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo. The time we spend these regions will directly benefit the local community. The tourist taxes and the use of local people will bring a lot to local community through Mali, Burkina, Benin and Togo. The time we spend on these four regions will directly benefit the local community.

We purchase everything we need en route, buying from local traders and markets in sufficient quantities to ensure we do not exploit, but equally so that we have enough for ourselves! In many cases, the routes we take are varied thus ensuring our visits do not impact negatively on the local communities and the income we bring is distributed fairly. All of the accommodation we use is locally owned, much of the time we will be camping, but in towns and cities we stay in guesthouses or hotels. We support a charity project from a customer who wants to give school supplies, cow and chicken to ten villages in January 2010. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost.

We employ local guides, drivers and cooks during all our tours, and we source supplies where possible from the local communities and aim to use local businesses wherever possible. We encourage our guests to purchase goods and souvenirs locally.

We use local accommodation hotels and guesthouses owned by local people.

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.

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