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Mali: River Sailing, Desert Music Day 1
Arrival in Bamako, Mali Book now!

International flight arrives in Bamako in the evening; airport to hotel transfer; overnight in Bamako.

Day 2 - Bamako - Mopti

Full day's drive to Mopti, with sightseeing en-route (the local sights and sounds of Mali); overnight in Mopti.

Day 3 - Mopti / Niger River

City tour of Mopti: visit the beautiful Sudanese-style mosque, the fishing port, and the bustling local market where many of Mali's ethnic groups come to trade: Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Songhay; visit to orphanage; Niger River sailing departure to Timbuktu; overnight camping on the river bank.

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Mali: River Sailing, Desert MusicBook now! January 2-12, 2009 (11 day option): $4500 January 2-17, 2009 (16 day option): $5500 Beneficiary: Fabric of Life This perfectly unusual journey welcomes travelers to Timbuktu via private pirogue, sailing up the Niger River. Discover the varied birdlife along the shore, hippos in the river and rural villages with beautiful mosques. Travelers will then attend Mali's Festival in the Desert, a world music and Tuareg culture festival. The festival is one-of-a-kind, modeled on traditional gatherings and celebrations of the Tuareg people, the "Blue Men of the Desert." It features musicians from Mali, Mauritania, Niger and many other countries worldwide. It is also an opportunity to interact with the Tuareg people, as it is their event, and the festivities will include traditional singing, dancing, swordplay, camel races and artisans' exhibits. The 16 day extended tour travels back through Dogon country, a final addition to your full immersion in Malian’s varied topography and culture. You will have time to visit and acquaint yourself with many local social initiatives and projects during this part of the tour.

Mali: River Sailing, Desert Music Logistics

Cost includes:

• 10 nights hotel, double occupancy
• Day-room in Bamako on Day 16, with late check-out (10:00 pm)
• 5 nights camping; travellers must bring sleeping bags, other camping material is provided
• Total of 29 meals: 15 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners
• Bottled mineral water (3 liters/day/person) at the festival site
• All ground transportation by 4x4 vehicle (4 travelers per vehicle)
• Private river boat with outboard motor and crew, to sail the Niger River to Timbuktu
• Festival entry pass
• Camel ride on the dunes
• Traditional Dogon mask dance
• Visits to community projects
• English-speaking guide for the entire tour
• Airport transfers upon arrival and departure in Bamako
• All hotel taxes, local tourism taxes and site visit fees, as per itinerary

Exclusions:

• International airfare to/from Mali
• Entry visas
• Non-specified meals, drinks/bottled water,
• Tips, personal expenses, optional gifts to local NGOs, and sleeping bags

River Sailing amenities:

• private pinnace with woven straw roof, latrine, outboard motor and crew
• camp cook and meals while sailing
• camping tents with ground mattresses; bring your sleeping bags!

Desert Festival

The festival is held in the desert oasis Essakane, 65 kilometers from Timbuktu. Accommodations consist of Tuareg tents and ground mats (NB: there are no hotels); hot meals are prepared on-site. Desert temperatures in January are hot during the day (~35 C / 100 F), but quite cold at night (~5 C / 40 F) — travelers must bring sleeping bags !

Entry requirements

• an entry visa is required for nearly everyone
• Yellow Fever immunization (valid 10 years)
• Malaria prophylaxis is recommended; consult your physician.

Climate

October through March: dry and relatively cool
April through June: dry and hot
July through September: rainy

Photography

There are no photography permits, but some subjects are considered sensitive and not to be photographed: government buildings, airports, bridges and dams, police, military personnel or equipment. And like anywhere else, sometimes people just don't want to be photographed, especially in Muslim countries such as Mali, because the Koran prohibits making human likenesses. Always ask before you snap.

Money and Credit cards

The local currency is called 'CFA' and is utilized in several other West African countries, namely: Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast and Senegal.

Foreign exchange: Euros and USDollars are readily exchangeable in Bamako. Travelers checks are also exchangeable (with a variable commission of 5-20%), but not as readily as cash. In the interior of Mali, cash may also be exchanged (not quite as easily as in Bamako), but travelers checks probably not.

Credit cards: Please note that credit cards are very little used in Mali's cash economy — only at a few banks, large hotels and restaurants in Bamako..

There is one ATM in Mali, located in Bamako. It accepts only Visa credit card, and gives a maximum cash advance of 200,000 CFA (approximately $400).

Mali: River Sailing, Desert Music Day 10 - Essakane - Timbuktu - Sevare

Return to Timbuktu, and onward drive across the Sahel, to Sevare; overnight in Sevare.

Day 11

If departing today, return to Bamako for International Departure

Mali: River Sailing, Desert Music Day 7-9 -Desert Festival days

2-hour drive to Essakane and enjoy the festivities: music, dancing, sword-play, poetry, arts and crafts, camel races, and more! Overnight camping in Essakane.

Mali: River Sailing, Desert Music Day 11-16 - Extended Tour

Day 11 - Sevare - Djenne

Continue to Djenne, Timbuktu's sister-city, to see the colorful weekly market, spread out before the magnificent Great Mosque; city tour Djenne; visit local project; overnight in Djenne.

Day 12 Djenne - Dogon Country

Depart for Mali's fascinating Dogon country; visit Songo village, renowned for its circumcision grotto with rock paintings; continue to Sangha; walking tour of Sangha's distinct animist and Islamic quarters; overnight in Sangha.

Day 13 Dogon country

Visit Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment, including a community project in Bandiagara; witness a spectacular traditional Dogon mask dance in a village; overnight in Sangha.

Day 14 Dogon country - Segou

Onward to Segou, Mali's second largest city and former colonial capital; city tour of Segou; visit local project; overnight in Segou.

Day 15 Segou - Bamako

Visit Sekoro village, former capital of the Bambara kingdom, and return drive to Bamako; overnight in Bamako.

Day 16 Bamako - Final Departure

Bamako city tour: panoramic overview of the city from Point G; visit the National Museum, the colorful city market and the artisans' village; afternoon visit to a cooperative of women artisans (mudcloth dyers). In the evening, transfer to the airport for your onward flight home.

Mali: River Sailing, Desert Music Day 4 - Niger River

Full day of sailing; visit Bozo fishing villages along the way, and admire Mali's varied bird life along the shore; overnight camping on the river bank.

Day 5 - Niger River / Timbuktu

Full day of sailing, and arrive in Timbuktu at day's end; transfer from port to Town; overnight in Timbuktu.

Day 6 - Timbuktu

City tour of Timbuktu: visit the old mosques and former universities, the museum and archives of ancient Islamic manuscripts, the explorers' houses, the city market and the artisans' center; afternoon free to wander about this historic town; visit to local project; overnight in Timbuktu.