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

International flight arrives in Bamako in the evening (hotel check-in 2:00 PM or later); airport to hotel transfer.

Overnight in Bamako (hotel, breakfast)

Day 2 - Bamako - Djenne

Begin your tour with a full day's drive through the heartland of Mali, to Djenne, historic sister-city of Timbuktu; sightseeing en-route.

Overnight in Djenne (hotel, breakfast)

Day 3 - Djenne - Dogon Country

Experience the colorful weekly market in Djenne—see hundreds of market stalls spread out before the magnificent Great Mosque. Originally constructed in the XIIIth century, this is the world's largest mud brick architecture and one of Unesco's World Heritage sites. In the afternoon, drive to Mali's fascinating Dogon country.

Overnight in Sangha/Sevare (hotel, breakfast)

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Mali: Desert Music TourBook now! Dates: January 2-14, 2010 13-Day Festival Tour Cost: $4500 per person 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 13-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: Desert Music Tour Logistics

Cost includes:

9 nights hotel (double occ.), including breakfast (B)

Day-room in Bamako on the last day

3 nights camping at the desert festival site; bring your sleeping bags for the cold desert nights; tents are provided

All ground transportation by 4x4 vehicle; maximum 4 travelers per vehicle

Festival entry pass (priced separately, but included in tour package)

All meals during the festival, prepared on-site: 3 breakfasts (B), 3 lunches (L), 3 dinners (D)

Bottled mineral water (3 liters/day/person) at the festival site

Sunset sail on the Niger River

Dogon mask dance

English-speaking guide for the entire tour

Airport transfers for Bamako arrival and departure (you will need to provide your Bamako arrival/departure flight details)

All hotel taxes, local tourism taxes and site visit fees, as per tour program

Cost Does Not Include:

International airfare to/from Bamako

Mali visas

Non-specified meals, drinks/bottled water

Tips, personal expenses and sleeping bags.

Day 9 - Essakane – Timbuktu

Return to Timbuktu. Check into your hotel to freshen up, then enjoy your city tour of Timbuktu: visit the old mosques and former universities, the museum and the Ahmed Baba Institute's archives of ancient Islamic manuscripts, the explorers' houses, and the city market which receives the azalaïs, the salt caravans from the desert — historically, salt from the north was traded for gold and slaves from the south. Afternoon free to wander about this historic town.

Overnight in Timbuktu (hotel, breakfast)

Day 10: Timbuktu – Mopti

Return drive across the Sahel to Mali's vibrant port city; enjoy a relaxing sunset sail on the Niger River in a traditional pirogue.

Overnight in Mopti/Sevare (hotel, breakfast)

Day 11: Mopti – Segou

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. Onward drive to Segou.

Overnight (hotel, breakfast)

Day 6-8 - Desert Festival days

Onward drive (2 hrs) across the dunes to Essakane and enjoy the three days of festivities: music at night, and during the daylight hours more music, dancing, swordplay, poetry, arts and crafts, camel races, and more!

Overnight camping in Essakane with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner on the three festival days

Day 12 - Segou – Bamako

City tour of Segou, Mali's second largest city and former colonial capital. Stroll through the traditional pottery market on the waterfront. Also visit Sekoro village, former capital of the Bambara kingdom. See the tomb of King Biton Coulibaly. Return drive to Bamako for overnight.

Overnight in Bamako (hotel, breakfast)

Day 13 Bamako - Final Departure

Bamako city tour: begin with a panoramic overview of this sprawling city from Point G; then visit the National Museum, the colorful city market, the artisans' village and the fetish market for traditional medicine. Hotel day-room check-out is at 6:00 PM. At the appropriate time, transfer to the airport for your onward flight home.

Day room (breakfast)

Hotel check-in 2:00 pm; check-out 12:00 noon
Day-room check-out 6:00 pm (later check-out is at your expense)

Let us know if you need a room earlier and/or later than the tour-included dates and times.

Day 4 - Dogon country – Sevare

Visit Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment: Banani, Amani and Tireli, where you will witness a traditional Dogon mask dance. This spectacular ceremony is an authentic representation of one of the Dogon people's funerary rites. Drive to Sevare for overnight.

Overnight in Sevare (hotel, breakfast)

Day 5 - Sevare – Timbuktu

Interesting drive across the Sahel, to the legendary city of Timbuktu, gateway to the great Sahara Desert !

Overnight in Timbuktu (hotel, breakfast)