MALI, the jewel of West Africa —
visit Djenne, Mopti, Dogon country, Timbuktu and Bamako

· Fascinating Dogon country, with its stone houses and granaries clinging to sheer cliff walls

· Mopti, Mali's trade center and cultural 'melting pot'

· Djenne, one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites

· Legendary Timbuktu, gateway to the Sahara Desert

· Bamako, Mali's dynamic capital city

· Mande country and its traditional gold mines

· Segou, former French colonial capital

· Gao, of the Songhay Empire

· Hand of Fatima,
natural rock formation in the Hombori Mountains

· Djenne Jeno archeological site

· Lake Debo of the inland
Niger River Delta

· hiking the Bandiagara escarpment

· camel treks in the desert, with camping on the Sahara sand dunes

· sailing the Niger River

· 4x4 vehicle excursions in the desert

· witness a traditional divination ceremony in a Dogon village

· visit the Hogon, traditional leader of the Dogon people, in his mountain sanctuary

· track elephants in the Douentza Reserve

· explore the sacred grotto of Missiri Koro

· visit traditional pottery makers

· attend a colorful local festival:
Festival in the Desert
or
Festival on the Niger