Saga Tours of Mali - West Africa Adventure Travel
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Mali Eco-Tour
Experience Mali's river, escarpment, sahel and desert ecosystems

· see the interactions of traditional populations in their natural environments
· plant trees to produce fruit, shade, and to combat desertification — leave a positive impact on your trip to Mali !

12 days / 8 nights hotel, 3 nights camping

(option to upgrade to 11 nights hotel, no camping)

Every tour is private, scheduled on dates of your choice, beginning on a Saturday and ending on a Wednesday in Bamako, MALI; there are no fixed-date group departures.

Contact us for prices. Groups of any size are welcome. Be sure to specify the month/year of travel, and how many persons are in your party—prices are digressive, so a better value per person for a party of four than a party of two, etc.


Day 1 Saturday: Arrival in Bamako, MALI
International flight arrives in Bamako in the evening; airport-to-hotel transfer; overnight in Bamako (Hotel Mande, or similar)


Day 2 Sunday: Bamako - Djenne (570 km; ~7hrs)
Breakfast, then begin your ecotour of Mali with a scenic drive through the heartland to Djenne; with sight-seeing en-route; overnight in Djenne (Hotel Campement, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 3 Monday: Djenne - Mopti (130 km; ~1½hr)
Visit Djenne, ancient sister-city of Timbuktu, on its colorful weekly market day; see the magnificent Great Mosque, the world's largest mud brick architecture, one of Unesco's World Heritage sites; stroll through the ancients streets and alleys, and visit the tomb of the young girl sacrificed to appease the spirits; drive to Mopti for overnight (Hotel Ya Pas de Probleme, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 4 Tuesday: Mopti - Timbuktu (550 km; ~6hrs)
Interesting drive across the Sahel ecosystem, to the legendary city of Timbuktu, gateway to the Sahara Desert; observe the limited but robust vegetation adapted to this harsh climate; overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel du Desert, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 5 Wednesday: Timbuktu - Sahara Desert

NB: due to security concerns we do not go deep into the desert.

Visit the legendary and historical city of Timbuktu: see the ancient mosques and former universities, the museum and the Ahmed Baba Institute archives of ancient Islamic manuscripts, the explorers' houses, and the market which receives the azalaïs, the salt caravans from the desert — at one time salt was literally worth its weight in gold; visit a dune reclamation project and plant some trees to combat desertification; in the afternoon, depart on your camel caravan into the desert to visit a Tuareg camp on the dunes; the Tuareg people are known as the Princes of the desert, or the Blue Men of the desert (for the blue tinge on their skin from their indigo-dyed clothing); overnight camping with your Tuareg hosts
with Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6 Thursday: Timbuktu - Dogon country (670 km; ~8hrs)
Return drive across the Sahel, all the way to Mali's fascinating Dogon country; lunch break and sightseeing en-route; overnight in Sangha, on the edge of the Bandiagara escarpment (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)
with Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7 Friday: Dogon Country
Morning foot-trek to visit Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment, another Unesco World Heritage site; you will see many examples of the classic traditional Dogon architecture and contemporary fetishism; your trek will be tailored for you, according to your ability and desire to trek; afternoon visit to a traditional medicine research center; option to witness a traditional Dogon mask dance; overnight camping in a Dogon village
with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 Saturday: Dogon country - Mopti (120 km; ~2hrs)
Plant mango trees in a Dogon village; afternoon return drive to Mopti; overnight in Mopti (Hotel Ya Pas de Probleme, or similar)
with Breakfast, Lunch

Day 9 Sunday: Mopti / Niger River
Full day's sailing excursion on the Niger River; visit Bozo fishing villages and nomadic Fulani camps along the shore; observe the large variety of Mali's birds, and perhaps see hippos in the river (do not approach—hippos are dangerous); overnight camping on the river bank
with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10 Monday: Mopti - Teriyabugu - Segou (450 km; ~5½hrs)
Drive to Teriyabugu village to see a remarkable rural sustainable development project, founded in the 1980's — farming, small-animal husbandry, bee-keeping, tree-farming, solar-energy production, biogas and biofuel production; onward to Segou for overnight (Hotel Independance, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 11 Tuesday: Segou - Bamako (235 km; ~3hrs)
Visit Segou, Mali's former colonial capital; see the interesting mixture of colonial and traditional architecture, and stroll through the 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; rest of day at leisure; overnight in Bamako (Hotel Mande, or similar)
with Breakfast

Day 12 Wednesday: Bamako - final departure
City tour of Bamako: panoramic overview of this sprawling city from Point G; visit the National Museum, the city market, the artisans' village and the fetish market for traditional medicine; also visit Bamako's "submersible bridge" (passable only in the dry season), a remarkable local adaptation to the cycles of the river; in the evening, transfer to the airport for your final departure
with Breakfast

1 km ~ 0.6 mile; driving times are approximate, depending on local conditions and stops

NB: Hotels subject to availability; on this ecotour we select simple hotels rather than our usual, more upscale hotels; see proposed hotels description.

Upgrade to all-hotel accommodations/no-camping is also available—please specify if you prefer the no-camping option.


Tour package includes:

Tour package does not include: international airfare to/from Bamako; Mali visas; non-specified meals, drinks/bottled water; tips, sleeping bags, optional items, and personal expenses.

Option: traditional Dogon mask dance performed in a village — upon request


NB: Posted itineraries are subject to change, and quoted prices are accordingly subject to change; itineraries and prices are locked-in when a tour is booked.

Please note: Saga Tours does not handle international air reservations and ticketing.

Before reserving, please see our Terms and Conditions