Festival in the Desert

Saga Tours of Mali - West Africa Adventure Travel
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Festival in the Desert 2013

Tours to Mali's Festival au Désert, plus Timbuktu, Dogon country, Djenne, Mopti and the Niger River

The 2012 Festival in the Desert was a success !
Join us in January 2013 — Rendezvous: Festival au Désert !

The Festival in the Desert (le Festival au Désert) is a Tuareg culture festival featuring traditional Tuareg music and world music,
to be held on 10,11,12 January 2013 on the outskirts of Timbuktu, in the Sahara Desert.

The Festival in the Desert is a unique event modeled on traditional gatherings and celebrations of the nomadic Tuareg people, the "Blue Men of the Desert", when families and clans came together and celebrated with traditional songs, dances, and demonstrations of manly prowess and female beauty.

The most remote festival in the world, Mali's Festival au Désert was held for the first time in 2001. In 2003 and for several subsequent years, the Festival was held in the Tuareg hamlet Essakane; for security reasons, and to handle the ever-growing crowds, especially in the year of Mali's 50th independance, in 2010 it was moved to Timbuktu. Today the Festival is a showcase of Tuareg culture, and an oppourtunity to promote world peace. Some 30 musical groups from around the world are invited to perform during the three-day festival.

It is an opportunity to meet the Tuareg people hosting
and attending the festival; the day-time festivities include traditional Tuareg music, singing, dancing, poetry, ritual swordplay, camel races and artisans' exhibits. The on-stage world-music concerts are held at night, with the lights and sound system powered by electrical generators.

Desert Festival Logistics

The 2013 edition of the Festival in the Desert will be held on the outskirts of Timbuktu.

Tour transportation is by 4x4 vehicles.

On-site accommodations consist of traditional Tuareg tents and ground mats.

Hot meals are prepared on-site. Bottled water and other beverages are also available.

There is no running water, but latrines and bucket-showers are available.

Desert temperatures in January are hot during the day (~35 C / 100 F), but it can be quite cold at night (~5 C / 40 F) —
travellers must bring sleeping bags !

This is not a luxury holiday, but a unique cultural travel experience that requires adapting to local conditions.

2013 Desert Festival group tours:

11-day Full Basic group tour
05-15 January 2013
7 nights hotel / 3 nights camping

3 full days at the Festival in the Desert; 3 nights camping
city tour of Timbuktu, including historical sites
Djenne city tour on colorful market day
sunset sail on the Niger River, by private river boat
visit Dogon villages
witness a traditional Dogon mask dance
Bamako city tour, including the National Museum, city market and artisans' village

14-days, with Sailing to Timbuktu (group tour)
05-18 January 2013
6 nights hotel / 7 nights camping

3 full days at the Festival in the Desert; 3 nights camping
3 days sailing to Timbuktu by private river boat; 2 nights camping on the river bank
city tour of Timbuktu, including historical sites
Djenne city tour on colorful market day
2 days in magnificent Dogon country; with traditional Dogon mask dance; 2 nights camping
Mopti city tour
city tour of Segou, Mali's colonial capital
Bamako city tour, including the National Museum, city market and artisans' village

NB: minimum 7, maximum 15 travellers for the 14-day tour (due to space limitations on the river boat)

15-day Expanded group tour
05-19 January 2013
14 nights hotel / no camping

3 full days at the Festival in the Desert (hotel accommodations)
city tour of Timbuktu, including historical sites
Djenne city tour on colorful market day
Dogon country adventure: 3 full days to explore Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment, and experience the fascinating Dogon culture
witness a traditional Dogon mask dance
Mopti city tour
half-day sailing excursion on the Niger River, by private river boat
city tour of Segou, Mali's colonial capital
Bamako city tour, including the National Museum, city market and artisans' village

Tour REGISTRATION

Registration for 2013 tours has not begun; check here again later.

Mali's entry requirements:

tourism visa
Yellow Fever immunization

Malaria prophylaxis is recommended; consult your physician.

NB: Five-day entry visas are available upon arrival at Bamako airport; these must be extended to standard 30-day visas, in Mopti or in Timbuktu. Saga Tours does not handle entry visas or visa extensions.

See our Travel Tips page for Mali Embassy contact information, to apply for your Mali visa prior to travel.
***We recommend obtaining visas prior to travel whenever possible, to avoid possibly being denied flight boarding by the airline, on the flight to Bamako.

Festival tour requirements:

a sleeping bag
soft luggage, such as a duffel bag; hard suitcases are not appropriate
summer clothing for days; a warm outfit for the desert nights; see our Travel Tips page for a suggested packing list.

Sorry, Saga Tours does not handle visas, Festival tickets, international air reservations or air tickets.