Festival au Desert | Festival in the Desert 2013

Saga Tours of Mali - West Africa Adventure Travel
Tel +223.6673.1631
Tel +223.7641.7383
tours@sagatours.com

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Festival in the Desert Tour 2013
15 days : 05-19 January 2013

14 nights hotel / no camping

This expanded tour features Mali's Festival au Désert and more :

– fascinating 3-day Dogon country adventure
– half-day sailing excursion on the Niger River
– as well as Timbuktu, Djenne, Mopti and Bamako

Go beyond the basics, and get the most out of your visit to Mali !

05 January 2013: Arrive in Bamako, MALI
Arrival in Bamako, MALI
International flight arrives in Bamako in the evening (hotel check-in 2:00 PM or later); our staff will meet you in the Arrivals hall of Bamako airport, and provide your hotel transfer; overnight in Bamako (Hotel Mande, or similar)

06 January 2013: Bamako - Segou (235 km; ~3hrs)
Begin your West African journey with a leisurely first morning in Bamako, to adjust to the time and climate change; in the afternoon we will drive to Segou, Mali's former colonial capital; overnight in Segou (Hotel Independance, or similar)
with Breakfast

07 January 2013: Segou - Djenne (330 km; ~4½hrs) - Mopti/Sevare (120 km; ~1½hrs)
This morning we continue our drive through the heartland of Mali, to Djenne, Timbuktu's ancient sister-city, arriving in time to experience Djenne's colorful weekly market day. Djenne was one of the first commercial centers of the Sahel region: it was the meeting place of the nomads from the Sahara, the local farmers and cattleherders, and the fishermen from the inland delta of the Niger. After exploring the market, we will stroll the ancient alleys and narrow streets, and see the oldest house in Djenne, dating from the XII^th century; also see the magnificent Great Mosque, the world's largest mud brick architecture, originally constructed in the XIII^th century–this is one of Unesco's World Heritage sites. In the afternoon we continue onward to Mopti/Sevare for overnight (Hotel Kanaga / Hotel Sevare, or similar)
with Breakfast

08 January 2013: Mopti / Niger River
Today we have a city tour of Mopti, Mali's port city on the Niger; we will see the beautiful Sudanese-style mosque, the fishing port, the bustling local market, where Many of Mali's diverse ethnic groups come to trade: Bambara, Bobo, Bozo, Dogon, Fulani, Hausa, Songhay—take this opportunity to shop for gold or silver jewelry, hand-made cotton or wool blankets, or some of Mali's beautiful wood carvings (masks, statues, etc.).
After lunch we will enjoy our half-day sailing excursion on the Niger River by private river boat; visit tranquil Bozo fishing villages and nomadic Fulani camps; observe Mali's varied bird life along the shore, and perhaps see hippos in the river ! (caution–do not approach the hippos) return to and overnight in Mopti/Sevare (Hotel Kanaga / Hotel Sevare, or similar)
with Breakfast

09 January 2013: Mopti - Timbuktu (380 km; ~6hrs)
We will depart Mopti early for an interesting drive across the Sahel ecosystem, to the legendary city of Timbuktu, gateway to the Sahara Desert; along the way, we may see desert nomad families travelling with their camels and goat herds; our early departure from Mopti should facilitate our ferry-crossing, and we continue onward to our hotel, for overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar)
with Breakfast

10, 11, 12 January 2013: Desert Festival days
City tour of Timbuktu: In its glory-days, Timbuktu attracted Muslim scholars from the entire Arab world; we will 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.
Then, we will enjoy the three fabulous days of the Festival in the Desert, the most remote festival on the planet: world-class music on-stage every night, and during the daylight hours more music, dancing, sword-play, poetry, arts and crafts, camel races, and more ! The lineup of performers is not yet determined, but previous editions of the Festival have featured Malian stars such as Tinariwen, Salif Keita, Tartit, Habib Koite, Oumou Sangare, Amadou&Mariam, Toumani Diabate, Khaira Arby, and more ! overnight in Timbuktu (Hotel Hendrina Khan, or similar)
with Breakfast

13 January 2013: Timbuktu - Dogon country (455 km; ~7½hrs)
Goodbye to Timbuktu for our return drive across the Sahel; we will depart early to try to be among the first at the ferry crossing; onward drive to Mali's fascinating Dogon country; overnight in Bandiagara (Hotel Falaise, or similar)
with Breakfast, Dinner

14 January 2013: Dogon country
The Dogon tribe originated in the south of Mali, which they fled to preserve their animist religion from the spread of Islam. When they arrived at the Bandiagara cliffs, they found the Tellem people occupying grottos carved in the face of the cliff; they eventually displaced the Tellem people, and used the grottos to bury their dead; funerary rites are an important part of the Dogon culture.
We will drive to and visit Sangha, comprised of 10 distinct Dogon villages (animist and Islamic); we will have a walking tour of Sangha: observe many beautiful examples of the unique Dogon architecture and traditional fetishes; visit traditional Dogon seers; overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)
with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

15 January 2013: Dogon country
This morning we will descend the Bandiagara escarpment to visit Banani village, one of the most beautiful of the cliff villages; we will also visit Amani village, with its sanctuary of sacred crocodiles; and Tireli village, to witness a fascinating traditional Dogon mask dance—this spectacular ceremony is an authentic representation of one of the Dogon people's funerary rites; return to and overnight in Sangha (Hotel Campement Guina, or similar)
with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

16 January 2013: Dogon country
Today we will drive to the southern end of the escarpment, to visit Tely and Ende villages—note the ancient Telem cave dwellings in the cliff face; as time permits also visit Nando and Niongono villages (some hiking required); overnight in Bandiagara (Hotel Falaise, or similar)
with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

17 January 2013: Dogon country - Segou (480 km; ~5½hrs)
We will finish oour time in Dogon country with a visit of Songo village, renowned for its circumcision grotto with ancient and modern rock paintings; circumcision ceremonies are held here every three years for all Dogon boys ages 9-14years old; the rock paintings are historical representation of noble Dogon families; then, onward drive to Segou for overnight (Hotel Independance, or similar)
with Breakfast

18 January 2013: Segou - Bamako (235 km; ~3hrs)
Today we explore Segou, Mali's former colonial capital, with its interesting mix of traditional and colonial architecture; we will visit the market and the Kasobane boutique with its high-end traditional and contemporary textile art; we will stop by the Nieleni cooperative, which makes hand-woven high-quality wool rugs; then visit another women's cooperative that makes traditional millet beer. In the afternoon, we will visit Sekoro village, which was the original Segou and former capital of the Bambara kingdom; we will meet the village chief, who is a descendant of the King Biton Coulibaly; then onward drive to Bamako for overnight (Hotel Mande, or similar)
with Breakfast

19 January 2013: Bamako - final departure
And today we visit Bamako: over-view of this sprawling city from Point G, with a visit of the ancient grottos and rock paintings. Then onward to the National Museum (see www.mnm-mali.org) with its impressive collections of textiles from the 11th to the 20th century; ancient Bamanan, Dogon and Senoufo sculptures; terracota objects from archeological sites; and contemporary African paintings and sculptures. In the afternoon we will also visit the city market, the artisans' village, and the fetish market for traditional medicine; day-room check-out 18h00/6:00 PM; at the appropriate time, transfer to the airport for final departure
with Breakfast

1 km ~ 0.6 mile; driving times are approximate, depending on local conditions and stops; ferry crossings not included

15-day Tour Price: TO BE DETERMINED
NB: single supplement is applied to all solo travellers, for a single room at the hotels.

15-day Desert Festival Tour includes:

14 nights hotel (double occupancy), including breakfast (B); check-in 2:00 PM, check-out 12:00 noon
day-room in Bamako on the last day; check-out 6:00 PM
all ground transportation by 4x4 vehicle
three days to explore Dogon villages along the Bandiagara escarpment
all meals in Dogon villages: 4 breakfasts (B), 3 lunches (L), 4 dinners (D), excluding drinks
traditional Dogon mask dance in a village
half-day sailing excursion on the Niger River, by private river boat
experienced, English-speaking guide throughout
airport transfers for Bamako arrival and departure
all hotel taxes and local tourism taxes
all site visit and entry fees, as per tour program

Tour does not include international airfare to/from Bamako; Mali visa; Festival tickets; non-specified meals, drinks/bottled water; tips and personal expenses.

Please note: Saga Tours does not handle Festival tickets, international air reservations or visas.
See the Festival official website to purchase tickets, or get them at the Festival itself.

Mali's entry requirements:

tourism visa
Yellow Fever immunization

Malaria prophylaxis is recommended; consult your physician.

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.