Mali Travel Blogs

Well here we are in mopti - just! after an ...
Feb 14, 2003 (5 photos)

Well here we are in Mopti - just!, after an eventful few days. After meeting Marlies again in Timbuktu in an internet cafe we all decided to try and get a boat (pinasse) to Mopti. We left the others in Timbuktu to enjoy the biggest Muslim festival of the ...

Whilst in st louis we had been invited to ...
Feb 2, 2003 (5 photos)

... Peace Corps workers, Andy and Deedee who were stationed nearby, were our guides for the night, and we were introduced to Mali customs including eating rice with peanut sauce with the locals, eating with our right hands only from a communal bowl. Later ...

Bamako was quite nice although sian didn't ...
Feb 9, 2003 (6 photos)

... from the telephone wires, apparently because they eat the cats and the chldren throw the skins up there afterwards... Since arriving in Mali we have noticed just how poor the people here are. They are very friendly but many children are just dressed in ...

Money problems and marriage proposal !
Mar 3, 2009 (5 photos)

... we were hot and tired we went to a little cafe near the Peace Monument for a cold drink.There was a civil war in Mali, sparked by a Tuareg Rebellion in the 1990's, and hundreds of people were killed. Things calmed down when a lasting peace agreement was ...

Arrive in Bamako & the Trip to Koutiala
Mar 1, 2009 (21 photos)

We made it to Koutiala today. Last night we stayed in Bamako (the capital city of Mali). Our flight arrived at 9:45pm and we waited for about an hour for our bags after getting through customs. It was a very small airport as you can imagine. We brought 10 ...

Among the Dogons
Nov 11, 2005 (4 photos)

Miles travelled: 17240 We are in the most interesting part of West Africa, the tribal lands of central Mali. The Dogon are the most famous of these tribes, due to their isolation and tenacious hold on traditional beliefs. They live at the base of the ...

Djenne
Nov 14, 2005 (4 photos)

Miles travelled: 17340 We're now in Djenne, which is one of the most picturesque towns in the Sahel portion of West Africa. It's renowned for its mosque, which is the largest mud-brick building in the world. Unfortunately we aren't allowed to go ...

GG et JP chez les Bozo et les Bambara
Feb 15, 2008 (15 photos)

LES « AUTRES » MOSQUEES   Après avoir parfois dénigré les mosquées (celles financées par les saoudiens, toutes neuves et construites à la chaîne) nous allons vous montrer d'autres mosquées, traditionnelles, de pur style soudanais celles là. Elles ...

Bamako at last
Nov 6, 2005 (3 photos)

Bamako, 11/06 Miles Travelled: 16940 We have finally arrived in Bamako, the capital of Mali, after 4 nights of bush camping and lots of dusty driving. Once the center of extensive trade and wealth in the 13th-15th centuries, Mali is now one of the ...

Day 41 42 - Mali, Bandiagara - Drunken Locals
Dec 19, 2008

It appears we've had another little hook up in camp.... no names will be mentioned but after getting back from Timbuktu some decided to stay up drinking so at 5am we heard a zip open and a certainly young lady crawl back into her tent... I wonder what ...

5ème épisode pour Maxence
Feb 12, 2008 (4 photos)

Enfin, nous avons Internet après plusieurs jours dans la brousse avec les bêtes sauvages (même pas vrai, on a vu que des singes!!!! Suite de l'histoire: Poue être encore plus fort Babacar est allé voir un ancêtre qui se trouve à Bambaguidé dans le pays des ...

The dance of the Dogon
Apr 28, 2009 (7 photos)

... hard work involved in getting to Timbuktu the plan now is walk in the 40 degree heat for 3 days in an area of Mali known as Dogon Country. Its an area dominated by a large sandstone escarpment which is home to various communities who call themselves the ...

Day 33 - Mali, Bush Camp 1 - Sling Shots
Dec 11, 2008

Some people still not feeling well having come down with pootomouth (definitely the dodge chicken... possibly also the pool).  Not nice when there are only 3 toilets for 50 odd people. Driving out of Bamako we once again stopped off at a ...

an ancient city
Aug 11, 2007

entry to follow

Mopti
Aug 12, 2007

entry to follow

Day 29 - Mali, Near Bamako - Jim's Birthday
Dec 7, 2008 (62 photos)

... grown less deserty with much less sand and more trees scattered around.  Unlike Mauritania with their spread out villages Mali seems a lot more tight packed - wall with tiny huts, stables and communal areas within.  First thing that ...

seatbelt for driver only ¨hahahahaha¨
Sep 20, 2009 (3 photos)

... , you can't go wrong with the following selection.  Toumani Diabaté Djelika (Hannibal / Rykodisc, 1995) One of Mali's greatest kora players, Toumani Diabaté has recently made big news with his cross-cultural collaborative projects, working first with ...

Day 43 45 - Mali, Djiguibombo - Dogon Trek
Dec 21, 2008

Three day trek of the Dogon country begins.  Up early and met by Ali Baba and his "large" van - once again he seems not to have noted that we're not the size of 5 year olds.  Thankfully its only an hour drive so after saying goodbye to Oliver ...

Day 45 48 - Mali, Bandiagara - Christmas
Dec 23, 2008

So this is Christmas.... Yippeeeeeee.  So happy it is finally here even though it doesn't feel like it in the slightest.  Have been trying to listen to Christmas carols as much as possible but with the truck split 50/50 on love/hate Christmas ...

Welcome to the Height of HOT season in Gao
May 22, 2006 (8 photos)

... later coordinating with the new volunteers coming up to Tombouktou in September (the program is only for the three northern regions of Mali). So it sounds pretty good for now, but I'm sure there will undoubtedly be frustration later. That all said, I ...

In Cheick's village of Kita.
Jan 3, 2009

Hey Everyone, Sully has still yet to find access to the internet so here I am again! Yesterday, he called me from the car on his way out of Bamako.  He was speaking Bambara and sounds so great.  Everyone is in such high spirits because of ...

Sikasso ville
Aug 29, 2006 (1 photos)

yes, trinh is alive and well in Mali. I know I have my travelpod site but I wanted to share the big news with everyone that i found out my site today. i will be in Sikasso city which is a regional capital in the south of Mali. It is the biggest city ...

Getting the left hand
Sep 24, 2006

... I started crying and couldnt stop for a while. I think it surprised people in my family because crying is not something very common in Mali. My host mother started crying and then it all let loose. I did not think that I was going to react that way, I ...

Mopti and the melting bus
Jun 24, 2009

... is crawling with hopeful guides wanting to take you into the Dogon country. This is meant to be many people's highlight of Mali but.. I don't think I'll go. I'm really funny about the whole idea of 'polluting the culture' and the whole ' ...

Boating up the river
Nov 16, 2005 (2 photos)

Miles Travelled: 17550 We're on a pinasse, an oversized canoe with an outboard motor, chugging slowly down the Niger River toward Timbuktu. The journey is quite peaceful, though the pinasse is quite long and narrow and has an uncomfortable tendency to ...

From Snowy Bristol to Hot Hot Mali
Feb 26, 2009 (16 photos)

... off to Hay on Wye to meet Chris, Steve and Sue with their daughter Freya -my traveling companions for this Mali adventure - destination TIMBUKTU! The snowflakes were ominously enormous as we hurtled towards Bristol Airport, and when we arrived the snow ...

So this is Mali
Apr 16, 2009 (10 photos)

... . The locals were friendly and cheery as we were exchanging stories. Before long it was time to make the long drive to the Mali capital of Bamako. We were advised that it would be about 9pm when we would arrive. The advantage of the long drive would be a ...

Progress Update from the Hospital
Mar 3, 2009 (11 photos)

We have been working very hard the last couple of days. We have connected all three buildings with fiber optic cable. It took quite a bit of work in the Maternity building as we had to keep asking patients to move. Many were friends and family waiting for ...

Oh Mali
Nov 7, 2006

... weeks, when things started and ended just as they came. Each of us get a Peace Corps newsletter called the Mali Rag with updates about visits fro; our directors, administrative information, health updates and even articles written by current volunteers ...

4ème épisode pour Maxence
Feb 9, 2008

Après avoir perdu Mr Ukulélé après le passage du marigot, Papy repart quand même vers le Mali. Gaoussou qui a guéri de ses bestioles dans le ventre a téléphoné pour dire qu'il serait à ...