Timbukto via the Niger River

Trip Start Mar 11, 2009

Trip End Jan 05, 2010

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Where I stayed

Hotel Camping Tombouctou

(Timbuktu hotels)

Flag of Mali Timbuktu, Mali
Friday, April 24, 2009

Day One - Traveled 40km to meet our pinasse (boat), which would be our means of travel to Timbukto. Stopped off at a local village to buy chickens for tonights meal. The river levels are low so the boat keeps getting stuck on sandbars. There was a brillant sunset whilst a few of us helped push the boat through a lake, with the water levels just above knee height, enjoyable experience. Camped beside the river or on top of the boat.

Day Two - Lazy day. Nothing much of note happended during the day, except stopping at Niafunke for everyone to buy drinks. Niafunke is the hometown of Ali Fakrah Toure, a famous Mali musician, and I think we even went to his hotel for the drinks.

Day Three - Long lazy day on the river, this last part of the trip eventually took 13hrs to complete, most people are starting to get annoyed with being crammed on the boat...glad it isn't 4 days by boat. Arrived at Korioume, port of Timbukto, and then we all crammed into a small van with our gear and guide to our hotel, Hotel Camping Tombouctou.

Day Four - Walked around with Brad and Lene to visit the main sites, only taking us 1hr30mins to see the lot. The oldest mosque was being renovated with the mud walls being repaired. Took at path visiting the following: Sankore Mosque, Grand Marche, Ethnological Museum, Place de l'Indepence, Dyingerey Ber Mosque and Maison des Artisans. The harmattan (sand being blown in from the desert) was blowing through the city during the time we were there.

Went for a camel ride into the desert with Tuareg and into one of their villages on the outskirts of Timbukto. Spent 1hr on camels going back and forth and around 1hr at the village, where we were given mint tea before they showed us their jewellry for us to buy. My guide was called Omar and the camel was called Gerba. Everyone (8 of us) had the biggest grins on our faces whilst on the camels, this is the best activity so far on the trip.

Day Five - Back to Sevare in 4WDs, 12 hr trip along some very bumpy, corrigated roads. Out of 4 vehicles, only 1 was mechanically sound and road-worthy...that group had the ill driver. The car I was in seemed to have a dodgy clutch with a driver who liked to drive far too fast for the road conditions, we ended up towing another car that died just before the lunch stop. Possibly went south near Boni on the route home.