Mali Travel Journal

Hotel Atlantide, Hotel in Gao Mali – West Africa

I vote Hotel Atlantide in Gao the worst hotel I stayed in Mali. Well, I really wanted to stay in the town center, and, for location, for sure this hotel is the best, but, for quality and price relation is not good. The hotel is in really bad shape even though it seems it had [...]

Google Map of Mali

Languages and dialects of Mali in West Africa

Like many countries in Africa, Mali is a multilingual country, where several languages and dialects are spoken showing a sign of antique settlements, migrations, and a vast history where ethnic groups and tribes were maintained together. From its people, Bambara are the biggest ethnic group with 33% of the population, Fulani with 10%, Senoufo around [...]

Hitch-hiking travel in Mali

As the majority of us know, hitch-hiking is not the safest way of traveling but still probably the best way of getting in touch with local people on their daily life, going home, traveling or working. Mali looks quite safe in terms of what drivers look like. In Mali, not everyone can afford to have [...]

Local Festivals in Mali

Dogon Countries Mask Cerimonies – April to May Bozo Fishing Celebrations – February Marionette Festival in Diarabougou – November Markala Fulani Cattle Crossing – December to January Bamako Biennal Sport and Cultural Event – September in even years Essakane Festival in the Desert – January (www.festival-au-desert.com) Festival Andéramboukane – January (Mali – Niger border) Festival [...]

Water in Mali, Mali Drinking Water, Water in Africa

1 bottle with 1.5lt of water costs from 500 CFA (0.70 Euros) to 1000CFA (1.5 Euros) depending of the place you buy. One properly treated and sealed 500ml bag of water costs 50CFA (0.07 Euros). So my question is: What is the point of buying bottles of water while those bags are much better? In [...]

Airlines that fly to Bamako Senou Aiport in Mali

Smooth landing at Bamako Senou airport, Mali, with Air Burkina flight from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. List of airlines that link Senou International Airport in Bamako (BKO) to other cities. Afrinat International Airlines (Banjul, Conakry, Dakar) Afriqiyah Airways (Ouagadougou, Tripoli) Aigle Azur (Paris-Orly) Air Algérie (Algiers) Air Burkina (Dakar, Ouagadougou) Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle) Air [...]

Boat trip to La Dune Rose, Gao Mali

La Dune Rose is a big dune along the Niger River outside the city of Gao. La Dune Rose means The Pink Dune and the name comes from the specific colors the sand reflects at dawn and nightfall. This dune is also known as Koyma, the small town at its base. To arrive to the [...]

Shopping in Gao, Prices in Gao – West Africa

Here is a small list of goods and services that I bought during my stay in Gao in Mali. I hope it’s somehow useful for you to get a general ideia of prices in this town. 1 Night Hotel Atlantide 1 single room = 5000 CFA 500ml Water bag = 50 CFA Internet 1 hour [...]

UNESCO Monument of the Tomb of Askia Mohammad I, Gao

In the middle of nowhere and with quite a few dozen of hours away from Bamako direction Niger, we find the city of Gao that incredibly has a UNESCO protected World Heritage site. The Tomb of Askia located on the outskirts of Gao, is believed to be the mausoleum of the 1st Emperor of Songhai [...]

Lebazy Internet, Cybercafe Gao in Mali

This is a nice and relaxed place to check out your emails while in Gao. The guys working there are friendly and helpful and will get you the best seat and probably the best computer so don’t rush if they tell you to wait. The price for Internet 1 hour = 750 CFA. 2 modest [...]