N & W Africa, Mali

Overview

Mali is not the place to go for safaris. What it does have is a smorgasbord of surreal landscapes, beautiful artwork, Timbuktu, castellated mosques made entirely of mud, pink sandstone villages carved into cliff faces, and undulating desert scenes that look like out-takes from Lawrence of Arabia.

When To Go

The very best time to visit Mali is between November and January, before the heat hits in March and after the wet humid season. Trips down the Niger are also a good bet in November as the river is usually high enough for passenger boats to get through. By December and January boat trips may be more of a hop from one sandbank to another if not cancelled altogether. November, though, is also the high tourist season so if you prefer to sacrifice a bit of comfort for peace and quiet, you could go in December for the crossing of the cattle at Diafarabé. Mali's most famous cultural event is the Festival in the Desert, a musical extravaganza of the country's best musicians amid the sand dunes near Timbuktu which takes place in early January. In fact anytime from October through to February is a reasonable time to go, but trying to get around Mali in the hot season from March to May is strictly for masochists.

Visas

Visas are required for all visitors. Visas are available at the border.

Weather

At the borders of the clenching grasp of the Sahara, the southern part of Mali is the most hospitable. The rainy season - when torrential downpours and thunderstorms are preceded by strong winds - runs from June to September with July and August the wettest months. It's hottest between April and June, when temperatures frequently exceed 40°C 104°F. September and October are also extremely hot and Timbuktu in particular can be unpleasant. From November through January the alize a steady, mild northeasterly wind blows cooler air, keeping daytime temperatures in the 30s 86-102°F - Malians refer to this period as the cold season! From January to June, the hot and dusty harmattan a dry, dusty wind blows, irritating throats and, on some days, reducing visibility to a few hundred metres. December to March tends to have the best combination of heat and humidity with neither being too high - at least by Mali standards.

Getting There

There are a number of European carriers that fly into Bamako Airport, but if you wish to fly in from the USA you need to transfer to a regional flight at Dakar or Abidjan. The airport is about 10km 6mi from Bamako. Point Afrique, flying from Paris and Marseilles to Gao, Mopti or Bamako, is a charter company that provides great bargains to out-of-the-way places. Airport tax is included in the ticket price.

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