Mali is the jewel in West Africa’s crown, a destination that has all the right ingredients. The country occupies the heart of a territory that once supported Africa’s greatest empires and is rich with historical resonance. This history bequeathed to Mali some of its most dramatic attractions – the legendary city of Timbuktu (Tombouctou), whose name has never lost its allure for travellers, the gloriously improbable mosque at Djenné and the bustling river port of Mopti are simply three among many.
Mali’s history has always been a story of its deserts and rivers. The lucrative trade routes of the Sahara once made the region among the world’s richest, and the Niger, one of the grand old rivers of Africa, is still the lifeblood of the country; to journey along the Niger River route (preferably on a slow boat to Timbuktu) is one of the continent’s great adventures. Not far from the riverbank, the extraordinary Falaise de Bandiagara rises up from the plains, and shelters one of West Africa’s most intriguing peoples – the Dogon, whose villages and complex cultural rituals still cling to the edge of rocky cliffs. If you can visit one place in Mali, go to the Dogon Country: it’s utterly unforgettable.
Time GMT/UTC
Population 10.6 million
Borders Algeria, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal
Seasons Hot (October to February), very hot (April to June), wet (July to August)
Telephone Country code 223; international access code 00
ATMs None that work
Budget US$25 per day
Capital Bamako
Visa Renewable five-day visa available at border for CFA15, 000 or one-month visas at any Malian embassy.
Languages French, Bambara
Area 1, 240, 140 sq km
Money West African CFA franc; US$1 = CFA498
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