Adolescenza **** Discoteche/   Web stradivariusconcerti.com

Mediterraneo

Letteratura Africana	Islam	Cristianesimo	Arabic Literature
Letteratura Araba	Letteratura Sudafricana	Musica Africana

Oasi

Sahara

Maghreb

	Africa
	Mali

Djenne

Dogon

Timbuktu

Thanks to http://www.world66.com/ *********************The content is published under a creative commons licence : http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0 / ).

Mali Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see The National Ensemble of Mali The National Ensemble of Mali William L. Conwill Mali is landlocked country in Africa. It is bordered by Mauritania, Algeria, Nigerja, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinee Conakry and Senegal. Mali is a fascinating country to explore. With its old cities along the Niger river and its well documented history, it gives you an unique insight in pre-colonial African civilization. Gao, Djenne, with its famous mosque, Segou, Mopti and Timbuktu all are very exciting travel destinations. Dogon Country is possibly even more exciting to explore. The way the Dogon people have survived over the centuries in this barren land teaches us all a lesson. Mali is also famous among the traveler community for its laidback atmosphere, its easy going people, Those thnings make a trip to Mali worth your while. ___________People Edit This Population: 10 108 569 (July 1998 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 47% (male 2 405 624; female 2 383 728) 15-64 years: 49% (male 2 367 538; female 2 628 399) 65 years and over: 4% (male 152 999; female 170 281) (July 1998 est.) Population growth rate: 3.24% (1998 est.) Birth rate: 49.88 births/1 000 population (1998 est.) Death rate: 19.04 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.) Net migration rate: 1.57 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female (1998 est.) Infant mortality rate: 121.72 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.03 years male: 45.67 years female: 48.43 years (1998 est.) Total fertility rate: 7.02 children born/woman (1998 est.) Nationality: noun: Malian(s) adjective: Malian Ethnic groups: Mande 50% (Bambara Malinke Sarakole) Peul 17% Voltaic 12% Songhai 6% Tuareg and Moor 10% other 5% Religions: Muslim 90% indigenous beliefs 9% Christian 1% Languages: French (official) Bambara 80% numerous African languages Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 31% male: 39.4% female: 23.1% (1995 est.) :::::::::::Bamako Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Central Bamako: sheep and BCEAO tower Central Bamako: sheep and BCEAO tower jst Bamako is the lively capital of Mali. It doesn't have major sights like Djenne or Mopti but it is a very pleasant city, with good markets, friendly people and a laid back atmosphere. Worth a couple of days. The museum is well worth a visit, with a nice collection of masks, terracottas and an excellent collection of textiles. Bamako is also the place to arrange things for further travel. You can get your visa here and you can arrange trips with small travel agencies. ____________Sights Edit This Although Bamako is not packed with sights in the traditional sense, there is enought to do and to see for a couple of days. [Add Sight] National Museum Edit This The National Museum on the Avenue de la Liberte is absolutely worth a visit. It is one of the best museums in West-Africa and gives you a good introduction in the history an culture of the Niger valley civilizations. The entrance fee is about 500 CFA and it is open from 9 am to 6 pm. type: Streets World66 rating: [rate it] Plateau Viewpoint Edit This The road ledaing up form the Museum to the Presidential Palace, passes a great viewpoint. It is a few hunderd meters off the road, but there are sighns leading you there. Great views over the city. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] _________Nightlife and Entertainment Edit This Bamako is not Dakar, when it comes to nightlife, but there are plenty bars to spend a few evenings and nights. [Add Entertainment place] La Cigalle Edit This On the road the Koulikoro you will find two bars with live music, La Cigalle being somewhat bettre than competitor Rive Gauche. type: Casinos World66 rating: [rate it] Hotel Buffet de la Gare Edit This This is a good option. They have life music om saturday nights. Expect to pay about 1000 CFA. The Hotel is located opposite the train station. type: Jazz World66 rating: [rate it] :::::::::::: Baoule national park Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see This nature reserve (open December-May) is home to lions, giraffes, buffalo, hippos, antelope and leopards. Don't expect "East African" sight seeing of the animals however, the quality of the park is nowhere as good as the big game parks in Kenya or Tanzania. It does make a nice trip from Bamako if you are interested in wildlife. 80 mi/130 km northwest of Bamako. ::::::::Djenne Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see photo Djenne is a very small city on an island in the Bani river. It is in the middle of an area where the earliest remnants of the Iron Age have been found in Africa. It is of course famous for its mosque - the largest mud building in the world - which is unfortunately closed to non-Muslims but is an eccentrically beautiful building to walk around the outside of. Djenne is usually visited on a Monday, so that visitors can also take in its colourful market. However it is well worth seeing on a different day of the week when it is quiet, to wander the ancient streets and alleyways and admire the beautiful adobe (mud) architecture. This way you can also be at the riverside early on the Monday to watch the traders arriving with their heavily laden carts of goods. ::::::::::::Dogon Country Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see A view from the old village... A view from the old village... Mike Norris Dogon country is definately one of the highlights of West-Africa and absolutely worth a visit. The main thing you will want to do is hike to a number of villages on the escarpment, with a local guide and get to know the people and the way they have lived here for centuries. For details about different possibilties, see Dogon Country. In all cases it is best to stay at least one night in one of the villages, but it is also possible to to it as a daytrip. In that case Bankas on the Mopti to Burkina Faso road is your best starting point. In other cases the best starting point to explore Dogon country is probably Bandiagara. Check the details at that location. __________Millet Beer Edit This Visitors to Dogon country may want to try their strong homemade beer brewed from millet (be prepared to slurp it out of a shared not-very-clean gourd however which is how it is traditionally served). Do not take photos of the people without asking first. _________Things to do Edit This [Add Activity] One day hike Edit This For a one day hike, start in Sanga. There are different one day hikes starting and finishing there, called Petit Tour (7 km), Moyen Tour (10 km) and Grand Tour (15 km). From Bankas you can also make a one day trip to the escarpment, but it will be a full day, starting early and returning quite late. From Bandiagara it is not well feasible to do it as one day trip. Better take two days. type: Hiking World66 rating: [rate it] Two days hike Edit This On a two day hike, you have the possibility to sleep in one of the villages which gives you a unique impression. From Bandiagara the best place to sleep is Kani-Kombole, Teli or Ende. Erin Coleman: I have taken this trip from Bandiagara, spent the day in Kani-Komnole, and then spent the night in Teli before returning to Bandiagara. It is truely beauitul, and I believe it is the most beautiful geographic location in Mali. But don't forget the people whom you are meeting, and act as you hosts. They are what is truely beautiful in Mali. type: Hiking World66 rating: [rate it] Longer Hikes Edit This Longer hikes from Bandiagara and Sanka are mostly first to Tel, then going north, sleeping in Yawa or Douro and then back. It is also possible to a complete north-south trip, starting in Sanga and finishing in Bandiagara or Bankas. type: Hiking World66 rating: [rate it] :::::::::Gao Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see i Stéphanie Pety de Thozée Gao is not a very attractive city. For those crossing the Sahara, it is however the last or the first place where one can get some comfort. The town has never quite recovered from Moulay Ismail's raid with his Moroccan warriors in 1591 despite its prime location on the Niger River. Gao is also quite a hot place to be and self appointed guides can be rather pushy, so you may want to move on quickly. For this purpose (moving on) Gao is an excellent place. It is a link between the routes north to Tamanrasset, east to Niger, and west to Bamako. Sights include the rather uninspiring Musee du Sahel (a museum featuring art, tools, household items) markets (leather work, desert sandals, knives and swords), the busy port and the tomb of Askia (a 500-year-old adobe “pyramid” with a view of the river and town). Another highlight is an early-morning pirogue ride to the big red sand dune just out of town. Leaving Gao, one can take a pinasse on the River Niger to Timbuktu, a journey of roughly three days which most guides can organise. You will spend the three days watching the life on the riverbanks and the fishermen on the river, but should also enjoy the bird life (kingfishers, ibis, raptors), hippos, and for the lucky few a sighting of the elusive manatee. ________History Edit This [Add New] Tracey fluke Edit This Gao was founded in 1296 by Nunkinka. World66 rating: [rate it] zipcode: 1234 address: 4756 tel: 675 555 4896 email: traceyfluke@aol.com __________Getting There Edit This Buses run from Gao to Mopti and Bamako. The fare to Bamako is 15.000 CFA, to Mopti about half that. Another option is taking the passenger boats on the Niger river, they stop by Timbuktu which makes for a very nice excursion. For onward travel to Niamey in Niger you cannot take a boat, since the river is not navigable all the way. There are buses three times a week, try the SNTN office. The bus stops overnight at the border and arrive the following day. The fare is about 8000 CFA. Take water with you. :::::::::::Kayes Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see The city of Kayes is well worth a visit if your travels happen to take you through this region. It still bears the images of the French colonization in the layout of the city and the central downtown architecture. There are a numberof Hotels available including the Hotel du Rail across from the train station. Taxi's are readily available at the train station and can wisk you downtown in a few minutes. There are a number of restaurants and patisseries that now dot the landscape. But try and find a local "rotisseur" (barbeque) of the local meat delicacies. You will be very impressed. There is now a road that links Kayes to Dakar, Senegal. So transportation is fairly regular. Excursions to the gold fields south of Kayes can be arranged in town. Be aware that temperature can reach the extremes. In the month on May I witnessed the surpassing of 140 degrees F at the local meterological station. Most of the time the temperatures hover between 80 and 100. Hydration is imperitive. Anti-malarial meds are necessary, and stay out of the rivers and fresh water ponds, bilharzia is prevelant. But have fun in Kayes it is truly a great place to visit and the folks are warm. :::::::::Kidal Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Kidal is the least developed of the regions of Mali - it is the poorest and least populated, comprised entirely of Sahara desert. There are no paved roads. The people are primarily Tamashek (Touareg). Yet despite Kidal is also a charming place. Though the architecture and setting are unremarkable, the people are friendly and laid-back. Perhaps because it sees fewer tourists than other parts of Mali there are fewer pushy "guides". Kidal is also a good place to arrange a tour of the beautiful Adrar des Iforhas mountains. :::::::::::Kita Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Kita is a charming little town with a lively market halfway between Kayes and Bamako. The best way to get here is by train. For a place to stay your best option is Hotel Relais Touristique. It has a swimming pool, something you will need in this part of the world. :::::::::. Mopti Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Mopti Mopti Gregg Butensky - madnomad.com Mopti is about halfway from Bamako to Timbuktu. The city is spread over three islands and sits at the junction of the Niger River and the Bani River. The city is mostly inhabited by Fulani traders. This makes Mopti an interesting market town where various tribes go to trade for fish and salt. Vendors sell cloth, leather goods, masks, jewellery, amber and intricately woven Fulani wedding blankets. Mopti is an excellent base to start a trip to Dogon Country a must see on your Mali trip. To go to Timbuktu it is also a necessary stop to plan your trip. It may seem like Mopti is nothing but a stopover to these places, but this impression is wrong. Mopti is a pleasant, very lively place. It also has good options for eating out and even for nightlife. It is basically a nice place to enjoy yourself for a few days in a beautiful surrounding. It is, however, a haven for mosquitoes. _________Sights Edit This x boats on the Niger, near Mopti jst The main sight is the town isn't itself with its bad structures, small streets and laid back atmosphere. Here is a list things you will want to photograph while you wander around town. [Add Sight] River trips Edit This x boats on the Niger, near Mopti photo by: jst A nice excursion can be a trip with a prirogue on the river. If you make a somewhat lonegr trip, you can visit nearby villages (Kaladoga e.g.). Go to the Bar Bozo and you will easily find a boat owner willing to take you. Dusk is a good time. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] The Mosque Edit This Mosque, Mopti Mosque, Mopti photo by: jst The Mosque in Mopti was built in 1935. It was modelled after the one in Djenne . It is hard to be let in if you are not a muslim, but you can climb the roof of one of the houses nearby to let you have a sneak view of the mosque. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Grand Marche Edit This The Grand Marche is in the Old Town, not too far from the Mosque. Thursday is market day. There is a lot of dried fish to be bought, as well as salt from the salt mines near Timbuktu. type: Hotspots World66 rating: [rate it] The port Edit This Port of Mopti Port of Mopti photo by: jst One of the hotspots in Mopti, the ever bustling port is always full of traders. type: Streets World66 rating: [rate it] __________Practical Information Edit This [Add Practical address] Police Edit This Get a visa extension or register at the Mopti Police Station. The fee is about 1000 CFA. The Commisariat is near the market. type: Embassies and Consulates World66 rating: [rate it] Banks Edit This Mopti has the luxury of having two banks: a BDM and a BIAO. They are open from 8:30 to 11:30 and then one more hour in the afternoon. Service is not very good in either case. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] :::::::::::Niono Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Niono is considered the Venice of Africa. The town is navigable by boat. The mud brick houses, and the mud brick mosque, as impressive as the one in Djenne, give this Venice a real African feel. Niono can be visited as a daytrip from Segou or on the road from Segou to Timbuktu. In this last case, you have to realise that getting transportation will be harder when you split up the trip. ::::::::Segou Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Segou, Mali Segou, Mali stuart holding Segou is mostly famous form the book by Maryse Conde. It still is the main city (pop. 65 000) of the Bambara tribe and it's located near the remains of Mbella, the ancient Bambara capital. Segou is a nice place to stop and catch your breath after the dust and congestion of Bamako: It’s a calm tree-lined city with more than its share of friendly people. Monday is market day—a good day to people watch and the best time to find the bright hand-woven fabrics for which Segou is famous. A wonderful day trip can be made to Niono locally known as the Venice of Mali. Niono’s mud mosque rivals the larger more famous one in Djenne (and it’s generally easier to get in). ____________Sights Edit This i The following sights can be visited in Segou. [Add Sight] Nieli Rug Coop Edit This In the Nieli Rug Coop you can by famous Segou rugs directly from the people who make them. It's a km south of the commisariat de police, via de Avenue du President Konate. It's closed on sundays. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Market Edit This The Grand Marche is open th whole week. On mondays it is most busy. You can find good pottery and cloth here. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] :::::::::Sikasso Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Sikasso is located in Mali's green belt; see the remnants of the Tata, ancient palisade that encircled the city and for a time held off the French colonial army; visit the Mamelon, residence of the kings of Sikasso and sacred site that housed the city's protector spirits. One may overnight at Zanga Hotel in Sikasso. :::::::::Timbuktu Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Minaret, Sankoré mosque Minaret, Sankoré mosque jst In the minds of the West the name Timbuktu evokes the end of the world. The city gained its reputation as a city of mystery because no European ever saw it and returned to tell the tale until 1828. Timbuktu used to be an important center along the trade routes (gold, salt, slaves) linking sub-Saharan Africa to North-Africa. The Tuareg and Arabic tribes ruled over these routes and this brought them their wealth. What's left of this grandeur is a small, remote but charming town made near the Niger River in north-central Mali. The best and nicest way to get to Timbuktu is by riverboat. It does take a long time to get there by this route. From Mopti it takes about three days with stops at villages along the way. If you want more than 2 or 3 stops, arrange to spend 4 days on the boat. It costs 300,000CFAish to charter a pinasse - technically it'll seat 20, but more than 6 people will be cramped. From Gao takes 3 to 4 days. You will see good bird life as well as the life of the local people, and particularly on the Gao route should be able to see hippos. You can fly to Timbuktu from Mopti or Bamako a couple of days a week.