The Festival au Désert 2012 in the Saharan Desert of Mali *5
0€
*1599€ includes festival entry fee / 14 days, January 6 - January 19, 2012 off!
Three days & three nights at Festival, in
traditional nomad tents! + Arts & Crafts of Mali 14
days!
Internationally renowned musicians &
All night in Bamako‟s hottest
the best of Malian artists!
live music clubs
Traditional Tuareq camel races, sword fights
Check out the best artisan markets
& dances!
Visit Ségou‟s mask & marionette
Camp fires, desert dunes & shooting stars!
sculptors
All inclusive boutique-style camping site with
Marvel at Mali‟s unique Sudanese mud
access to hotel room!
architecture
Meet Timbuktu‟s desert silversmiths
Watch a spectacular Dogon
Additional Mali Highlights
+
Dogon Country: fascinating & authentic
Bamako: busy & bustling capital
Djenné: fairytale mud mosque
Timbuktu: door to the Sahara Desert
Mopti: colorful & multicultural
Ségou: center of arts & crafts
with
Mali Yaara Adventure Tours
local know-how & contacts
thoroughly planned & well executed travel programs
adventure travel with maximum comfort
culturally & environmentally sensitive
FREE visa service!
24 hour customer service in
English, French, German
“Music is easily Mali’s most famous export.”
Vanity Fair
Mali Yaara Adventure Tours
Bamako & Timbuktu, Mali / www.maliadventuretours.com / info@maliadventuretours.com
(+223) 75 32 83 30 (deutsch, english) (+223) 76 02 31 66 (français)
Mali Yaara Adventure Tours Bamako & Timbuktu, Mali / www.maliadventuretours.com / info@maliadventuretours.com
Travel Itinerary : Festival au Désert 2012 & Arts and Crafts (1599€, Jan 6 - Jan 19, 14 days)
Day 1 – Friday, 06 Jan 2012
Bamako
An English-speaking agency representative meets you upon arrival at Bamako airport and assists you with
all visa formalities and luggage. You then transfer to your hotel located in the heart of Bamako. Depending
on the arrival time of your flight, there may be an opportunity to visit sights in Bamako such as the National
Museum and the “Grand Marché”. (Accommodation: Hotel Djenné or similar)
As recently as 1806 Bamako was a Bozo fishing and trading community of only about 6000 people. In
1883, the French captured the town and in 1908 Bamako became their regional seat of power. At the inde-
pendence in 1960, Bamako was chosen as the capital and today is a busy city of well over 1 million people.
Day 2 – Saturday, 7 Jan 2012
Bamako
Beads! Bogolan! Jewelry! Masks! Marionettes! The markets of Bamako beckon with their treasures! In addi-
tion to visiting two teeming artisan markets you will visit some of the more recent boutiques in town that of-
fer more contemporized merchandise. Visit the National Museum and the newly opened National Park (and
their museum shops – yippee!). In the afternoon you can catch some rest (and admire your purchases) be-
fore heading for a late dinner at San Toro restaurant. There is a fabulous boutique next door where you can
admire one-of-a-kind designs by a young female designer. Conclude the evening by visiting some of Ba-
mako‟s lively night spots with live music! (Accommodation: Hotel Djenné or similar)
Meal included: breakfast
Day 3 – Sunday, 8 Jan 2012
Bamako → San (450 km) → Djenné (125 km)
After an early breakfast at your hotel, depart in an air-conditioned Toyota Land Cruiser. As soon as you
leave the outskirts of Bamako behind, you notice how the landscape changes. The first huge Baobab trees
always are an impressive sight. Once in San (450 km), you enjoy a tasty lunch and an ice cold beverage.
Continue your drive after lunch until you arrive in Djenné (125 km). Check in to your hotel and enjoy the
evening. (Accommodation: Hotel Djenné-Djenno or similar)
Meal included: breakfast
Djenné is a historically and commercially important small city in the Niger Inland Delta. It has an ethnically
diverse population of about 12,000 and is famous for its mud brick architecture, most notably the Great
Mosque of Djenné which was rebuilt in 1907. Djenné is one of the oldest known cities in sub-Saharan Africa
and its mosque and historic city center was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988.
Day 4 – Monday, 9 Jan 2012
Djenné → Bandiagara → Ende (Pays Dogon) (204 km)
Start exploring this medieval town entirely constructed in mud. Today is market day, and neighboring villag-
ers are present in their finest costumes to shop, barter, and socialize. The famous mosque of Djenné - the
world's largest mud structure first built in the 13th century - looms in the background of the market. Visit a
local workshop that produces fine Bogolan and other textiles. Leave after lunch and arrive in Bandiagara
after about 180 km. The car takes you to Kani-Kombole and you can walk (or drive) until Ende (9 km),
where you relax in a charming auberge over dinner and drinks. (Accommodation: local auberge)
Meal included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Bandiagara is said to have been founded in 1770 by Nangabanu Tembély, a Dogon hunter. In 1864, Tid-
iani Tall chose Bandiagara as capital of the Toucouleur empire. It is also Malian author Amadou Hampâté
Bâ’s place of birth. It is one of the largest cities in the Dogon Country with historic sites and cliffs.
Day 5 – Tuesday, 10 Jan 2012
Dogon Country (Pays Dogon) (62 km)
Enjoy breakfast with a view of the imposing cliff and Tellem villages perched on its ledges. The Dogon vil-
lages at the foot of the cliff each reveal their own unique character as you start visiting them: ancient rock
drawings, a sacred cave, tiny grain storage huts, a holy hermit living in the cliff, luscious onion gardens ...
Walking or driving (as you wish), you explore many until you arrive in Nombori (30 km) where you break for
lunch. Continue later until you arrive Tireli where you are treated to a cultural spectacle: the Dogon mask
dance. Continue to Koundou (32 km) and settle in for the night. (Accommodation: local auberge)
Meal included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
The Dogon are an ethnic group living in the central plateau region south of the river Niger bend. Dogon
Country is bisected by a sandstone cliff of up to 500m high, which stretches for about 150km. The Dogon
people fled to the Bandiagara area when they refused to convert to Islam. For their own protection, they
constructed their villages in defensible positions along the walls of the cliffs. Today, the Dogon are best
known for their mythology, their mask dances, wooden sculpture and their architecture.
2 Mali Yaara Adventure Tours Bamako & Timbuktu, Mali / www.maliadventuretours.com / info@maliadventuretours.com
Travel Itinerary : Festival au Désert 2012 & Arts and Crafts (1599€, Jan 6 - Jan 19, 14 days)
Day 6 – Wednesday, 11 Jan 2012
Dogon Country → Timboragen (300 km)
After an early breakfast you explore the “three Youga Villages” on foot, walking for about 3 hrs. Your driver
meets you at the last village and you start your drive to Douentza (135 km), your lunch stop. After lunch,
you leave the asphalt road to drive approx. 165 km/5 hrs on a „washboard‟ dirt road until you reach Tim-
boragen, a Tamashek village with a rustic but charming campment. Enjoy a cold beverage with you dinner
and marvel at the desert sky - no light pollution here! (Accommodation: campment)
Meal included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7 – Thursday, 12 Jan 2012
Timboragen → Timbuktu (55 km)
Enjoy a quick breakfast and set off to drive an additional 35 km to the ferry. After a short ferry ride and an-
other 20 km on the other side you have arrived: Timbuktu! Explore Timbuktu, visiting its magnificent mud-
brick structures including the Mosque of Sankoré and the Place of Bouctou. Visit with a silversmith at his
workshop in town and marvel at the ancient techniques used.
Legendary Timbuktu is an important source for rock-salt, and its geographical setting historically has made
it a natural meeting point for nearby West African populations and nomadic Berber and Arab peoples from
the north. Timbuktu's long-lasting contribution to Islamic and world civilization is scholarship: it is assumed
to have had one of the first universities in the world. Local scholars and collectors still boast an impressive
collection of ancient Greek texts from that era.
After lunch (and a shower!) you drive to the Desert Festival site. Once there, you can explore the area and
settle in before dinner. Stay up for the official opening ceremony of the Festival, then turn in for the night
under the stars.
Meal included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
The Festival in the Desert (Festival au Désert) celebrates the reconciliation between the nomadic and
sedentary communities of the southern Sahara. Traditionally, the local Tamashek people celebrate with
various forms of native song, dance, poetry, ritual sword fighting, games, and other ancient cultural tradi-
tions. In 2010 the Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary with both international and local artists.
Day 8 – Friday, 13 January 2012
Desert Festival
Enjoy a morning at your leisure after all the excitement of the previous evening. Go into town around lunch
time to take a day excursion on the river, where we hope to show you some hippos not too far from Tim-
buktu. You are back at the festival site in the afternoon, just as the festivities start up again – stay up all
night long if you want! (Accommodation: camping)
Meal included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 9 – Saturday, 14 January 2012
Desert Festival
The Festival and activities in the desert continue. Take a camel ride through the dunes and have some tea.
Later you can visit the festival‟s artisan market. Experience the Festival grand finale, which continues
through the night. (Accommodation: camping)
Meal included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 10 – Sunday, 15 Jan 2012 (375 km)
Timbuktu → Mopti (380 km)
After breakfast leave Timbuktu and drive to Douentza for a lunch stop. Afterwards, drive another
175km/2.5hrs to Mopti, Mali‟s most important port city where the rivers Niger and Bani meet. In the after-
noon you visit Mopti and catch the sunset on a terrace overlooking the busy port. Later check in to your ho-
tel for the night. (Accommodation: La Maison Rouge or similar)
Meal included: Breakfast
Mopti is known as the "Venice of Mali" as it is built across three islands. The islands have long been inhab-
ited, but the city of Mopti was only founded in the 19th century as part of the Massina Empire. With French
domination, Mopti became known for its egret feather industry. Due to the limited land available, Mopti is
more densely built than most Malian cities, containing many multi-story buildings and narrow streets.
3 Mali Yaara Adventure Tours Bamako & Timbuktu, Mali / www.maliadventuretours.com / info@maliadventuretours.com
Travel Itinerary : Festival au Désert 2012 & Arts and Crafts (1599€, Jan 6 - Jan 19, 14 days)
Day 11 - Monday, 16 Jan 2012
Mopti → Teriya Bugu (280 km)
This morning you drive for about 280 km/4 hrs to reach Teriya Bugu, a
Tour Price Includes
real oasis in the Sahel. After your recent desert adventures you can now
relax, swim in the pool and rinse that sand out of your hair. If you wish, (pp, double occupancy):
you can visit the eco-project of the hotel and learn more about the local
Guided tour to some of
environment. (Accommodation: Hotel Teriya Bugu)
Meal included: Breakfast Bamako‟s best night spots
Teriya Bugu means “Hut of Friendship” in Bambara/Bamana and was Guided tours through all major
founded by the Bani River by Father Bernard Verspiere, a French na- artisan markets plus art & craft
tional who lived in Mali for more than 50 years. It is a small oasis and a shops
test platform of renewable energy such as solar panels, wind pumps, bio
Visit to ateliers and workshops:
gas and field crops of Jatropha, to name a few.
Bogolan, silversmith, mask/
Day 12 – Tuesday, 17 Jan 2012 marionette, and pottery
Teriya Bugu → Ségou (130 km) Dogon mask dance
Enjoy this morning of leisure: catch up on your notes, organize your pho- Camel ride in desert
tos, do some bird watching, catch some sun rays or a nap … Lunch is
served on the terrace, and later you drive for approx. 130 km/2.5 hrs to Hippo safari (daytrip)
reach Ségou, Mali‟s third largest city and former colonial administrative Hotel accommodations as
center. Here you can visit artisan shops and Bogolan ateliers before re- indicated double room
laxing in your hotel for the evening. (Accommodation: Hotel Le Faro or occupancy
similar)
Festival accommodations, all
Meal included: Breakfast
inclusive (3 days / 3 nights
Ségou is the capital of the Bambara/Bamana empire, and home to the
yearly Festival Sur Le Niger, one of Mali’s biggest cultural, musical and camping in shared traditional
artistic festivals. Ségou’s cultural heritage includes traditional musical tent with mattress)
instruments, folkloric groups and traditional masks and marionettes. It is Festival entry pass (bracelet)
also known for its handcrafted pottery, weaving (blankets, wrappings and All ground transportation in
carpets), Bogolan (mud cloth), painting and sculpture. Ségou is regarded
private air-conditioned 4WD
as the capital of Malian pottery, and is home to Emperor Biton Couli-
baly’s Tomb. vehicle
Bottled water during the
Day 13 – Wednesday, 18 Jan 2012 Festival
Ségou Meals included as indicated
A whole day in Ségou! This is really a center for artisans, and you will be
able to visit textile and marionette workshops. Take a leisurely boat ride English-speaking tour guide
in the afternoon and visit a nearby village known for its pottery mastery. Roundtrip airport to hotel
Return to Ségou in time for a drink as the sun sets. Finish your day with transfers
a delicious meal on board of the river. (Accommodation: Hotel Le Faro or Use of day room at hotel on
similar)
departure day
Meal included: Breakfast
30-day tourism visa
Day 14 – Thursday, 19 Jan 2012
Ségou → Bamako (140 km) Tour Price Does Not Include
After breakfast drive for approx. 240km/3.5 hrs to reach Bamako, your
final destination. As time permits tour Bamako‟s sights such as its large (per person):
market and city center before transferring to a day room at a hotel and Single room supplement: 180€
your evening flight home.
All beverages (except water
Meal included: Breakfast
during Festival)
Meals not indicated on itinerary
Travel insurance
International airfare to Mali
Gratuity to driver and guide
* Price is non-commissionable / non-discountable, and valid from July 1, 2011
through December 1, 2011. Book by October 1, 2011, and receive 50€ off
Sleeping bags (recommended)
itinerary price. Price is per person, double occupancy, and based on minimum Other optional activities or
of 4 travelers. Maximum number of travelers per vehicle is 4, plus guide / driver. photo opportunity fees
Please refer to our policies & procedures for additional information:
http://www.maliadventuretours.com/terms-and-conditions.html Admission fee to music clubs
TOs / agents, please contact us directly for prices. and concerts
4 Mali Yaara Adventure Tours Bamako & Timbuktu, Mali / www.maliadventuretours.com / info@maliadventuretours.com