Tribal Cultures Of Mali & Burkina Faso

Bamako/Kela/Bamako Begin your day with a visit to a Mandingo village before continuing to Kela, where you are welcomed by griots (traditional musicians and storytellers). Enjoy a celebration in town and lunch with a griot family. Return to Bamako, pausing en route to visit Badougou Djoliba, the village of Salif Keita, the famous Malian singer. Hotel Salam B L D

Bamako/Segou En route to Segou, pass through several small villages where you may see a hunter's ceremony or a naming ceremony. You also stop at Wolodo, an authentic Bambara village, to watch local women extract shea butter from the fruit of the karite tree. Continue driving through the gentle bushland to Segou, where the rest of your day is at leisure. Segou was the capital of the Bambara old kingdom, and much of Mali's food is still produced here. Hotel Independence B L D

Segou/Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso En route to Bobo Dioulasso, an old trade town and Burkina Faso's second largest city, visit villages and witness local people working in the millet and cotton fields. Hotel L'Auberge B L D

Bobo Dioulasso/Gaoua - the Lobi Country Start your exploration of the Bobo country by visiting Kuomi. The Bobo people are known as one of the remaining pure animist tribes in West Africa. They believe that all objects have souls and that some things, like mountains and rivers, carry the souls of the gods. Created in the 15th century by a Bobo hunter, Koumi is a small village of about 1,000 people divided into three main quarters -- the animists (the majority), the cast people, and some few Christians. All houses are built from red mud with a very original architecture. Learn about fetishes (carved figures representing the spirits), found everywhere around the village as protection. Millet beer is sold by the gourd on village corners. Return to Bobo Dioulasso to visit the old animists' quarter and witness the preparation of traditional millet beer. Visit the Muslim quarter nearby and enter of the old Sudanese Mosque, one of the oldest mosques of West Africa. Stroll through the bustling Bazaar Market and return to hotel for lunch. Later, drive into Gaoua - Lobi country. Because of their past warlike practices and secret societies, these farming people retain a way of life much like when the first Europeans arrived centuries ago. The Lobi believe that they once lived in an unspoiled paradise similar to the Garden of Eden, but that the gods turned their backs on them and sent thils (guiding spirits) to take care of them. Each village has its own thil, whose rules are interpreted and carried out by a religious diviner who lives in the village. Hotel Hala B L D

Gaoua/Bobo Dioulasso Discover the village of Mansana, which is seldom visited by outsiders. After lunch, return to Bobo Diolasso via Djebougou. En route, visit a gold mine. Hotel L'Auberge B L D

Bobo Dioulasso/San, Mali Crossing the savannah landscape, visit some Bobo villages on the way to San, where you stop at the mosque. Then, drive to Parana to witness an energetic Bobo dance. Hotel Teriya B L D

San/Djenn?/Bandiagara En route to Djenn?, drive through local villages to see the unique architecture of different tribes. When you arrive in Djenn?, one of Africa's oldest cities, embark on a walking tour. Stroll through the Monday market and visit the famous Grand Mosque, the largest mud monument in the world. Continue to the Koranic School and walk the narrow streets inspired by Moroccan design and Sudanese architecture. Afterward, absorb the ambience of Dogon country as your drive back to Bandiagara takes you past sand dunes, rushing streams and lush valleys, through onion farms and plains where tribesmen herd their sheep. Hotel Kambary B L D

Bandiagara/Tirelli/Sangha Explore the Dogon village of Sangha, located just a short distance from the Bandiagara plateau. En route, drive through breathtaking scenery with excellent views of Dogon villages perched on the cliff sides. Take in a spectacular mask dance, one of the most invigorating tribal dances in the world. The Dogons wear colorful masks with large geometric eyes and stylized features and perform their dance on stilts. After a picnic lunch at the home of the village chief of Tirelli, continue to explore Sangha, where the culture of the Dogons is on display. The Dogons, like the Bobos, are animists whose religion influences every aspect of their daily lives, from their carved wooden art to painted hieroglyphic-like sand rock caves and masked dances. Visit the women's sacred houses, the granaries and the house of the hogon (a spiritual chief in Dogon society). Hotel Guina B L D

Sangha/Youga/Bandiagara Drive to Bongo to see the Dogon traditional diviner, who interprets the footprints of the jackal. Continue down the cliffs to Youga, where you explore on foot the three incredible Dogon villages of Youganah, Youga Dogourou and Youga Pin. Afterward, return to Bandiagara. Hotel Kambary B L D

Bandiagara/Songho/Mopti Drive to Songho for a short hike to a spot that offers an excellent panoramic view over the area. Make your way to the Dogon Ritual Cave, famous for the grottoes and sand rock paintings that adorn the walls. Afterward, drive to Mopti, located at the confluence of the Bani and Niger Rivers. Mopti's main local industry is fishing, and in the port, observe the hundreds of pirogues (dugout canoes) that carry both goods and people to and from neighboring villages. Stroll through the local market to see an array of fresh, smoked and dried fish available for sale. Pass stalls selling dried onions from Dogon country, millet and traditional West African spices, as well as large tablets of salt that have been brought down river from Timbuktu. Continue to the main mosque, built in 1935 as the living quarters of the Komoguel (Imam) and which retains the architecture of banco style houses. Enjoy lunch overlooking the Niger River. This afternoon, discover the ancient Fulani (nomadic herders) quarter of Taikiri to see the local women who wear enormous earrings. Hotel Kanaga B L D

Mopti/Niger River to Kona/ Mopti Take a pirogue for a relaxing half-day excursion down the majestic Niger River. Along the way, visit Bozo fishing villages and Fulani villages, occasionally spotting hippo and colorful birds along the way. Afterward, return to Mopti. Hotel Kanaga B L D

Mopti/Timbuktu Fly to Timbuktu, located at the point where the Niger River flows into the edge of the desert, and the crossroads of the West African trade route in the 16th century. During this time, salt was as valuable as gold, and the busy trade and camel caravans led to the establishment of one of the oldest universities in West Africa, Sankore Madrash. As you wander through the city to glimpse local life, visit mosques, the explorers' houses, the museum, the library, the bustling food market and the artisans' market. Although lifestyles are gradually changing for many people in Mali, some groups are not likely to shed their traditional ways. This afternoon, go by Jeep into the desert to visit the Tuareg camps and discover the way these Islamic nomads, descendants of the Berbers, survive on what the desert provides. The Tuaregs are known as the "blue men of the desert" for their bright indigo robes and turbans. The dye from the robes sometimes rubs off, creating a bluish tint on their skin. Notice that, contrary to other Islamic societies, the Tuareg men are veiled at all times; the women are not. Camels are available for anyone who would like to take a ride. Later, enjoy a folkloric Tuareg dance, followed by a barbecue dinner served around a campfire in the middle of the desert. A local expert joins you for a talk about the stars and astrology. Hendrina Khan Hotel B L D

Timbuktu/Bamako Fly to Bamako and visit the National Museum with the museum's curator. View exhibits of art, artifacts, textiles, musical instruments and ritual objects that represent Mali's diverse ethnic groups. Test your bargaining skills as you stroll through the local artisans' markets and shop for silver, leather and wood carvings. This evening's dinner is at Santoro, famous for its African specialties and art gallery, where you are entertained by a griot. Hotel Salam B L D

Bamako/USA or Canada You have a full day to relax at your hotel. Following a farewell dinner at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your international departure flight. Hotel Salam (dayroom) B D