We were in Mali for 6 weeks, Dec 2005 to Jan 2006, trekking in the Dogon region, and Hombori and at the Desert Festival at Essakane near Timbuktu. All superb.

General travel Buses are not always comfortable and frequently late but you get there in the end. Bush-taxis look total wrecks but usually arrive at their destination! Hotel L'Auberge at Segou makes a luxury break with its swimming pool! Djenne mosque is a 'must-see' as is Mopti Harbour and, of course, Timbuktu. The 3-day trip from Mopti down the Niger is a great way to go to Timbuktu. And if you want something even more remote, you could take the 20-day 700km camel caravan from Timbuktu to the salt mines of Taoudenni.
Travel writer and leturer John Pilkington was setting off on it when we left! John contacted us later to say "You can read the latest update at: http://www.pilk.net/update5.sahara.html and for those who are interested in the Festival in the Desert, at: http://www.pilk.net/update4.sahara.html
I n case any of you have a hankering to roam the Sahara on a camel, John has put some practical info at: http://www.pilk.net/info.sahara.html

The Hombori Mountains are well known to climbers, with maybe 100 routes mostly in the upper grades. The Hand of Fatima is particularly spectacular with faces up to 500m, but there are good lines on the other walls and towers around Hombori and Douentza. Unfortunately we had no gear with us, so only managed a bit of bouldering. The sandstone is iron-hard and excellent, much better than Wadi Rum, though I say it

Trekking in Dogon Country is easy, a few kilometres morning and late afternoon, but takes you through some fascinating villages - try to see a festival, they are a fairly common occurrence and totally unique!

Getting to Timbuktu isn't easy - allow time to find a river boat from Mopti (even harder after end Dec, as the river becomes too shallow for the regular passenger-cargo boat, so you need to link up with others to hire a pirogue. Othewise you will need to find someone driving there (which may not be easy) or hire your own off-road vehicle.

The Desert Festival - excellent! We got there the day before, to watch the Tuareg coming in from the desert. It's a great gathering, with about 1500 people mostly Touareg and a wonderful 3 day festival of music, camel racing, dance, sword fighting displays etc. Hire accommodation (goatskin Tuareg 'benders' - sewn goatskins over bent saplings) or camp in your own tent on the perimeter of the festival site so the Tuareg ambience isn't spoilt. You can also cook your own food or eat at the Festival cafes.

Contacts:
West Africa Tours (who arranged our festival visit. The owner is the cousin of Manny Ansar, the Festival Director) email Deo: ldl@afribone.net.ml
Touareg Tours also provided information, email Natascha: info.touaregtours.com@agat.net
Saga Tours, Mali (not the UK Saga) email: sagatours@cefib.com
Dogon adventures, website www.dogon-adventures.mali.com
Our excellent Dogon Guide (at Maison des Arts) Abdina Lougué, email: abdina_lougue@yahoo.fr
Hotel Maison des Arts, Sevaré, Kay & Amadou Bedar Guindo. Tel 00223 242 08 53
Desert guide, Timbuktu, Mohamed al Hassane, known as Halis, email: elmoctar@yahoo.com
Chaufeur driven ORV, Boubacar Mazour Cisse. Tel 00223 281 0000, mob 00223 639 2365
Sarah Castle, Secretary, Friends of Mali. Tel 07800 872051, email: info@friendsofmali-uk.org
Visas & nternational travel:
Visas - Consulat Général du Mali, 64 Rue Pelleport, 75020 PARIS, FRANCE
Afriqiyah Airways. Gatwick to Bamako. Website www.afriqiyah.aero, tel 0171 430 0284
Point Afriqe, charters from Paris to Mopti. Email: contact@point-afrique.com
Imaginative Traveler, email: martin@imtrav.net
Dragoman, website www.dragoman.co.uk/
Guerba, email: chris@guerba.co.uk
Tim Best Tours: www.timbesttravel.com
Festivals & Festival related CDs and DVDs
Desert Festival, annually in Jan. Website: http://www.festival-au-desert.org
Festival on the Niger, Segou. Feb. Website http://www.festivalsegou.org/homepage.htm
Kidal Traditional Tuareg Festival every Jan. Website http://www.kidal.info/ESSOUK/
Desert Blues 1 and 2. Two double CD sets of Saharan music including many festival performers
Tinariwen. Tuareg ‘rock’ band. CD.
The Festival in the Desert. 2003. Lionel Brouet. DVD.

Top, L to R: Niger River sunset, World's largest Mud brick mosque at Djenne, River boats at Mopti.

Bottom: Mosque at Timbuktu.

Rofr more photos, see Gallery