Mali

A country that offers a wide variety of environments and different people. If you want to enjoy the best of it follow me in this short but rich journey.

We start our trip from Bamako, capital city of Mali. Moussa , our Italian speaking guide, meets us at the airport.

On board of our 4×4 vehicle we proceed through villages inhabited by the Bambara ethnic group people and we arrive in Segou, the second city of Mali, on the Niger river.

We then visit the beautiful town of Djenné founded in the IX century on the river Bani, an affluent of Niger river. With its Arab/African style quarters and the spectacular mosque hand-moulded with clay, straw and dung considered one of the most beautiful mosques of all Africa, Djenné deserves the name of “Queen of the Delta”.

We cannot miss the navigation on the river Niger, the soul of this country and see how the Bozo fishermen still live and how they still work and preserve the smoked fish. We visit the colorful market and have lunch in a traditional place.

We proceed towards Bandiagara, capital of Dogon villages and here we start our trekking and visit the scenic villages of the Dogon people perched among the rocks of the great cliff of Bandiagara.The stone houses camouflage among the rocks. I need the help of Moussa in carrying my backpack while we climb the stone track which leads to the villages.

Only on foot you can visit their remote villages and only on foot you can walk into their world and live at their own pace.

The Dogon is the country’s most isolated and untouched ethnic group still tied to the ancestral rhythms of life.

We are enchanted by their curious typical houses “Toguna” which means “house of words”, by the colorful and bustling markets and the hospitality of people isolated by rich in culture.