Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania. Mali is a developing nation, and remains one of the poorest countries in the world. However, it has some incredible sights, including four UNESCO World-Heritage sites. And, of course, there's Timbuktu!
The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France on 22 September 1960 as the Mali Federation. Senegal withdrew after only a few months, and the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. The country was then governed by dictatorship until 1991. In 1992 the country's first democratic presidential elections were held.
Just under half the population is less than 15 years old. The great majority of Malians are Muslim, some also practice indigenous beliefs, and a tiny number are Christian. Around 10% of the population is nomadic. Most Malians work in agriculture and fishing.
Festival in the Desert takes place in January. It is held on the sand west of Timbuktu. Three days of amazing music, under the stars and the moon, tiny tents, camel races, and more music and dancing
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Air France flies daily non-stop from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Bamako (and return). Royal Air Maroc is a little cheaper than Air France and has daily flights from Europe and New York via Casablanca in Morocco. There are also smaller companies, such as Point Afrique , who fly cheaply to & from Mali in the busy tourist season. Both Air France and RAM unfortunately arrive and depart in the middle of the night - so even if you are planning a budget trip it may be worth splurging for a nice hotel the first night where you can make real reservations and maybe even get picked up at the airport.
Many African and pan-African airlines fly into Mali, for example: Air Senegal, Air Mauritania, Tunisair Air Afriqiyah and numerous others. Some of these airlines also have feature connections to Mopti.
By train - There's just one railroad line, between Bamako and Dakar (the capital of Senegal), running once a week.
By car - There are several ways to get to Mali by car. From Europe one has to cross the straits of Gibraltar, Morocco, Western Sahara and Mauritania. There are no longer any problems crossing Western Sahara along the coastal road. You will need to have your car and passport information ready to hand over at the various checkpoint however. There is now tarmaced roads all the way from Europe to Nioro du Sahel (apart from 3 km at the border between Western Sahara and Mauritania). There should soon (within the next few months) be tarmac all the way to Bamako. Another option is to ship the car via a nearby seaport, for example Dakar in Senegal. There are no asphalted roads into Mali from Senegal so a 4x4 is strongly recommended. In the past the most-used road route was the asphalted road from the port of Abidjan in Ivory Coast. But since a rebellion in September 2002 the north of that country has been in rebel control. In April 2004, the road was in poor repair, and frequent rebellion roadblocks made the journey risky. Most roadblocks could be passed with good humour and a 100F CFA "present", but the dangers of unsupervised young men with automatic weapons far from authority are obvious. It is also possible to ship to Ghana and then drive up through Burkina Faso.
By bus - It is possible to reach Mali by bus, from a variety of African cities. These include, but are not limited to: Abidjan in Cote d'Ivoire, Accra in Ghana, Lomé in Togo, and Dakar in Senegal. There is public transport almost all the way from Europe to Mali be it buses or bush-taxis. The only exception is from Dakhla, Western Sahara, to Noudhibou, Mauritania where you can easily get a ride with a Mauritanian trader.
By boat - Mali has two large rivers that are navigatable at least part of the year, both of which cross into neighboring countries.
The Senegal River crosses into Mali from Guinea in the south and follows a northwest course into Senegal.
The Niger crosses into, appropriately enough, Niger. Note that large boats are only active August-November and do not continue far past the border due to rapids.
STAY SAFE
Mali is generally a safe country with low rates of violent crime, however, you should always be aware of your belongings and never carry valuables in a backpack in a crowded area like the market as petty theft in such areas is not uncommon. The train between Bamako and Kayes is notorious for theft - if taking the train you should exercise extreme caution, be sure to carry a pocket flashlight, and keep your belongings with you and valuables directly on your person at all times. You also have a good chance of encountering the police. They are generally mostly concerned with directing traffic and fining people for improper papers, so you have little to fear from them but should always at least carry a copy of your passport and visa (and preferably the original provided you keep it secure). Only carrying a driving license is not sufficient and might lead to a ride to the police office - if you're not prepared to bribe your way out. Notice that the police in Bamako often stop taxis, although this can be somewhat avoided by never putting more than 4 passengers in the car and by only taking "official" cabs (the ones with the red plates only - in Bamako a car with white plates is not an official taxi even if it has a taxi sign on top, regardless of what the driver may tell you!).
