West Africa Expedition (30 days)
The big 30-day tour of a lifetime! Including travel expeditions through
Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin and Ghana, including all the places enjoyed the most by Mandinka's patrons and friends.
Day 1 |
Arrive Bamako, be met by guide at airport and transfer to 4-star hotel (Hotel Salaam) |
Day 2 |
Tour of the nation’s capital, then drive to Segou, Mali's second largest city and former colonial administrative center; admire the beautiful Sudanese-style colonial architecture; take part in traditional mudcloth painting at an artisan village (Hotel Independance) |
| Day 3 | Drive to Djenne, Timbuktu's ancient sister-city on the Niger; marvel at the magnificent Grand Mosque, the largest mud structure in the world and one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites (Campement du Djenne) |
| Day 4 | Continue walking tour of Djenne in the morning, then drive to Mopti in the afternoon. Explore Mopti, also known as the Venice of Mali due to its location between the Bani and Niger rivers; board a pinasse (motorized longboat) to see Mopti’s vibrant port and visit island-dwelling fishermen; take a stroll in the bustling market where many of Mali's ethnic groups come to trade (Hotel Kanaga) |
| Day 5 | Travel in Mali's fascinating Dogon country; visit Songo village, renowned for its rock paintings and circumcision grotto; continue to Sangha, comprised of 10 distinct animist and Islamic villages; walking tour of Sangha; overnight at compound of village chief |
| Day 6 | Trek along Dogon villages of the dramatic Bandiagara Escarpment; see many examples of the typical Dogon architecture and ancient Tellem cave dwellings situated on the cliff; overnight in a Dogon village. |
| Day 7 | Finish our expedition and drive back to Mopti (Hotel Kanaga) |
| Day 8 | Embark on our river journey to Timbuktu; enjoy colorful settlements along the banks of the Niger and extraordinarily beautiful scenery as we pass from lush wetlands into the grassy scrublands of the Sahel (camping in tents by the side of river) |
| Day 9 | Continue travelling upriver towards the Sahara, noting the changes in vegetation and wildlife as we approach the desert (tented camping) |
| Day 10 | Arrive in Timbuktu, the mythical “city of gold” and magical “last place on earth”; see the ancient mosques and former universities, the museum, the explorers' houses, and the market which receives the azalaïs (the salt caravans from the desert) (Hotel Colombe) |
West Africa At A Glance
Mali At A Glance
Total area: 480,000 sq. mi.
Population: 12 million
Capital: Bamako
Currency: CFA
Official language: French
Local languages: Bambara, Dogon, Fula, Songhai, Bozo, Tamashek
Religion: Muslim (80%), indigenous (20%)
Total area: 106,000 sq. mi.
Population: 13.6 million
Capital: Ouagadougou
Currency: CFA
Official language: French
Local languages: More, Dioula, Fulfulde, others
Religion: Muslim (50%), indigenous (40%), other
Benin At A Glance
Total area: 47,345 sq. mi.
Population: 6.5 million
Capital: Cotonou
Currency: CFA
Official language: French
Local languages: Fon, Yoruba, Mina, Bariba, Dendi
Religion: Indigenous (50%), Christian (30%), Muslim (20%)
Total area: 92,098 sq. mi.
Population: 23 million
Capital: Accra
Currency: Ghanaian cedi (GHS)
Official language: English
Local languages: Twi, Ewe, Ga, Dagaare
Religion: Christian (60%), Muslim (20%), indigenous (20%)
Travel Tips Before You Come Over: Documentation: You will need a visa for most countries in West Africa, with a passport valid for at least 6 months longer than your visit. Contact the Malian Embassy in your country or a passport-services company. Health: A yellow fever vaccination will be required to obtain your visa. A hepatitis A inoculation, while not compulsory, is always a good idea when traveling in third world countries. Contact your local public health department. Also, an anti-malarial medication is strongly recommended for use as a preventive measure and an antibiotic such as Ciprofloxacin in case of intestinal maladies. |
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Travel Info | |
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Hotels | |
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Mali | |
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Burkina Faso | |
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Benin | |
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Ghana | |
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Senegal | |
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West Africa | |
Day 11 |
Continue our tour of Timbuktu in the morning; in the afternoon, travel by camel caravan into the desert to visit a Tuareg camp; the Tuareg people are known as the Princes of the Desert (Hotel Colombe) | |
Day 12 |
Fly to Mopti (Hotel Kanaga) |
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Day 13 |
Drive to Bobo Dioulasso, with stops in Koumi and Koro to visit the Bobo people and their spectacular villages (Hotel Auberge de Bobo) |
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Day 14 |
See the sights of Bobo Dioulasso (meaning “House of the Bobos”), with its extraordinary old mosque and Kibidouwe Artist’s Quarter (Hotel Auberge de Bobo) |
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Day 15 |
Travel to Banfora, lingering along the way among the Lobi houses and people; enjoy a picnic lunch, then explore the waterfalls of Kafiguela and the spectacular rock formations known as the Domes of Fabedougou; climb aboard for an afternoon cruise on Lake Tengrela to see the great hippopotamus (Hotel Canne a Sucre) |
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Day 16 |
Drive to Gaoua in the land of the Lobi, the “people of gold” dwelling in castle-houses (Hotel Hala) | |
Day 17 |
After breakfast, drive to Ouagadougou; discover all that this capital city has to offer including the lively Grand Market, with many local tribes represented in selling everything from dried fish to wooden masks (Hotel Sofitel) |  |
Day 18 |
Drive to Benin’s extraordinary Pendjary National Park, stopping along the way to visit the Gourmassi villages of Pama and Tindenkou. In Pendjary, safari to see baboons, buffalo, antelope, elephants, and possibly lions and leopards (overnight in park lodging) | |
Day 19 |
Early morning animal spotting in the park, then journey to Natitingou, enjoying the Atakora Falls and a picnic lunch (Hotel Tata Somba) |
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Day 20 |
Travel to Abomey to experience the Dahomey Trail, tracing the footsteps of the most powerful of the ancient African kings. In the afternoon visit the Royal Palace museum (Hotel Dako) |
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Day 21 |
Drive to Cotonou, the capital of Benin, then from there take an outing by boat to Ganvie, a captivating stilt village situated on a lake; view the daily life of these fisher-folk as they reel in their nets or sell fresh fruits from their pirogues. Continue to Ouidah to experience the historic slave museum and the “Door of No Return”; view the Sacred Temple of Serpents – an important site of voodoo culture. Finally, travel to the coastal retreat of Grand-Popo (Auberge de Grande Popo) |
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Day 22 |
Cross through Togo on our way to Ghana, spending the night in Aflao ( Manet Paradise Beach Resort) | |
Day 23 |
Travel on to Kumasi, capital of the Ashanti – the royal keepers of Ghana’s gold treasure; experience the largest market in all of West Africa (Hotel Georgia) |
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Day 24 |
Full day of sight-seeing including the Kumasi Cultural Center, the Manhiyia Palace, and Bonwire, the “City of Kente Cloth” (Hotel Georgia) | |
Day 25 |
Continue on to Mole National Park; afternoon safari to spot elephants (Hotel Safari) | |
Day 26 |
Return to Kumasi (Hotel Georgia) |
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Day 27 |
Travel to Axim on The Cape Coast, its (Axim Beach Resort) |
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Day 28 |
Explore the Kakoum National Park with its amazing jungle canopy walkway (Hans Cottage Hotel) |
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Day 29 |
Drive to Ghana’s capital, Accra; enjoy a city tour, taking in the National Museum, the Arts Market and the Kwame Nkrouma Memorial (Novotel City Centre) | |
Day 30 |
Visit the Abouri Botanic Garden, then relax in hotel until your transfer to airport for departure flight | |
For questions, more information, and to arrange a tour, please contact us.
