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| | Djenne is a stunning town built entirely out of mud brick, hauntingly reminiscent of Star Wars' Tatooine architecture. The big draw here is the ancient mosque that is one of the biggest mudbrick buildings in the world. To walk through town is like a walk through the past, clucking chickens, bare bottomed children, and all.Apart from the mosque, the town is known far and wide for its smoked meat... |
| The best way to explore Dogon Country is to take a guided, 4-5 day walking tour of the villages around the imposing Bandiagara Escarpment. The sun beats down hotly in this part of Mali. The heat will impose its will upon any sun-baked foreigners who hobble along ancient paths in search of obscure mysteries. Prepare for physical strain and sweating like oysters on a half shell, ready to be slurped... |
| Kayes is the hottest place in Mali, or "hotter than hell" as Peace Corps volunteers will tell you. The town is a maze of dirt track paths, intersected by a few tarmac roads. There is a central railway station (for the railroad that connects Senegal and Bamako), a market and a few hotels where you can find cold beer.Kayes is not much to see in itself, but makes a good base for exploring the... |
| Mopti is a large town along the River Niger that has served as a cross-roads and commercial center for centuries. The area surrounding Mopti is some of the most picturesque regions of the Sahel. The Sahara encroaches the river valley and makes for stunningly dramatic landscape. The river is central to the town's identity and is seen as a lifeline to the otherwise isolated people of the Malian... |
| Bamako is the capital of Mali. It is nestled in the fertile river valley of the River Niger. The architecture is hauntingly Klingon. Bamako has incredible light. Dusk brings an incredibly thick sensual warm light to the street scene. The cars and crowded streets and open gutters seem to loose their hard edges in this magical light. Add the dense moisture of an approaching thunderstorm and you... |
| An archetypal example of remoteness, Timbuktu was and is the de facto European idea of nowhere. Western culture has largely adopted this impression, and it with little beyond general abstraction that defines this city in the collective conscious. Bordering the Sahara desert, and within a dozen miles of the Niger river, Timbuktu is a wonderful collection of historical influences, Berber... |  |
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