Radisson Blu Hotel, Bamako

Malian school

by Alpha_Ghana

Schools are at their simplest expression. It is more or less mandatory however few people can read and write in Mali.
Even so called high educated managers or Ministers cannot right correctly.
I have received a letter from the Minister of Finance with 15 errors on one sheet. A disaster!!! I visited schools and I am always surprised of the warm welcome I received.

WC_

by Alpha_Ghana

As in a mainly Muslim country, people don't use toilet rolls in the WC but water.
There is a local company which created a kind of plastic teapot for this purpose.
It is funny see people going with their teapot, you know where they go.

Sometimes, the problem is that the WC seat is full of water when you wan to use it.

Soccer at Stade Modibo Keita

by ZeekLTK

Stade Modibo Keita is the second largest stadium in Mali and host to several events. It is the home of local club AS Real and also hosts some matches that the national team plays. The listed capacity is 30,000.

Tickets are very cheap. For a match that I attended in 2006 the prices were 1000 CFA (about $2) for a seat on the "sunny side" (the stands that have no cover and are directly under the sun) and 2000 CFA (about $4) for a seat on the "shady side" (the stands that do have a cover over them).

There are also cliffs adjacent to the stadium, so if you are really pinching pennies, or just want a more aerial view of the field, you can watch for free from up there, as several locals do.

The stadium also has a track around it, so most likely it hosts athletic events as well. Although I can't comment on that as I only attended a soccer game there.

Visit Mali on the RIver

by Alpha_Ghana

The history of Mali is dependent of the river Niger. All main towns are alongside the river, among which Bamako.
Go with a fisherman or with an organised tour on the river, you cannot miss that in Mali

Mali's Capital

by SirRichard

"A starting point"

Bamako is usually the starting point of your trip to Mali, as most planes arrive there. It has nothing really not to miss, maybe the market is a good place to wander around and do some shopping, and the National Museum deserves a visit if you are intrested in ethnograpic pieces, but don't spend here more than 1-2 days...