Mali Tourist Traps

  One such "dead-end" trap.
by pfsmalo
 
  • One such
      One such "dead-end" trap.
    by pfsmalo
  • Bamako street
      Bamako street
    by SirRichard
  • Me with the blue scarf
      Me with the blue scarf
    by SirRichard
  • The Bouctou well, Timbuktu
      The Bouctou well, Timbuktu
    by SirRichard
  • Bamako
      Bamako
    by SirRichard
 
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Dogon country - A tourist trap ????

by pfsmalo

In the 10-year hiatus between my two trips to this part of Mali, much has changed here.The Dogon country is not as such, a trap that you cannot get away from, though it is fast becoming a problem in some of the villages, namely the amount of souvenir shops and the number of hawkers here and there. As the local guides know everyone, it is also impossible for them not to run you past the gauntlet. It is not yet a vast problem but one that may start turning people away from some villages. The way I have found the best to deal with it is to just not accept that they put anything into your hands "just for the pleasure of the eyes", or to firmly make your point saying "you don't want anything". Both of these can be difficult to implement, once you are on their territory. Make it very clear to your guide that you have no intention of buying anything in the villages so "please do not take me...

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Touts

by SirRichard

If you wander around the market area in Bamako you will meet many young men coming to you with the classical "Hello my friend", "I just wanna talk to you" etc, that always end up in "come to my shop, only look", "I can be your guide, no big money"...If you really want a guide, take the first one, he will keep the others apart.If not, just be polite and say "no, thanks". You will have to say it many tims before they go, but ignoring them is the best way. If you start talking, you will have them with you for a loooooong while.

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Child hawkers near the main markets in Bamako.

by pfsmalo

Although the majority of the kids are not aggressive at all, it can become overbearing, in the heat when you have 30 or 40 of them following you. Make a break by heading into the artisanal market . Here you can walk around, watch the men making the articles and not be troubled by the hordes of hawkers. They do not have the right to enter here. Wait until you reach Segou or Djenné for the markets there. Most things will be cheaper anyway, more time for haggling and much, much friendlier.

Tombouctou (aka Timbuktu)

by zrim

What a wretched place! I suppose anyone that comes within shouting distance of Tombouctou has to go there just to be able to say, "I've been to Tombouctou and back!" But that's about the extent of the excitement.Tombouctou was a fabled destination for centuries. Reputed to have houses with gold roofs. It defied successful European exploration until April 25, 1828 when the French adventurer Rene Callie made an appearance on the dusty streets of this outpost. Upon his return to France Callie was awarded a 10,000 franc prize for being the first to venture to Tombouctou and live to tell the tale. Unfortunately, Callie succumbed to sicknesses picked up in Africa and dies at age 39 a few years after his triumphant return.But Callie was infinitely more fortunate than Major Gordon Laing, an Englishman, who dared to enter the reclusive city in 1826. The sultan of Tombouctou order Laing to remove...

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Avoid Bani Tours travel in Bamako

by trilbi

We had the misfortune (or ingenuousness) to contact for the location of vehicles and all transportation, including the pinasse, Bani Tours travel in Bamako (http://www.banitours.com/).We rented the jeeps for three days but we could use them for only 2 days because were not informed that 1 day was used up only to reach us at a village three hours distance from Bamako.They made us pay 140€ for 5 min transportation from the port to our hotel in Mopti.They arrived 2 hours late, after 10 phone calls, to take us to the airport when leaving the country. The reason was they were upset we didn’t follow their suggestion to stay in a horrid hotel (hotel Dakan) in Bamako.

Visa

by grets

Everyone (except nationals of the West African states) needs a visa to enter Mali. There are no embassies in the UK, the nearest are either France or Belgium. Once in Mali, you need to register with the police in all major twon, who will stamp your passport.

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Not as untouristy as you think

by grets

My expectations were a little shattered, when, on our first lunchstop on the plateau of the Bandiagara Escarpment, a motorbike with a young lad appeared, carrying a crate of beer and soft drinks for sale. The same happened every time we stopped for lunch or to camp.The children greet you with the words 'bonbon, cadeaux, bic' but are not too put off if you just ignore them. They are not as persistent as many other places and lots of them are just happy to shake your hand. Everywhere the children and the adults want your empty plastic water bottles, which are used for a multitude of things. Great way to recycle!

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Bribes: Be ready to pay

by Petit_Prince

Bribes: You have to be ready to pay them. It is nearly impossible to avoid. Every 30 to 40 kms, you have to stop at a police control. There is always something wrong with the Visa, with the car... They may let you go after hours of discussion, but everything is quickly arranged if you pay the 'fee'. Go with a good guide, used to deal with police controls. The most tourist you look like, the higher the price. So try to hide your blond hair and your white skin.

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From Tombouctou, you can...

by jarkhot

From Tombouctou, you can arrange to spend the night in a Touareg camp. We were taken on a one hour camel ride to the camp (our bags and tents followed us by 4x4) from where we could see the city ligths. The 'camp' was occupied by two young Touareg families not realy eager to communicate. This did not give us any insight into the Touareg's way of life.

Don't fall for the esteem of...

by lalakante

Don't fall for the esteem of visiting Tombouctou. Malians have learned that they can highly capitalize on tourists who seek the stigma of being able to say they've been to Tombouctou. I almost fell for it myself, but luckily due to the political situation in Mali at the time, we didn't make the full trip.It takes a very long time to get to Tombouctou, for one. If you are travelling on anything besides a plane, it's a really difficult trip to make. Nearly everyone who goes there says it's a disappointment, because it's a very small place with few buildings, a small population and just lots and lots of desert sand. A camel ride would probably be the highlight of your trip.If you want to see some real culture and history, Djenne and the Dogon country are better bets. I even had a hard time travelling as far as Djenne from Bamako, I couldn't breathe for about 4 days after the trip because of...

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Reviews and photos of Mali attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Mali sightseeing.

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Tourist Traps: Cities in Mali
  1. Bamako Tourist Traps
  2. Timbuktu Tourist Traps
  3. Djenne Tourist Traps
  4. Mopti Tourist Traps

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Popular Regions in Mali

District de Bamako Tourist Traps  Region de Tombouctou Tourist Traps  Region de Kayes Tourist Traps  Region de Mopti Tourist Traps 

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Questions and Answers

norrora profile photo

Q:  We are 2-3 swedish women planning on visiting Mali for 14 days including the desert festival in january 2012. I´ve looked at the... 

sphynxxs profile photo

A: you can get to Timbuktou without a tour operator (though you will need to book your flights in time, it might otherwise be difficult as the desert festival is a popular... 

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