We visit Bamako, Mali's capital, which
has an excellent market and West African Museum. Then
we drive to Djenne, the oldest Saharan trading town.
Djenne was the capital of the 11th century Soninke Kingdom.
Djenne's 'great mud mosque' is a famous site, still
surrounded by a turmoil of yelling, haggling, and jostling
between dealers and customers.
From Mopti we drive a landrover to the
legendary town of Timbuktu, which translates as the
'forbidden city.' After a relaxing camel ride in Timbuktu,
we head south to Bandiagara.
In Bandiagara is the home of the Dogon
people. The Dogon have lived in this area since 500
BC and their civilization has survived to the present
day. We will trek around the Bandiagara Escarpment from
village to village to gain an insight into the lives
and customs of the Dogon.
