Though poor and underdeveloped, this West African country offers the adventurous some extraordinary off-the-beaten-track experiences -- cultural, eco, and of course the haunting, legendary city of Timbuktu.

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A Mali shoutout in 'West Africa Christmastime'

In the UK we usually associate Christmas with family, eating and drinking (often to excess!), giving presents, Father Christmas and a Christmas tree. But how is the tradition celebrated in West Africa, a region of the World where Christianity is at its freshest, where missionaries have only been preaching for about 150 years? West Africa is a culturally diverse region; comprised of 16 countries, where Islam and Christianity dominate thousands of different tribes speaking hundreds of different…

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  • Helen Brown June 19, 2023 at 5:18am
    While all the trouble going on in Mali seems to have knocked it off the tourism radar, Barcelona travel blogger Joan Torres - who specializes in travel "to the most unusual and off-the-beaten-track destinations" - just weighed in on how it's possible to visit even today "without any complication". Check it out: https://againstthecompass.com/en/travel-mali/.

    https://againstthecompass.com/en/travel-mali/
    Tips and how to travel to Mali in 2023
    Why visit, safety tips, visas, top experiences, getting in, budget & costs, cultural facts and more. Everything you need to know to travel to Mali
  • Jeffrey Kunst February 6, 2022 at 2:41pm
    In honor of Ferbruary’s Black History Month in the USA, MSN’s Travel Noire channel put together a list of six subSaharan landmarks of remarkable black African achievements - and thought Timbuktu is still of course Mali’s most famous claim to fame, this pieces cites the also amazing Great Mosque pf Djenné: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/beyond-the-pyramids-of-e...
  • David Paul Appell September 4, 2012 at 6:40am

    What a horrific shame to see what Mali and its historic/cultural treasures of Tibuktu and elsewhere are being forced to endure as a result of religious fanaticism. It's like Bamiyan and the Taliban all over again.

  • West Africa Discovery June 5, 2011 at 10:58pm

    We have just received our copy of the Rough Guides First-Time Africa in which we are listed on page 405, under the 'Africa Specialist Operators' category. The entry states: "West Africa Discovery: One of the few companies specializing in West Africa , with unusual tours and a strong responsible travel ethos".

     

    9012299055?profile=original

     

    We have a selection of sustainably managed responsible tourism projects just for you to discover. Work with us to create better places to visit and better places to live in, in West Africa.

     

    You can also join a community dedicated to travel in West Africa which explores the rich local heritage in a sustainable and responsible way. 

  • West Africa Discovery June 24, 2010 at 5:36pm
    The June Edition of The Talking Drum, our monthly newsletter, is nearly ready for sending and we invite you to join us by subscribing to our mail list.

    By receiving it, you will discover our newly listed responsible tourism ideas based in West Africa, learn about current news, discussions and debates, and of course will support the development of responsible and sustainable tourism in the beautiful region of the world which is West Africa.

    By clicking here, you can register. We look forward to telling you about what is going on in West Africa!

  • West Africa Discovery February 22, 2010 at 2:28pm
    We are over the moon to announce that we have now listed 4 new awe-inspiring and exciting sustainable tourism holidays based in Mali. From music and cultural festivals to camel rides and pinasse (local boat) cruises along the Niger river, and the discovery of some of the most interesting architecture in West Africa, these trips truely make a difference, not only for the tourist, but also for the local communities in destinations. Have a browse by click here.
  • West Africa Discovery January 27, 2010 at 5:01pm
    We are currently looking for Responsible/Sustainable tourism (http://http//www.westafricadiscovery.co.uk/responsible-tourism.html) ventures to list them on West Africa Discovery, a portal dedicated to raising awareness towards the west African region, and to create a database of tours, accommodations and volunteer projects which benefit the local communities whilst respecting the Historical, Cultural, Natural and Social heritages of the destination. If you have any information which may help us in going forward in our mission, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
  • West Africa Discovery January 12, 2010 at 8:44pm
    West Africa Discovery (www.westafricadiscovery.com) , a web portal aiming to raise awareness towards West Africa and to promote sustainable/responsible tourism development through the listing of tours, accommodations and volunteer projects that strive towards the fulfilment of criteria outlined in the Cape Town, Kerala and Belize declarations on responsible tourism practices in destinations (http://www.westafricadiscovery.co.uk/responsible-tourism.html). We also aim to make West Africa Discovery the first port of call in the UK for referring tourists to Western African based Responsible Tourism projects.

    As a company we aim to help in the development of Responsible/Sustainable development in all West African countries by linking like minded people together to facilitate the sharing of ideas, educating by distributing Responsible Tourism related material to Tourism organisations and helping locally based individuals to develop ideas which will help to develop the concept in their country.

    We are committed to putting West Africa on the map as a destination that tourists would like to visit, and our vision is that through the West Africa Discovery project the listed accommodations and tours will provide benefits for local communities whilst respecting the natural, cultural, social and historical heritages in the destination.

    If any of you know of tour operators or accommodations based in Mali who would be a candidate to be listed on West Africa Discovery, don't hesitate to get in touch.
  • David Paul Appell January 7, 2010 at 5:45am
    Kathy, thanks so much for your observations! I see parallels with other countries/experiences I've had.

    Anyway, where were you exactly? What was your impression of Timbuktu in particular?
  • Kathy Moroney January 7, 2010 at 3:01am
    I spent 3 weeks in Mali and Burkina Faso in October/November. At the time there was a U.S. travel warning. The travel warning has gotten stronger with the November 19 release. But when I was there I didn't see/feel anything that gave me pause. Americans were welcomed. People didn't look like they had too little food and thus were rebellious or susceptible to radical persuasions. The general society is extremely tolerant of religious differences. Neither Christianity nor Muslim beliefs divide society. Problems in the north of the country were explained as attempts by outsiders to establish drug routes through the country, which were being fought by Mali-- and the drug traders were fighting back. People were totally mystified as to why there was any sort of a U.S. travel warning.

    What are other peoples' experiences?
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