FACTS FOR THE TRAVELLER
| Visas |
Visas are required for
everyone except
French nationals |
| Medical |
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required, and one for cholera is strongly advised. Malaria precautions should be taken |
|
Time |
GMT/UTC |
| Electricity | 220 volts, 50Hz |
| Weights & measures |
Metric |
WHEN TO GO
The very best time to visit Mali is November, before the heat hits in March
and after the wet humid season. Trips down the Niger are also possible in
November as the river is usually high enough for passenger boats to ply. By
December and January water levels are iffy and boat trips may be more of a
hop from one sandbank to another if not cancelled altogether. November,
though, is also the high tourist season so if you prefer to sacrifice a bit
of comfort for peace and quiet, you could go in December for the crossing of
the cattle at Diafarabé. In fact any time from October through February is a
reasonable time to go but travelling in Mali in the hot season from March to
May is strictly for masochists.
GETTING AROUND MALI
Getting around Mali is usually a matter of taking a passenger boat down the Niger (or a smaller pirogue or pinasse on shorter trips), or buses and bush taxis. Buses tend to be more popular than bush taxis for long hauls as they are cheaper and more reliable, although bush taxis may be the only choice available on shorter trips. The only train journey within Mali is between Bamako and Kayes but there are a number of flights out of Bamako to various destinations. Hiring a car to get around is not entirely impossible but can be difficult. For a start you need insurance and a carnet de passage and buying petrol can sometimes be a problem.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
There are a number of European carriers that fly into Bamako Airport, but if you wish to fly in from the USA you need to transfer to a regional flight at Dakar or Abidjan. The airport is about 10km (6mi) from Bamako. Airport tax varies depending on where you're travelling to; within Mali it's about US$5 and for other African/international flights it's US$18.
Getting into Mali by road is also possible. With the exception of Algeria, you can bus into Mali from any direction, although the comfort factor of the trip varies depending on the condition of the road and the time of the year. Bush taxis are a viable alternative for shorter trips, or a combination of bus and bush taxi. In some cases, such as between Mauritania and Mali, you might need to mix and match your travel modes, catching trucks and pick-ups between scheduled buses and bush taxis. It is advisable to use the express train between Senegal and Mali because the roads are in a bad condition. Apart from road and air travel, a more exotic way of getting to Mali is by boat, sailing up the Niger from Guinea.
MONEY& EXPENSES
Currency: West African CFA franc (CFA)
Relative Costs:
Budget meal: US$2-3;
Moderate restaurant meal: US$5-6;
Top-end restaurant meal: US$8-10
Budget room: US$5-6;
Moderate hotel: US$25-30;
Top-end hotel: US$60-70
The CFA is fixed against the French Franc but in recent years the exchange rate has almost doubled, making Mali a reasonably cheap destination. You can manage with as little as US$10 a day, but this often means grungy rooms, lax security and beef brochettes from the food stalls. If you'd like self-contained rooms, air-conditioning, and the odd meal of steak or chawarmas you can expect to pay US$30-40, while staying in grand old colonial-style hotels and dining out on pigeon and perch will cost you about US$100 a day.
There are a number of banks in Bamako where money can be changed, but they all charge high commissions. If you're coming from Burkina Faso, Niger or Senegal, you're better off changing your money in those countries as the commission rate is lower. Most money transactions in Mali take time, a lot of patience and a bit of pleading and cajoling, particularly if you have denominations other than French Francs. It is possible to get cash from Visa cards in Bamako but don't expect the process to be easy.
Peul girls, Northern Bandiagara Escarpmenti
Granarie