Mali: What to Expect / Highlights

Dogon Country

Protected by the cliffs of Bandiagara, the Dogon people were almost entirely isolated from the world. Their self-defense comes from their social solidarity which is based on a complex combination of philosophic and religious dogmas, the fundamental law being the worship of ancestors. Ritual masks and corpses are kept in the caves. The Dogon architecture is unique and particular. There are 3 types of villages: the villages from the plateau, the cliff villages and the villages from the low land or plain. The classic Dogon village is laid out in the shape of a human being. Each house is an artery within the body. The design of each house is unique and strives for a Dogon sense of order. The houses in Sangha cling on cliff walls along narrow pathways.

Djenne

Home to the worlds largest mud-made mosque (considered to be one of the World's Seven Man Made Wonders).

Timbuktu

Once a busy trading post on the trans-Saharan caravan route and center of Islamic culture.

Exotic Landscape

It is known for its surreal landscapes and undulating desert scenes that look like out takes from Lawrence of Arabia.

Unique Culture

People who brought the desert to life - indigenous mask dancing; traditional African medicine practices; ancient ceremonies.

Unusual Architecture

Villages carved of pink sandstone and castle-like mosques made out of mud.
Striking Artwork - Wood carvings to rock paintings.

TIME TO GO:

The best time to visit Mali is from October through February. It is extremely hot from March to May.

• The most captivating event on the Mali calendar is the crossing of the cattle at Diafarab. Every year during December, in a tradition that goes back 160 years, Diafarab gears up to cope with a sudden influx of cattle and herders as they converge on the river bank. It's a time for celebrations and festivities as herders are reunited with friends and family after several long months in the desert. Local chiefs and elders meet before the big event and the order of the crossing is decided by the processes of fair play and democracy. The cattle are then led to the grass that is (both proverbially and literally) always greener on the other side.