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IVORY COAST & MALI
Ivory Coast: January 18 -January 25 2022
Mali: January 25 - February 03, 2022
Mali portion is led by Expert Guide and Historian, Mohamed Halouani
Ivory Coast portion is led by local guide
Situated on the Atlantic coast of West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire provides a range of landscapes that are sure to please, from beaches and inland lagoons in the south, dense tropical forests in the southwest along savannas and grassy plains in the interior, to impressive forested mountains in the north. The country also has a fascinating cultural heritage. Spend time with different ethnic groups such as the Baulé, who are known for their fine craftsmanship; the Dan, Lobi, and Fulani, as well as the Senoufo, who are also known for their handicrafts that feature their own cultural themes and religious beliefs. It is even said that their handicrafts were the inspiration for some of Pablo Picasso’s paintings. During village visits you will witness colorful tribal festivals, rituals, initiations, and amazing mask dances. Each ethnic group has its own style of music, most showing a strong vocal polyphony Mali, a landlocked country, is split by the Niger River, one of the great rivers of the world. It marks an approximate boundary between the Sahara Desert and the Sahel. Mali means “hippo” in one of the local languages and hippos can be seen during the dry season. Visit Timbuktu, the legendary city, that truly exists on the fringes of the Sahara Desert. Visit the iconic Grand Mosque in Djenne, the largest mudbrick building in the world. Both are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Stroll through the weekly markets in Djenne and Mopti, known to attract thousands of people from Mali’s many tribes. Spend time in Dogon country home to one of the most fascinating tribes in Africa. End your tour at the quaint town of Segou, famous for its musical heritage and boasting a gorgeous setting with the Niger River crossing it and staying at a lovely hotel that overlooks the river. Travel with us to a country with a recent troubled past, but is now once again accessible to intrepid travelers who are looking to delve into the amazing diversity of West African culture. This is a journey full of surprises to a land that can rightly be considered truly “off the beaten track” as one of Africa’s most recent additions to tourism.
Can be combined with the following tours:
Ghana, Togo & Benin (Jan. 08 - 21, 2022), Nigeria (Jan. 09-17 2022) OR Niger (Jan. 10-17, 2022) and Gabon, CAR, DRC & Congo (Jan. 25 - Feb. 08, 2022) OR Horn of Africa tour (Jan. 26 - Feb. 07, 2022).
Tour Cost (Land Only): $9,995.00
Tour cost (Land only – Mali portion): $6,995.00
Per person sharing in double occupancy
Single Supplement: $750.00
Price based on a group size minimum of 6 participants and Maximum of 12 participants
Tour Includes
All transfers and ground transportation in A/C vehicles.
4WD for some parts of the trip and bus on the rest.
Drivers, fuel and insurance coverage.
Accommodation in 3-4* hotels.
All meals (B: Breakfast, L: Lunch and D: Dinner).
Non-alcoholic drinks with meals.
Daily bottled water on the bus and with meals.
Professional English speaking guide throughout, plus local guides.
All visits, road tolls and taxes.
Three folk dances in Ivory Coast (Fetish, Fire Eaters, and Goron) & Balafon in Zerelaba and mask dance in Mahou and Dogon dance in Mali.
Day-use room on last night at hotel in Bamako.
Gratuities to guide and driver and lodge personnel.
Scout service & entrance to national parks.
Tour Does Not Include
International airfare to Abidjan and from Bamako.
Entry visas for Ivory Coast and Mali.
Charter flight (Mopti – Timbuktu – Mopti) in case there is no regular flight.
Military escort in Timbuktu and Dogon Country (in case requested by authorities).
Trip surcharge to operate below required minimum participants.
Items of a personal nature: beverages, laundry, phone calls, email, souvenirs, camera fees and etc.
Dayroom or hotel overnights if necessary due to airline schedule changes.
Private hotel transfers to airport or v.v in case of different arrival or departure dates.
Gratuity to your lecturer Mohamed Halouani.
Travel protection insurance (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED).
Trip Grade:
III Challenging – Parts of the trip are physically challenging, i volving hiking on rough terrain or in sand or at high altitudes. There may be very long drives on rough roads; weather conditions with high heat or humidity, presence of insects. You may have simple picnic lunches, primitive bathroom facilities along the road and remoteness from modern towns or cities.
LODGING Level:
**Simple - Comfortable yet on the Spartan side, usually small but usually with private facilities. Some stays in private homes or small inns that may lack western style amenities. Few of such smaller hotels may have unexpected poor services (3 stars)
***Superior: Lodges and hotels with additional amenities, refined service and comfort level acceptable to western standards. 3 – 4 stars in the main cities.
Important Special Trip Notes:
This tour requires a flexible spirit and a sense of adventure as you will drive some big distances, on roads that are dusty, bumpy, with bathroom facilities in the wild or in very poorly maintained state. The charter flight in/out of Timbuktu is the ONLY way to get there but we cannot guarantee any changes to their operation/schedule. You must treat this tour as an exploratory trip since no travel companies anywhere in the world conduct tours to this part of Africa. If the flight cancels, we will do the trip from Bamako to Mopti by land (& skip Timbuktu with a refund of $1500 to each participant). Also the itinerary sequence may change for any unpredictable situations or unforeseen events.
