Mali Encounters: Traditional Textiles & Dogon Villages
Location: MaliDuration: 9 Days / 8 Nights
Rating: Standard
1,287
from per person
The West African country of Mali, set deep in the Sahara Desert with the Senegalese and Niger rivers to its southern border, offers countless cultural sites, attractions and traditions for the locally inspired traveler. Experience traditional cultures through this nine-day adventure: Learn the ancient art of textile weaving and dyeing from traditional weavers, journey to the historical cities of Segou, Mopti and Djenné, spend the night under the stars among the Dogon people of Bandiagara, and in the ancient city of Djenné, see renowned mud architecture and create your own bogolan, or mud cloth.
- Visit to Segou, the ancient capital of the Bambara
- Take a Pinasse trip on the Niger River, near Mopti
- Encounter the Dogon people in their impressive setting, the escarpment of Bandiagara
- Visit Djenné, a UNESCO World Heritage site
- Create your own bogolan (mud cloth) in a two-day workshop in Djenné
A landlocked country extending across the savannah and desert Sahel regions in West Africa, Mali possesses a rich cultural heritage and tradition. As early as the 9th century, present-day Mali was a focal point for the trans-Saharan trade, leading to the phenomenal rise of three distinct kingdoms: the expansive empires of Ghana (9th to 13th century), Mali (13th to 17th century) and Songhai (15th to 16th century).
While these empires have come and gone, traditional handcrafted arts, including textile weaving, pottery earthen architecture have been carefully preserved,and international heritage sites testify to the achievements and value of the country’s living history.
Getting to know the country’s culture means discovering its local cultures. Although our trip begins in Bamako, we will quickly leave the capital behind us to travel famed cities and villages at the heart of West Africa. The heart of our journey begins with Segou, the ancient capital of the Bambara, a lovely town along the Niger River.
From Segou, we venture to Mopti, where we will dive into the daily life of the Dogon people by trekking from village to village. We will spend the night on the roofs of the mud houses under the stars, to awake to the sights and sounds that mark the beginning of the day here: braying donkeys, cackling chickens and the stamping of the mortar and pestle of indefatigable women preparing local dishes.
We round up our tour with three days in the religious town Djenné. We will enjoy the town’s world-renowned mud architecture by spending the night in a mud hotel and making mud textiles together with local artisans. Our exploration, nine days teeming with centuries of history, kilometers of adventure and vibrant images and hands-on experiences of art, will leave you unforgettable memories of our fascinating journey.
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Package Options
Experience traditional cultures through this nine-day adventure. Accommodation is in standard hotels in the cities and very basic accommodation in the Dogon Village with no running water or electricity.
The trip price is based on the use of one 4-wheel-drive vehicle for one to six travelers. Please note that this means if 5 or 6 people are traveling, 4 people will have comfortable seats (one next to the driver and three behind them) while 2 people will sit in the less comfortable seats in the back next to the guide. If you are a group of 5 or 6 people who would like to travel with 2 vehicles, or if you would like to book a larger group, please make a request and we will do out utmost to tailor the trip transport to your wishes.
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