Under African skies

If you are thinking of taking a trip into Sub-Saharan Africa I could not recommend Mali more. It is the most beautiful and welcoming place I have ever been to.

There is something about Mali that gets under your skin. Whether it’s the bustling capital Bamako, the stunning Niger river, the port town of Mopti, the ancient Mosque town of Djenné, fabled Timbuktu or magical Dogon country, it is a truly remarkable place.
Bamako, a bustling city, full of life, markets and trees, lies on either side of the majestic river Niger. The people are very friendly. They stop to talk to you and there is a friendly kind of banter on the streets. I have always felt safe there and very much at home. One of the things you have to experience in Bamako is the music – this is why people travel from all over the world to the city. There are so many bars and clubs with excellent live music. Most of the big Bambara musicians – Oumou Sangaré, Salif Keita, and Baba Salah – play regularly and some have their own clubs.
Friday nights in Toumani Diabaté’s club, the Hogon, is definitely the highlight. The club is outdoors and soaked in a red light, a stage bursting with musicians from sax players to an array of guitarists, while in front of the stage is a line of drummers, inspiring the dancers. Toumani never appears before 1am. But the wait is worth it: you will dance your socks (or in this case your flip-flops) off. When we were there, the place heaved with some of the funkiest and most elegant dancers I have ever seen.
My preferred way to travel is by 4x4. I love driving, taking in the whole country, stopping in the small villages and watching the landscape change. We weaved along the Niger river to Mopti – a river town and a port of trade. You can see all the Panaas coming in loaded down with salt from Timbuktu. This is the perfect place to take a boat trip along the river stopping in the rural Bozo villages on the way. It’s amazing to see the life on the river, from the nomadic Bozo fishermen to the Fulani herdsmen roaming with their cattle. Watching the sunset on the Niger is one of the most peaceful experiences I have ever had, and some of the most beautiful footage I have filmed.
If you go to Mali, make sure you allow time to visit Dogon country – it’s like stepping back into an ancient world. The Dogon people are cliff dwellers, who live along the 500 mile Bandiagara cliff escarpment. Having no electricity, it is a culture which has not changed since the 1400s. We sought out a village which was not touristic, called Tele, and stayed with Brahma in lovely mud huts painted with dogon art. Dogon country is so still and beautiful: once forested, there is now just a scatter of Baobab trees. The villages are fascinating, laid out as they are in the form of the human body, with mud huts and mud mosques. My producer Vanessa and I used to film at golden hour up high on the cliffs, shooting the scene below whilst listening to the cacophony of birds, goats, donkeys, kids playing and women grinding millet. This was also the best place to see the stars – once you go there you will want to stay for as long as you can.
Also worth the trip is the market in Djenné, a laidback town to which people travel each Monday. Thousands of people pour in along the banks of the Niger, on foot, bike or carts, often carrying their ware on their heads; it is a sight to behold.
I love Timbuktu. A noble town full of history and knowledge, it is the gateway to the Sahara. Once famed for being the centre of Islam, it was the location of the first university in the world. There were thousands of libraries, and the town was a centre of trade – the gold came up from the south and the salt came from the north.
Unfortunately, due to desertification, the river is being pushed further away from Timbuktu. Still, I loved walking along the sandy streets chatting to the Tuareg, visiting the famous mosques and libraries… you get a real sense of the history.
When I was first there, I thought I heard Irish music bouncing off the mud walls. I followed the sound ‘til I found an elderly Fulani man sitting outside his hut playing a ngoni, one-string fiddle. It made me feel that in ancient times maybe us Irish travelled up the Niger, to Timbuktu, exchanging music and culture – who knows?
From Timbuktu we headed out to Essakane to Festival au Desert, a Tuareg event known as the most remote festival in the world. One of the most exotic festivals you could ever hope to go to, you truly get to absorb Tuareg culture there. The festival is still predominantly made up of Tuaregs, even though more and more westerners go each year. There is usually a great line up, and lots of great Tuareg music.
The first year I was at the festival I had the great privilege of interviewing and filming the late, great Ali Farka Touré...he played an amazing gig, obviously loving the opportunity to perform in front of his own people.
It was just one of the numerous brilliant experiences I have had in Mali, a country of incredible beauty with many cultural riches to offer.

We Recommend:
Book: Mali: The Bradt Travel Guide by Ross Velton
Nightclub: The Hogon, Bamako
CDs: In The Heart Of The Moon, Toumani Diabate & Ali Farka Touré
Niger, Afel Bocoum & Alkibar
Aman Iman, Tinariwen

Registered Tourist Guide:
Mamadou Bah: metbah[at]yahoo.fr

Hotels:
Hotel Tamana, Bamako
Hotel Djenne, Bamako
Hotel Doux Reves, Mopti
Chez Brahma, Tele, Dogon Country
Chez Yacouba, Ende, Dogon Country
Hotel Boctou, Timbuktu