![\"travel](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/DSC_5358-1024x555.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWhy visit, safety, visa, best experiences, getting in, budget & costs, cultural facts and more. This is the most up-to-date travel guide to Mali<\/strong> anywhere.<\/em><\/p>\n Despite an unfortunate, ongoing conflict that has sealed some of the most astonishing sites in the country from regular tourists, Mali is still out there, Malians carry on with their lives and, with a bit of planning, some of their human-made wonders can be visited without any complication.<\/p>\n I visited Mali right after Mauritania<\/strong><\/a> and, while I think the latter is a great country to visit, Mali exceeded all my expectations, becoming one of my favorite destinations ever.<\/p>\n From tribal people to breathtaking man-made monuments and extraordinary landscapes, Mali might be, along with Ethiopia<\/strong><\/a>, the sub-Saharan African country with the biggest touristic potential.<\/p>\n This guide contains everything you need to know for traveling to Mali<\/strong> now.<\/p>\n For all the places to visit in the country, check my personal Mali itinerary<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Insurance for traveling in Mali<\/strong> The situation in Mali is kind of ambiguous.<\/p>\n First of all, I personally believe that Mali is one of the most dangerous countries<\/strong><\/a> in the world, probably more than Syria<\/strong><\/a> and other Middle Eastern countries<\/strong><\/a> but, for some reason, the Western media hardly talks about it.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, most informed people and travelers know that something is going on in Mali but very few know what is actually happening.<\/p>\n In fact, when I announced my trip to Mali, I got several warnings from friends, readers and even family members, telling me to be careful, keep a low profile, or even suggesting canceling the trip but, once again, they barely knew what I had to be careful about.<\/p>\n To summarize it in a few sentences, it all started back in 2012, when Tuareg insurgent groups claimed independence or more autonomy for northern Mali.<\/p>\n Following a coup d\u2019\u00e9tat in March 2012<\/a><\/strong>, those Tuareg insurgent groups \u2013 represented by the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad \u2013 occupied several northern cities (including Timbuktu and Gao) and, backed by Islamist groups, self-declared independence of northern Mali, rebranding it as Azawad.<\/p>\n The problem, however, was that the Tuaregs and Islamic rebels had completely different visions, so they started fighting each other until the Islamic rebels won and began to impose Sharia law across the north.<\/p>\n In 2013, several foreign armies, led by the French Army, intervened and they have been fighting ever since.<\/p>\n This is the current political and historical context and something you must be aware of if you ever travel to Mali.<\/p>\n With all this context, traveling to Mali doesn\u2019t sound particularly appealing but as I always like to say:<\/p>\n Dangerous countries don\u2019t exist. Instead, what you find are specific regions or zones in a country where potential danger might exist.<\/p>\n To be very honest with you, before doing any research, I was also skeptical about traveling Mali, not only for safety concerns but also because I thought the coolest sites were off-limits, and I didn\u2019t want to travel all the way to Mali just to visit its capital Bamako.<\/p>\n But I was wrong. While it\u2019s true that world-famous places such as Timbuktu, the tomb of Aksia or Dogon Country are big no-go zones, south and central Mali are filled with jaw-dropping sites for which traveling such a long way will definitely be worth the trip.<\/p>\n Daily markets, the town of S\u00e9gou, Dougouba, Siby, Sikasso and even amazing Djenn\u00e9 (if you are willing to take a small risk).<\/p>\n As I said in the beginning, Mali is one of the best countries I have ever visited, and it became so by just going to all those places located within the safe area.<\/p>\n Safety is the number one concern for anyone traveling to Mali. Here you can check the FCDO Mali travel advice<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Is Mali safe to visit or not?<\/em><\/p>\n There is no short answer to this but, generally speaking:<\/p>\n The safest and most peaceful area to travel in Mali, which comprises anywhere south of Bamako. Nevertheless, according to many governments, the area around Kayes and the border with Mauritania<\/strong><\/a> present some security concerns, even though experienced travelers may claim otherwise.<\/p>\n Anything that lies between S\u00e9gou and Mopti. Security will depend on where you go. For example, S\u00e9gou can be done independently without any problem but, further than that, a guide is recommended. I went as far as Djenn\u00e9 and I think there was some risk involved because Islamic-controlled villages are less than 20km away and the level of security is poor.<\/p>\n The actual war zone starts in S\u00e9var\u00e9, 20km north of Mopti. If you make it to that point, you will see tanks and plenty of armored vehicles. Traveling to the north of Mali is not recommended, especially if you go by road.<\/p>\n Dogon Country spreads across central and north Mali, east of Mopti. The local guide who took me to Djenn\u00e9 said he would not dare taking me to Dogon Country. If my guide is concerned about Dogon Country, you should be as well, because he persistently tried to persuade me to visit Timbuktu by boat, claiming it was safe.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, remember that the situation in Mali is extremely volatile, and things can change overnight. For example, Dogon was OK to go to in 2019 but not anymore. This is just a small summary, for more information read my Mali safety guide<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Insurance for traveling in Mali<\/strong> Mali is currently open for tourism but two Coronavirus-related rules apply:<\/p>\n For entering Mali \u2013 <\/strong>A negative PCR test is required, issued no longer than 72 hours previously.<\/p>\n For leaving Mali \u2013 <\/strong>A negative PCR test is also required which you can get at the following clinics:<\/p>\n Mali travel tip \u2013<\/strong> Officially, the test should be done 72 hours before your flight departs but, when I arrived at Bamako International Airport and showed my test, they didn\u2019t want to let me on the plane because my arrival time in Barcelona was 73 hours after taking the test \u2013 it was a 14-hour flight. At the clinic, I was asked for my flight details, so I argued back by saying that the health authorities told me otherwise, that it\u2019s 72 hours before departure time. Our discussion was rather short and I was able to check in without much hassle, but be aware of this potential issue.<\/p>\n A tourist visa is required for traveling to Mali, which you can get at the embassy.<\/p>\n Surprisingly, you can find a Malian Embassy in many capitals around the world, including in Europe, the USA and Canada.<\/p>\n Alternatively, you can also apply for a visa in many West African cities, popular places being Nouakchott<\/strong><\/a> (Mauritania), Dakar (Senegal) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).<\/p>\n The first thing you need to know is that each embassy has its own rules but, overall, the visa for Mali is supposed to be one of the easiest (and cheapest) visas to apply for in West Africa.<\/p>\n I got mine Nouakchott, and this were the Mali tourist visa requirements:<\/p>\n It was valid for 30 days.<\/p>\n You need to specify the point of entry \u2013 Bamako International Airport in my case \u2013 and your entry date, which would be the day your 30-day validity would start from.<\/p>\n A curious fact was that I spent less than 10 minutes at the embassy \u2013 including waiting time \u2013 the shortest visa application ever.<\/p>\n Just contact your nearest embassy to find out about their specific requirements. Your reports are welcome in the comments section of this blog \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Bamako, the capital of Mali, has an international airport with direct connections to several African cities.<\/p>\n You can also find occasional direct flights from Madrid, Paris and a few more European cities, but a good, cheap alternative is doing a layover in Dakar, where you find several daily flights to Bamako.<\/p>\n I personally flew in from Nouakchott<\/strong><\/a> via Dakar.<\/p>\n Mali shares a border with several countries but, due to safety concerns related to the Sahel conflict, some of them are either closed or too dangerous.<\/p>\n Do check the latest security updates for Mali but, as a rule of thumb, any border located north of Mopti, which includes Algeria, Niger, east Burkina Faso and far-east Mauritania \u2013 is not safe.<\/p>\n Mauritania \u2013<\/strong> Foreign embassies claim that the Mali border area is sketchy, but spunky overlanders cross it all the time from Kiffa or Ayoun al Atrous. Crossing from any entry point east of these two cities is impossible. Check my Mauritania safety report<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Senegal \u2013 <\/strong>A fairly common border to cross that takes you to the city of Kayes.<\/p>\n Guinea Conakry \u2013 <\/strong>Perhaps, the easiest and safest Mali border crossing, which takes you straight to Bamako via Siby.<\/p>\n Ivory Coast \u2013 <\/strong>Another easy border to cross that takes you into a particularly safe area of Mali.<\/p>\n Burkina Faso \u2013<\/strong> As I said, entering Mali from East Burkina Faso is way too dangerous, perhaps even impossible, but you can make your way into the country via the Sikasso border.<\/p>\n Niger and Algeria \u2013<\/strong> The border area with these two countries is an actual war zone.<\/p>\n Mali is hot all year round, experiencing little variation in temperature, always averaging around 35\u00baC, especially the central and southern part.<\/p>\n The north, however, which is composed of the inhospitable desert that characterizes the Sahel region, experiences a higher contrast between winter and summer but in any case, it\u2019s always hot and you can\u2019t travel there nowadays.<\/p>\n With that, when planning your trip to Mali, the only thing to take into consideration is the rainy season, which typically runs from June to September.<\/p>\n Therefore, the best time to travel to Mali would be after the rainy season, from October to January<\/strong>.<\/p>\n I visited Mali in February-March, and it was also great, no complaints or whatsoever because it was mango season \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to check all the SAFE places to visit in Mali<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Timbuktu and Dogon Country are the highlight of any trip to Mali but I didn\u2019t include them in the best Mali experiences because they are no-go zones.<\/p>\n Few places in the world have moved and thrilled me as much as the Grand Mosque of Djenn\u00e9.<\/p>\n This sand castle is the largest mud construction in the world and, on my visit, I literally had it all to myself.<\/p>\n The Niger River is a 4,180-kilometer river that stretches across West Africa, the main one in the region, whose geographical importance was key in developing historical cities like Timbuktu and Djenn\u00e9.<\/p>\n Today, the Niger River is a source of natural resources where the locals perform all sorts of tasks and jobs. From ladies doing their laundry to workers collecting the sand needed to build their mud buildings, or even planting crops on its shores, the Niger River is a year-round cultural festival that photography enthusiasts will surely enjoy.<\/p>\n Mali was the first West African country I ever explored, so when I first visited those markets filled with ladies wearing such colorful dresses I had a blast.<\/p>\n I strongly recommend S\u00e9gou market, which takes place on Monday.<\/p>\n Siby is a small town 50km south Bamako, popular for its strange rock formations, unspoiled villages and mango plantations.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a particularly peaceful and safe area as well, which is best explored by motorbike.<\/p>\n I rented mine through @scootwestafrica<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Travel insurance for Mali is a real must, especially in times of pandemic, and I strongly recommend IATI Insurance<\/a><\/strong> because:<\/p>\n The only available guidebook to Mali is Bradt, which dates from 2009, and I don\u2019t think there will be a new one until the Sahel conflict is over. There aren\u2019t many copies available for sale, so it can be difficult to get one.<\/p>\n CHECK AVAILABILITY ON AMAZON<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n If you are overlanding across West Africa, the generic LP guide to the region can prove useful if all you want is an overall idea of what to expect in each country. I bought it because I like collecting them but the Mali chapter has only 4 pages.<\/p>\n My blog posts are much more insightful \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO CHECK PRICES ON AMAZON<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Incredible book that will make you understand what is going on in the Sahel, with a special focus on Mali. I enjoyed this book very much and I strongly believe it\u2019s an essential acquisition for anyone traveling to Mali.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO CHECK PRICES ON AMAZON<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n 1 \u2013 The Republic of Mali \u2013 <\/strong>It\u2019s a landlocked country in West Africa and the 8th largest in the continent but home to less than 20 million people.<\/p>\n 2 \u2013 It\u2019s a former French colony \u2013<\/strong> Which achieved independence in 1960.<\/p>\n 3 \u2013 Mali is within the 10 poorest countries in the world \u2013 <\/strong>And the current conflict is only worsening it.<\/p>\n 4 \u2013 The Bambara is the largest ethnic group \u2013<\/strong> Who make up 35% of the total population.<\/p>\n 5 \u2013 But there are many other ethnic groups \u2013<\/strong> Fulani, Dogon, Sonink\u00e9, Songhai, Mandinka, Tuareg and many others. The further north you go, the lighter-skinned Malians are.<\/p>\n 6 \u2013 It\u2019s predominantly Muslim \u2013 <\/strong>Islam is the religion practiced by 90% of the population.<\/p>\n 7 \u2013 But they are moderate Muslims \u2013 <\/strong>Most Malians are believers and practice Islam daily but their form of devotion isn\u2019t strict. Women wear tight dresses, alcohol is widely available and they are tolerant, even in villages and rural areas. The further north you go, however, the more religious I felt they were.<\/p>\n 8 \u2013 French is the only official language \u2013 <\/strong>In Bamako, pretty much anybody can speak French but outside, only well-educated people can speak it.<\/p>\n 9 \u2013 Bambara is the common language \u2013 <\/strong>Which can be spoken by about 80% of the population. Nevertheless, more than 40 African languages are spoken in Mali.<\/p>\n 10 \u2013 Many signs show that Mali used to be a touristic destination \u2013 <\/strong>From several locals speaking fluent Spanish to a wide range of hotels and souvenir stalls covered in dust, one can feel that Mali used to receive a lot of visitors in better times.<\/p>\n 11 \u2013 Malians are honest, friendly people \u2013 <\/strong>In Bamako, I met some expats who claimed that one of the things they liked the most about Mali was that Malians are truly honest, and as a traveler, this is something you really appreciate. In my experience, people were always keen to help, scams were rare, and they never exceeded the line between being friendly and too intense, except for the few classic crazy locals you bump into in Bamako.<\/p>\n Buying local clothes<\/strong> After traveling in Mauritania<\/strong><\/a>, my food expectations were terribly low but Malian food turned out to be pretty good, even though you have to look for it because most regular restaurants will serve what they call French food, which includes meals like grilled meat, fish, soups and fries.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not really French but just international food and that type of restaurant usually belongs to hotels and auberges, or is located in areas where you are more likely to hang out. They are good because they have beer and probably coffee but they are overpriced and take you away from the Malian experience.<\/p>\n There are plenty of street food stalls too where you can get a local meal but the peculiarity is that there aren\u2019t many proper Malian restaurants as such, and all the ones I went to were by recommendation.<\/p>\n The staple food in Mali is tiga diga na<\/em> or tigad\u00e8gu\u00e8na<\/em>, consisting of peanut sauce with rice. That\u2019s what most Malians eat every single day and what\u2019s most available in the street. It costs less than 50 cents and, for an extra dollar, you can have beef stew on the side.<\/p>\n Malians are big meat eaters but pay attention at those restaurants and stalls, and you will see that very few Malians order it with meat, basically because they can\u2019t afford it.<\/p>\n For breakfast, street food stalls will typically sell egg sandwiches but also heavy meat stews at 7am in the morning.<\/p>\n Insurance for traveling in Mali<\/strong> Water \u2013 <\/strong>Obviously, you must avoid drinking tap water. A 1.5l bottle of mineral water costs nearly 1\u20ac anywhere, much more expensive than back home so alternatively, they sell some plastic bags filled with cold water. One filled plastic bag \u2013 around 0.5l \u2013 costs less than 10 cents but it does taste weird sometimes. I did buy them on several occasions, and didn\u2019t get sick or anything like that, even though they don\u2019t recommend foreigners drinking it.<\/p>\n![\"traveling](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/23-683x1024.jpg\")
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I strongly recommend IATI Insurance<\/a><\/strong>: COVID-19 coverage + full travel in Mali coverage + 5% discount
BUY IT HERE TO GET YOUR SPECIAL DISCOUNT<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nTraveling to Mali today<\/h2>\n
So, what is going on in Mali that dropped tourism?<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/DSC_4964-1024x684.jpg\")
Why visit Mali, despite the conflict<\/h2>\n
![\"Visit](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/DSC_5086-724x1024.jpg\")
Is it safe to travel to Mali? Areas to avoid<\/h2>\n
Traveling to South Mali<\/h3>\n
Traveling to Central Mali<\/h3>\n
Traveling to North Mali<\/h3>\n
Traveling to Dogon Country<\/h3>\n
COVID-19 travel requirements for Mali<\/h2>\n
I strongly recommend IATI Insurance<\/a><\/strong>: COVID-19 coverage + full travel in Mali coverage + 5% discount
BUY IT HERE TO GET YOUR SPECIAL DISCOUNT<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/DSC_5015-1024x684.jpg\")
How to get a tourist visa for Mali<\/h2>\n
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![\"tourist](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210419_163256-835x1024.jpg\")
How to get in Mali<\/h2>\n
Traveling to Mali by plane<\/h3>\n
![\"visit](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/DSC_5628-1024x684.jpg\")
Traveling to Mali overland<\/h3>\n
Best time to visit Mali<\/h2>\n
![\"best](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/DSC_5586-1024x684.jpg\")
Top experiences in Mali<\/h2>\n
Visiting the Grand Mosque of Djenn\u00e9<\/h3>\n
![\"mali](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/DSC_5265-1024x684.jpg\")
Observing the local life along the Niger River<\/h3>\n
![\"Sand](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/DSC_4910-1024x684.jpg\")
Checking out the most colorful markets<\/h3>\n
![\"why](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/DSC_5000-1024x684.jpg\")
Exploring Siby area on a motorbike<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/VideoCapture_20210420-165544-578x1024.jpg\")
Travel insurance for Mali (with COVID-19 coverage)<\/h2>\n
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Useful books for planning a trip to Mali<\/h2>\n
Mali travel guide by Bradt<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/81hZSPKaT5L.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWest Africa travel guide by Lonely Planet<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/91YNTuntdXL1-666x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nAl-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb: Shadow of Terror over The Sahel \u2013 Al. J. Venter<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/51isWSmXeL.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n11 Cultural facts about Mali<\/h2>\n
![\"Bambara](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210227_112330-1024x623.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/DSC_5183-1024x684.jpg\")
Both men and women dress up in colorful clothes. Usually, they buy the fabric in the market and then take it to a tailor afterwards. Both fabric shops and tailors abound and I was surprised that in Siby, I paid less than 5\u20ac \u2013 fabric + work \u2013 for a pretty neat t-shirt. I also got one in Bamako but paid around 12\u20ac. Anyways, this is a pretty cool thing you can do when traveling in Mali, and the locals will definitely appreciate it.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210227_180523-1024x576.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210228_084107-576x1024.jpg\")
The food in Mali<\/h2>\n
![\"tiga](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210223_130304-1024x766.jpg\")
More meals you are likely to eat in Mali:<\/h3>\n
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![\"Mali](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210224_135304-1024x766.jpg\")
What to drink in Mali<\/h2>\n
I strongly recommend IATI Insurance<\/a><\/strong>: COVID-19 coverage + full travel in Mali coverage + 5% discount
BUY IT HERE TO GET YOUR SPECIAL DISCOUNT<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
![\"Mali](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/20210222_183151-704x1024.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/VideoCapture_20210419-164435-647x1024.jpg\")