Being from South Africa, I never dreamed I would come to another part of the continent and be so blown away.  Within five minutes of landing, every one of my senses was hit, and for the next four days we journeyed through incredible markets and villages, having one of the most diverse cultural experiences ever.  

Visiting the Tuareg in their natural desert environment, sitting in a caravan tent eating a traditional mishui lamb lunch, and finally making it to infamous Timbuktu was just the start of our adventure in Mali.  Getting to see the largest mud mosque in the world, together with the huge Monday Market that surrounds the structure, made the town of Djenné another highlight.  Our visit to Dogon Country revealed the amazing architecture that blends into these towering rocky cliffs, similar to the Grand Canyon, with villages nestled at the base that run for over 200 miles. Once we were in the remote Dogon villages among the unique slender thatched mud huts, we experienced a culture that is hard to imagine, defined by diviners reading fox tracks and incredibly skilled dancers with an amazing variety of masks.

It’s been a truly remarkable experience, completely safe, and not to be missed. I hope you join us on our next trip to Mali, an extension of our Senegal to Spain expedition departing in April, 2012.