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Timbuktu Travel Blogs

Background: The Sudanese Republic and Senegal became independent of France in 1960 as the Mali Federation. When Senegal withdrew after only a few months, what formerly made up the Sudanese Republic was renamed Mali. Rule by dictatorship was brought to a close in 1991 with a transitional government and in 1992 when Mali's first democratic presidential election was held. After his reelection in 1997, President Alpha KONARE continued to push through political and economic reforms and to fight corruption. In keeping with Mali's two-term constitutional limit, he stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou TOURE.

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By Bjorndahl
August 11th 2009

To Timbuktu Africa » Mali » North-West » Timbuktu

a bad picture of a hippo

So I took a boat to Timbuktu. Not alot happened! We got into the boat fought for our places, almost won a very large section and then lost half of it but only because we decided being jerks to a nice Spanish couple wasnt the best way to start a 3 day boat trip. Good decision, they ended up being really nice people. There were also 3 Catalonians and a hand full of French people AND lots of locals. Look at the picture; we looked like that. Saw lots of hippos and birds as well as numerous villages of wide varieties. [View Full Entry]

By johnnyrivers
April 29th 2009

The Mali Finale! part 5- Timbuktu Africa » Mali » North-West » Timbuktu

Welcome to Timbuktu!

"Great! After sixteen long hours, we've finally made it to Timbuktu! Where are we gonna sleep?" That was the general sentiment that prevailed Friday at five o'clock in the morning. Our growing anxiety however was soon put to rest when we met up with a guy named Ali. Interestingly enough, I had actually talked to him on the phone in Mopti . Funny thing was we never discussed what time or where in the city we would arrive. So as to how he knew our exact time and place of arrival is still a mystery [View Full Entry]

By lprice4
April 27th 2009

Part 4- TIMBUKTU!! Africa » Mali » North-West » Timbuktu

camel caravan

The next morning Souleman had arranged for a vehicle to pick us up and bring us to Mopti. Once again it was an incredibly hot and crammed van on a terrible bumpy road, but we were getting pretty used to this by this point. While we were sitting there, Berkley and Jess talked with some guy who knew a guy who knew a guy who owned a 4x4 that he takes out to Timbuktu. Normally this would seem like a sketchy situation, but its pretty much how it works in Mali. There aren’t many transportation options like busses or trotros, its [View Full Entry]

By Toolman
January 13th 2009

West Africa - Jan 2009 Africa » Mali » North-West » Timbuktu

A Brussels street sign

For the last 8 months I have been on a sabbatical from travelling. During this time I have embarked on a number of random pursuits, such as a career and the like. But all good things must come to an end. I can no longer avoid my responsibilities in life and I am responsible for getting my pasty white ass back to Africa. [If you want to get on with the Africa part of this blog, you may want to skip the next few paragraphs] Last time I left you, I was in Uganda, after several months travelling up through Africa [View Full Entry]

By Roodle
December 29th 2008

NEw plan! Africa » Mali » North-West » Timbuktu

Helloooo again! Wow; two entries in 2 days, im on a roll! Just wanted to let yall know that hayley and i sporadically had a change of plans. We met some americans/ german people our age that had just got back from Timbuktu, and spoke about the trip so highly. We explained to them we were going to go, but then decided not to because of expenses, long travel time (cause its in the northern part of mali... the saharan desert), etc. But they told us that we pretty much have to go, even if its for a short time. They [View Full Entry]

By pablostrip
August 12th 2008

timbuktu Africa » Mali » North-West » Timbuktu

sankore

I have a theory, well I have many theories, I am a man of many theories. you probably have heard some of them like the "I dont understand jeans" theory, or the "I dont get city views" theory, or the "peace corps are spies" theory, or the "theres no reason for flies" theory, or the "guilt/ammountofalcoholboughtinadvance" theiory, or the "spanish people nightwalks theory" recently inspired by a dutch guy I met in bamako. well, I have a theory about the popular view of tomboctou among travellees as a city not worth going to. too far the way for no reward, etc. [View Full Entry]

By LukeIRL
August 5th 2008

From Timbuktu to Segou Africa » Mali » North-West » Timbuktu

The Kankou Moussa

We took the boat. It was great. Slept up on top deck, out in the open. Took 4 nights from Korioume to Segou. Saw a lightning storm attack the river, got beached on sandbanks, played lots of cent-cinquante-et-un (malian card game) in the bar, drank the bar dry twice, ate wonderful galley food, watched dubious Portuguese soaps dubbed in French, had showers in showers that inexplicably went on and off. [View Full Entry]

By LukeIRL
July 30th 2008

Basskounou to Timbuktu Africa » Mali » North-West » Timbuktu

Puncture

The land cruiser taxi we got from Basskounou to Lere, on the Malian side of the border was driven by a madman. He was in competition with another 4X4 driver for passengers, and when we stopped to pick someone else we would be overtaken. Therafter, he would try to catch up with the other taxi, driving crazily off road, hitting sandhills, swerving to avoid trees and camels, and all but losing his own passengers. As a result, we went through 3 tyres that day, probably simply exploding as a cause of the sheer speed. It was a great day though, everyone [View Full Entry]

By Kelebek
January 14th 2008

Festival Au Desert and Timbuctu -- There and Back Again Africa » Mali » North-West » Timbuktu

The Road to Timbuctu

The Road to Timbuktu The last dregs of Dogon country’s vast escarpment, two black sandstone towers, mark the turnoff to Timbuctu, once the world’s most remote outpost, now quite the glamorous prostitute for many a rich (but poor foolish) tourist who puts herself through motor vehicle misery just to say “I’ve been to Timbuctu and back again.” We were ostensibly going for the Festival Au Desert, a music festival and traditional gathering of the nomadic Tuareg tribe, but during our six hour, bucking bronco voyage sans shocks and AC, swerving between a c [View Full Entry]

Camel Races at the Festival in the Desert

By AfricaBound
November 11th 2007

Welcome to Timbuktu Africa » Mali » North-West » Timbuktu

Welcome to Timbuktu

Hello from Timbuktu! To be quite honest, Timbuktu was nothing more than a small dusty city filled with Mosques, but hey, we made it! What we will most remember about Timbuktu, is the unbearably loud chanting that started at about 4 am and continued on until about 6am from the various Mosques near to where we were camping. The chanting signals prayer time, in the Muslim religion, they pray 5 times daily, and depending on the cities that we have been to, sometimes the Mosques project loud chanting to signal prayer time up to 5 times through out the day. This [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » Africa » Mali » North-West » Timbuktu