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The Road to Timbuktu and the Rivers of West Africa
Timbuktu: most know it only as a figment of the imagination. But in the Middle Ages, it was a dazzling center of scholarship and trade at the edge of the Sahara. We explore not only the faded glories of this fabled city, but also such exotic sites as the Grand Mosque of Djenné, the bustling city of Mopti, and the Dogon region, where a complex animistic cosmology reigns, inspiring mask ceremonies, vibrant rock paintings, and mystical cliff dwellings. Unlike most pilgrimages to Timbuktu, chartered plane flights transport us from Bamako to the Sahel and into Timbuktu itself, bypassing lengthy and arduous drives.
We’ll continue our journey aboard the 34-guest Callisto, an elegant private yacht hailed for its wonderful combination of superb cuisine, impeccable service, and intimate ambience, for a cruise exploring Senegal’s Saloum River and The Gambia’s River Gambia. We will navigate for more than 150 miles up the River Gambia, making the Callisto the first and only ship to explore this “undiscovered” part of West Africa. You will be surrounded by the rich wildlife of the Baobolong Wetland Reserve, Kiang West National Park, River Gambia National Park, Abuko Nature Preserve, and Makasutu Culture Forest—a completely different experience of nature than in the well-trodden safari routes of Kenya and Tanzania. Kingfishers swoop, baboons howl, dolphins swim close by, and hippos are spotted in the upper part of the River Gambia. An awe-inspiring display of bird life, with hundreds of swallow-tailed bee-eaters to great white pelicans and African spoonbills, will amaze champion and neophyte birdwatchers alike. Call at traditional villages, take excursions to historic towns, and conclude in Dakar, the musical capital of West Africa, for a pilgrimage to Gorée Island, creating a comprehensive educational experience in the natural and cultural history of this unbelievably varied region.
Travelers to Africa often wonder if their tourist dollars really make a difference toward improving the lives of Africans. Travel Dynamics International is committed not only to providing you with an extraordinary travel experience, but also to helping create a positive future for local people. For every traveler on our Road to Timbuktu and the Rivers of West Africa program, Travel Dynamics International will donate $100 to WaterAid America, the international nonprofit organization dedicated to overcoming poverty by enabling the world's most marginalized people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education.
Itinerary
Day 1 · USA
Day 2 · BAMAKO, Mali
Day 3 · BAMAKO
Day 4 · BAMAKO | MOPTI
Day 5 · MOPTI | DJENNÉ | MOPTI
Day 6 · MOPTI | DOGON REGION | MOPTI
Day 7 · MOPTI | TIMBUKTU | BAMAKO
Day 8 · BAMAKO | DAKAR, Senegal | EMBARK
Day 9 · SALOUM RIVER | DJIFFERE | JOAL-FADIOUT, Senegal
Day 10 · TENDABA | KIANG WEST NATIONAL PARK | BAOBOLONG WETLAND RESERVE, RIVER GAMBIA, The Gambia
Day 11 · KUNTAUR | WASSU STONE CIRCLES, RIVER GAMBIA
Day 12 · RIVER GAMBIA NATIONAL PARK | JANJANBUREH
Day 13 · THE RIVER GAMBIA
Day 14 · BANJUL | ABUKO NATURE RESERVE | MAKASUTU CULTURE FOREST | BANJUL
Day 15 · DAKAR | DISEMBARK | GORÉE ISLAND | DAKAR
Day 16 · ARRIVE IN THE USA
View Detailed Itinerary
• Three nights in Bamako at the Hotel Sofitel l’Amitié Bamako; three nights in Mopti at the Hotel Kanaga; day rooms in Dakar at the Hotel Sofitel Teranga
• 7-night cruise aboard the 34-guest yacht Callisto
• Flights in West Africa: from Bamako to Mopti, from Mopti to Timbuktu, from Timbuktu to Bamako, and from Bamako to Dakar
• Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions on board ship
• All meals throughout the trip, both on land and aboard Callisto
• Complete program of tours and excursions
• Open bar throughout the cruise
• Educational program of lectures by accompanying guest lecturer
• Professional Travel Dynamics International tour staff
• Complete pre-departure materials
• Baggage handling and transfers abroad on the designated program dates
• Port dues and embarkation taxes
• Gratuities to porters, guides, and drivers
NOT INCLUDED: Airfare (other than the flights in West Africa listed above); visas; passports; luggage, cancellation, and accident insurance; meals, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages other than those specified above; personal expenses such as laundry, telephone calls, faxes, and e-mail service; and gratuities to shipboard personnel
Your Visit—Helping Local Communities
Travelers to Africa often wonder if their tourist dollars really make a difference toward improving the lives of Africans. Travel Dynamics International is committed not only to providing you with an extraordinary travel experience, but also to helping create a positive future for local people. For every traveler on our Road to Timbuktu and the Rivers of West Africa program, Travel Dynamics International will donate $100 to WaterAid America, the international nonprofit organization dedicated to overcoming poverty by enabling the world's most marginalized people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education.
WaterAid works in 17 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, and to date, has reached over 10 million people with these necessities. WaterAid estimates that a donation of $30 will provide for the water, sanitation, and hygiene needs of one local resident. Since 2000, WaterAid has been operating in all of the regions to which we travel in Mali, helping over 19,000 people gain access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education. WaterAid provides these basic services by protecting wells and installing or restoring handpumps in rural areas, by constructing latrines and by encouraging soap-making in urban communities. WaterAid Mali’s goal is to increase the number of people reached annually to 41,000 by 2011. Our eight departures during 2008 will generate nearly $24,000, helping to provide thousands of people with safe drinking water and the health and economic benefits that this resource provides for the rest of their lives. For more information on this organization, go to http://www.wateraid.org/usa.
Day 1
USA
Fly from the U.S. to Bamako, Mali.
Day 2
BAMAKO, Mali
Arrive in Bamako, the capital of Mali, this evening and transfer to the Hotel Sofitel l’Amitié Bamako.
Day 3
BAMAKO
Visit the National Museum, housing one of the best ethnographic collections in West Africa. Enjoy lunch at the San Toro Restaurant, which features a gallery of traditional Malian art. Later, explore Bamako’s artisan market.
Day 4
BAMAKO | MOPTI
On a private flight, fly to Mopti, located at the confluence of the Niger and Bani rivers, and see the impressive mud-brick mosque and local markets. Enjoy a sunset boat ride on the Niger River. Overnight at the Hotel Kanaga.
Day 5
MOPTI | DJENNÉ | MOPTI
Little has changed since the 14th and 15th centuries when Djenné profited from the trans-Sahara trade. The main feature of Djenné is the Grand Mosque, the world’s largest mud-brick structure, which dates back to the 13th century but is repaired and rebuilt each year after the rainy season. Also visit the colorful market and the Bogolon mudcloth workshop.
Day 6
MOPTI | DOGON REGION | MOPTI
Tour the villages of the Dogon Region, built along the cliffs of an escarpment, and renowned for their unique architecture and elaborate art forms. Enjoy a spectacular Dogon mask dance performance.
Day 7
MOPTI | TIMBUKTU | BAMAKO
On a private flight, fly from Mopti to Timbuktu, once one of the wealthiest cities of Africa and a center of scholarship. During a walking tour, see the 15th-century Djingareyber and Sankore mosques; the explorers’ houses; and the Ahmed Baba Library of ancient Arabic writings and books. Fly to Bamako and overnight at the Hotel Sofitel l’Amitié Bamako.
Day 8
BAMAKO | DAKAR, Senegal | EMBARK
Fly from Bamako to Dakar and embark Callisto. Sail in the evening.
Day 9
SALOUM RIVER | DJIFFERE | JOAL-FADIOUT, Senegal
In the morning, Callisto will enter Senegal’s Saloum River and sail through scenic waterways and small islands to the village of Djiffere. Drive to the fishing village of Fadiout, one of Senegal’s most fascinating sites: the island is composed entirely of shells that have accumulated over the centuries. Everything here is made of shells—they are on the walls of the houses, and they cover the narrow pathways. In the evening, Callisto will enter the River Gambia and sail to the village of Tendaba, located 55 miles upriver.
Day 10
TENDABA | KIANG WEST NATIONAL PARK | BAOBOLONG WETLAND RESERVE, RIVER GAMBIA, The Gambia
From the village of Tendaba, situated on the south of the riverbank, explore two of The Gambia’s most important wildlife reserves. In the morning, drive to the Kiang West National Park, where mangroves, creeks, and mudflats alternate with dry woodland and grassland. Kiang West is notable for its more that 250 species of birds. In the afternoon, board local boats to navigate the waterways and maze of islands that comprise Baobolong Wetland Reserve, a notable bird sanctuary and a wonderland of mangroves, some of which are over 60 feet tall.
Day 11
KUNTAUR | WASSU STONE CIRCLES, RIVER GAMBIA
Early in the morning, Callisto will leave Tendaba to navigate deeper into the River Gambia. The river beyond Tendaba narrows, and its banks are covered with tropical forest. Passing by remote villages with grass-thatched huts, we arrive in the village of Kuntaur. As the ship navigates the twisting river, look for hippos that frequent this part of the river. In Kuntaur, set on a beautiful bend of the river, visit the colorful weekly market, where many tribes gather to sell their wares, and explore the nearby Wassu Stone Circles, the remnants of an ancient Senegambian culture, dating to about A.D. 750. Afterwards, we are greeted in the village by a traditional ceremony of local music and dance.
Day 12
RIVER GAMBIA NATIONAL PARK | JANJANBUREH
Board local motorized pirogues in the morning to discover the five mid-river Baboon Islands that constitute the River Gambia National Park. The islands also house the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Trust, the longest running such project in Africa, set up in 1969. Look for monkeys and other wildlife as our boat cruises by the lushly forested islands, and continue to the town of Janjanbureh, also known by its colonial name of Georgetown, once an important trading post for the British. Explore the quaint old town, where most of the buildings date from the 19th century, and shop for local crafts. Janjanbureh’s woodlands and leafy riverfront house a large number of bird species, and you will have the opportunity to take a nature and bird watching walk. Return to Callisto late in the afternoon and spend the night aboard anchored in Kuntaur.
Day 13
THE RIVER GAMBIA
Sail from Kuntaur in the morning on our downriver journey en route to Banjul, enjoying river views and life along the way. Time and river conditions permitting, we may stop at one of the villages along our route. Arrive in Banjul late in the evening.
Day 14
BANJUL | ABUKO NATURE RESERVE | MAKASUTU CULTURE FOREST | BANJUL
Founded by the British early in the 19th century, Banjul is the capital and commercial center of The Gambia. Disembark in the morning and drive to the Abuko Nature Reserve, one of the last surviving examples of tropical riverine forests in the country. Within its confines are about 300 species of birds, as well as red colobus and callithrix monkeys. Continue to the Makasutu Culture Forest, a private nature habitat with beautiful woodland and waterways. Enjoy lunch at the reserve. Return to Banjul to visit the National Museum, whose exhibits illustrate the history and culture of the country.
Day 15
DAKAR | DISEMBARK | GORÉE ISLAND | DAKAR
Disembark in Dakar. Visit Gorée Island, first settled by Europeans in the 15th century, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to Dakar to visit the IFAN Museum, one of West Africa’s best, then explore the Marche Soumbedioune, a craft market with the best variety of artisan workmanship. Transfer to the Hotel Sofitel Teranga for dinner and accommodations until your evening flight. Transfer to the airport for return flights to the United States.
Day 16
ARRIVE IN THE USA
