We are a boutique travel agency rooted in Bamako, designing journeys across the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea with local guides who know their terrain intimately.
Papillon Reizen was founded on a simple belief: the best journeys are the ones where the people who welcome you earn a fair share of what it cost you to get there.
We've been designing trips across Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Bénin, Niger, Guinea, Sierra Leone and beyond since 2010. Every itinerary is built with local partners who live in the places you'll visit — not distant ground agents, not a call centre.
We travel small. Private tours are tailored to your pace, interests and dates. Group tours are capped at around a dozen guests, with a full-time guide on every leg. And we do not take on seasons we cannot staff properly.
Born as a nomad in the area of Timbuktu, Abdoulaye started his career as a local guide at the age of 15. Over the years he built deep expertise across Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso — always with a focus on ethical engagement with communities. After studying English in Ghana and further travels in the region, he transitioned from freelance work with several travel agencies to directing Papillon Reizen in 2021.
A Switzerland native with over a decade spent across multiple continents, Julien prioritises ethical tourism and community engagement in every itinerary he designs. Fluent in French, English, Chinese and Thai (plus conversational Spanish), he bridges the gap between travellers and the teams on the ground across West Africa.
After years in corporate employment and five years of global travel, Monique first visited Mali in 2009 and established Papillon Reizen in Ségou in 2010. She steered the agency through multiple regional crises, growing it into a respected name in West African travel, before handing leadership to Abdoulaye in November 2021. She now runs Papillon Fairtrade, the social-enterprise branch.
Drop us a line — Abdoulaye, Julien or one of the team will reply within a working day.
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