Mali December budget tour

day 1 – 4/12/2023 • Bamako

• Arrival in Bamako at your convenience, the warmth of Mali welcomes you!
• Upon arrival, you will be greeted by your Papillon guide and driver for a pre-tour meeting, some visits of the city depending on arrival time and a fun first night in buzzling Bamako

Overnight in Bamako, Hotel Tamana, AC room

day 2 – 5/12/2023 • Bamako – San

• Breakfast at the hotel followed by a drive to the town of San, via Ségou
• As the ride will take us most of the day, we will do a few stops along the way, at some local villages to see how life goes on in the countryside. Lunch will be taken in Ségou, in one of our favorite eateries in town
• Late afternoon arrival in San. Time permits, we will visit the local adobe mosque before a local dinner in town and an evening tea at the hotel

Overnight in San, Hotel Teriya, fan room

day 3 – 6/12/2023 • San – Djenné – Ségou

• We’ll start the day nice and early for the drive to Djenné
• Once we arrived, we will wander around the old town of this unique city, along Koranic schools and mud structures.
• We’ll visit the sacred well, Tapama’s tomb, climb a rooftop for a good view on the Great Mosque
• The regional dish Tion Tion – prepared by the wife of our guide – is served for lunch
• Early afternoon departure for the drive back to Ségou.
• At last we’ll arrive in Ségou, depending on the time we might have the chance to partake to a Malian tea ceremony!
• We’ll get to spend the night in Ségou,with the opportunity to discover the local cuisine, mingle with locals and have a fun time

Overnight in Ségou, Hotel Djoliba, AC room

day 4 – 7/12/2023 • Ségou – Bamako

• After breakfast, we’ll explore the Somono and colonial neighborhoods, before stopping off at the Soroblé bogolan (mud-cloth) center. This traditional cotton fabric is dyed with fermented mud and represents one of Mali’s most influential cultural practices.
• Following the visit, we’ll go to the nearby calabash village. We’ll discover all about the making and transformation of the fruit into big bowls and musical percussive instruments
• Afternoon ride to Bamako, where we’ll have a nice local dinner before transfer to the airport

Auberge Amassakoul, AC room (day use)