Africa - Mali - Country Information

Mali is rich in culture and history and as well as the fabled city of Timbuktu on the edge of the Sahara, the country has many more places of historical note and interest such as the Bandiagara escarpment, home to the mysterious Dogon Peoples, the amazingly well preserved old town of Djenne, now a World Heritage site, and Segoukoro (old Segou) which was once the capital of the powerful Bambara kings whose rule stretched for thousands of miles across West Africa.

Key Facts
Full Country Name	Republic of Mali
Area	1.24 million sq km
Population	11.6 million
Capital	Bamako
Time Difference	Mali Republic is the Same Time as GMT
Visa	A Visa is required. For visa application form click here
Currency	CFA Franc
People	Bambara, Tuareg, Dogon, Songhaï, Senoufou, Fulani
Language	French, Bambara, Songhai, Arabic
Dialling Code	00 223
Electricity	220V 50 Hz

Visas:

A visa is required. As there is no embassy in the UK, those passengers obtaining a visa prior to departure need to obtain this from Brussels where the nearest embassy is located. For Escorted Group Departures we would advise that all visas are obtained at the same time on a group basis in order to avoid unnecessary individual courier expenses. For visa application form (individual processing) click here, for group processing click here

Health risks:

Diphtheria, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Malaria, Meningitis, Polio, TB, Tetanus, Typhoid

When to Go:

The best time to visit Mali is mid to late October through to February, during the cool, dry season. Travel can be difficult during the rainy season (June-September), but the rivers are high and the scenery is lush. It is windy and dusty in Mali throughout the year - the first wind to blow is the alize between December and February but this is a mild wind and brings with it a relatively cool spell but from March until June, the harmattan comes across from the Sahara and turns most of the country into a hot & dry dust bowl.