Essakane: Music Festival of the Desert

Join veteran Trip Leader Apene Douyon for a grand Saharan adventure that includes one of the most exotic musical celebrations in the world: the Festival in the Desert near Timbuktu, the legendary desert city in Mali. The festival attracts the “royalty” of Mali’s musicians from far and wide as well as blue-robed Tuareg nomads, many arriving by sprightly camel. We join in the celebration, meeting the Tuaregs in their camel-hair tents, listening to musical styles from traditional Tuareg music to world music and Afro-pop, and enjoying the desert setting under a cobalt-blue desert sky, with nomad tents all around us. What more could an adventure traveler ask for? Our two-day stay at the festival will be a highlight, but we have much more in store, including a trek in Dogon country, a journey on the Niger River, and the medieval port of Djenne, with its sand-castle mosque. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the Sahara!

Itinerary at a Glance

Days 1-4
Bamako, Mali / Segou / Niger River / Mopti

From Bamako, the capital, we contour along the Niger River to the ancient capital of the Bambara kingdom, Segou, an important outpost for the French noted for its graceful neo-Sudanic colonial architecture. From here we board our private pinasse (open boat), for a journey along the Niger, Mali’s life-giving source and one of its main trade routes. We travel past an array of villages, many with striking adobe architecture of fanciful design. The scenes along the river are ever changing—men of the Bozo fishing tribe working with nets from small dugouts, women washing clothes at the river bank, children playing. We camp on the river banks en route, and the third day, arrive by boat in Mopti, an energetic river port and commercial hub of central Mali.

Days 5-8
Timbuktu / Festival in the Desert

We catch a flight from Mopti to Timbuktu, a remote outpost encircled by the sands of the Sahara and home of the indigo-robed Tuaregs of the Sahara. The next day we journey into the roadless Sahara to the oasis of Essakane, site of the Festival in the Desert. Daytime activities at the festival including singing, ritual sword dances, camel races, and artisan exhibits, In the evening, spirited performances on the stage last well into the night, with artists from Mali and other African countries as well as Europe. We return to our hotel in Timbuktu on Day 8.

Days 9-11
Dogon Country

Amid the cliff formations of Dogon Pays (Dogon Country), we explore fantastic Dogon villages terraced steeply up against the cliffs. The Dogon are highly artistic, as evidenced by the intricately carved doors on their granaries and the carved wooden masks they use in their fantastic traditional. The villages are filled with temple-like structures and objects, symbols of Dogon beliefs.

Days 12-16
Djenne / Bamako

On our final morning in Dogon Country, we watch a dama, a spectacular masked dance and homage to the ancestors. We then head to medieval Djenne, taking in views of the its world-famous “sand castle” mosque and appreciating the fantastic Sudanic-style architecture. After returning to Mopti, we continue to Segou, then back to Bamako, where our explorations include the national museum, home to masterpieces of West African art. We depart on Day 16.

What the Trip is Like

The trip is rated Level 3-4, moderate. Although this trip is not particularly rigorous, it does involve day hikes, camping, and getting off and on a small boat . There is one night of camping in Dogon country and two nights along the river. The shape you are in will be an important factor in your enjoyment of your trip. Please note that you will be visiting a country where there is not much infrastructure for tourism. Accommodations for parts of the trip are in "best available" hotels. Although there are private bathrooms in the hotel rooms, at times you must expect cold-water showers.

The food served in our hotels and at our camps will be nourishing but may not have much flair or variety, due to limited resources in Mali. Quite often, air schedules are altered and new government regulations are implemented suddenly. We ask that you bring flexibility and a spirit of adventure to this unique journey, and take pleasure in the knowledge that you will be visiting two fascinating countries that are not highly touristed.

Dogon country hikes are rated 4. Participants should be fit and healthy and prepared to walk for approximately four hours a day in dry, hot conditions in Dogon country. Although the hiking distance covered is moderate (about six miles a day), there is a good bit of walking up and down over rock trails because most of the villages are nestled into a steep escarpment. There are plenty of opportunities to stop and rest, and breaks are taken during the hottest part of the day. Our Dogon porters are available to assist with daypacks if needed.

Camping Conditions: Camping style is basic but comfortable. We use family camping tents (two persons per tent). Sleeping pads are provided, but trip members must bring their own sleeping bags (rated to 35ºF). For added comfort, some trip members may want to bring their own Therm-a-Rest pads. A solar shower and toilet tent are provided at camps in Dogon country. Our camp cooks prepare simple but nourishing meals. Lunch is usually a cold assortment with bread, salad, cold cuts, sardines, tuna, and cheese. Dinner is usually soup, a main dish, and a dessert. Tea, coffee, and bottled water are supplied for drinking at camps and throughout the trip. At the Niger River camps, we may help to pitch our own tents because we have just a small camp crew with us.

The Niger River Boat: We travel the river on a local-style open boat, about 40-50 feet long, with a motor at the rear. It is very basic, but allows us the opportunity to travel and explore along the river. We sit on rows of forward-facing wooden benches covered with foam mats. A large canopy provides us with shade. There is an open galley behind the passenger section where our cook prepares meals for us, and there is a small, very basic outhouse at the back of the boat. It can actually be quite chilly on board when the boat is motoring along the river, so bring layers for warmth.

Explanation of Trip Levels