► Ethnographic trip to Mali: traditional tribes

27 Oct. - 5 Nov. 2023 (10 d. / 8 n.) / TRIP COMPLETED

Ethnographic trip to Mali designed to get to know different traditional tribes of the country.

We will start the trip in Bamako, the chaotic and multi-cultural Malian capital. We will continue along the Niger River to the Bambara tribal area to admire adobe mosques, colonial buildings standing still in time, and the tribes of the region. The middle part of the trip will focus on the beautiful Mandinka Mountains, in the south of the country. There we will explore villages, sacred caves, waterfalls, gold mines and we will live spectacular ceremonies of the Mandinka worldview. The final touch to this unique trip will be a visit to an authentic Dogon village to enjoy a Kanaga mask dance. We will move in a comfortable coaster or minibus with a/c and we will spend the nights in hotels, camps and we will spend two nights in a tent under the starry sky of Mali.

Download the itinerary of this ethnographic trip to Mali

Throughout the trip we will travel in comfortable minibus with a/c and we will spend the nights in hotels, camps and we will spend two nights in a tent under the starry sky of Mali. If you want to know the detailed itinerary you can download it through the form that you will find below. Click here to easily reach the form.

The guide of this ethnographic trip to Mali will be Eva Colomer anthropologist and a lover of Africa.

► We will meet a great diversity of ethnic groups

Along the route of the Niger River between Bamako and Segoukoro we will visit different communities of the Bambara and Bozo tribes.

We will have the opportunity to learn about the worldview of the Mandinka people. Therefore, will meet with different groups of traditional Mandingo trades: traditional doctors, Dozo hunters, Dabali miners and troubadours. In addtion, we will visit all kinds of traditional-style buildings such as houses, barns, and even a hut-shaped building dating from 1653 (where Mandinka fetishes are kept).

Afterwards, we will visit a traditional Dogon village. Firstly, we will meet with the council of elders in the 'toguna' (House of the word), who will introduce us to the enigmatic Dogon culture. We will have the opportunity to witness a ceremony of the iconic Kanaga masks. The mask is believed to have the power to connect the living to the spirit world.

If you want to know more about the Dogons, you can read the post of the blog in which we delve into this tribe. Click here for easy access.

► We will enjoy a rich variety of architectural styles

Throughout the tour we will visit different Sudano-Sahelian architecture style adobe buildings, palaces and mosques.

In some Mandinka villages we will can admire the beautiful vernacular architecture of the houses and granaries.

In Bamako and Segou we will enjoy some examples of art deco style buildings.

► Download the detailed itinerary of this ethnographic trip to Mali

The trip is designed for lovers of adventure, architecture and traditional ethnic groups. Click on the button below to easily access the itinerary download form for this ethnographic trip to Mali.