MALI

July 2008

It does not take much for things to kick off in northern Mali and 2008 has seen protracted clashes between the Malian army and Kidal region Tuareg rebels who it emerges 'bought' the Austrian hostages kidnapped in February in Tunisia. (see here).

Currency
CFA, 656 = 1 euro

Price of fuel
Diesel from around 580- CFA/litre - more in remote towns. Petrol is more.

Costs
More than you think

Useful languages
French, Arabic

Visas
Needed by all except French. No consulate in UK - nearest are 487 ave. Moliere, Bruxelles or 89 rue du Cherche Midi, Paris (and another in Geneva). The regs on the Belgian application seem slightly less demanding (you only require a referee in the country). Download visa forms below. It takes 2-3 days from when they get it.

Other Mali embassies. Useful visa agency in Bruxelles (up to half the price of Brit agencies)

Some travellers have turned up at the border without a visa and got a two-day pass, getting a proper visa in Bamako. This is do-able from Mauritania for example. Or you can pick up a Mali visa in Nouakchott (Mauritania) while you wait for 6500 oogs for 1 month (8000 for double entry and 10,000 for 2 months double entry. 2 photos required).
There is a Malian consulate in Tamanrasset (Algeria, next to the Niger consulate, High Street south end - look for the flag at the top of this page). Here they issue a 5-day pass in a day or two. You then get a proper visa in Gao, 600kms south of Tessalit where you check in to Mali. See more below.
A Yellow Fever ticket is required.

Border formalities
Buy laissez-passer (local 'carnet') and insurance (both cover the whole CFA currency zone).

Desert pistes: although getting to Timbuktu remains a popular goal exploring the Sahara is not Mali's highlight as few tracks reach into the desert. The 1000-mile trans-Saharan Tanezrouft piste, leading up to Reggane in Algeria is paralleled by smugglers and these days tourists do it very occasionally. Getting beyond Araouane, north of Timbuktu to the desolate salt mines at Taoudenni is forbidden without a good reason.

I am advised that if coming from Algeria, from Bordj Moktar to Tessalit - or the other way - the chances of getting lightly robbed are rather high. The Kidal region (Adrar des Iforhas) is not the safest. In November 2006 we drove directly across northern Mali off-piste from Atar in Mauritania more or less along 20N. A truck that came a 1000kms from north of Tessalit to the Mori border to recover my car was lightly robbed twice on the way. In 2008 outright fighting wioth the Malian army has got much worse.

The piste (or route) reaching west of Timbuktu to Nema via Bassikounou appears to be open though one hears Mauritanian police and customs won't stamp you out (so just leave) while east from Timbuktu, the 300km track to Bourem and Gao is twin sandy ruts through scraggy bushland, dunes and riverside villages - you'll need 4WD or an agile motorbike.