Tour 45 a - Benin / Burkina Faso / Mali
                  The Southern Sahel

Please klick on the map to enlarge and print out the Africa map with our routs.

Southern Sahel has a difficult standing compared to the famous sights of Northern Sahel. This is however an injustice. A fascinating animal kingdom, countryside much less touched by tourism and a wealth of culture there, make every trip to an extraordinary journey.

To the animal kingdom of West Africa, the Pendjari national park/Benin and to the nature reserve “Ranch de Nazinga” in Burkina Faso.

A rich culture, like we see by the Tofinu people in Ganvie, the Somba in Northern Benin or the Kassena in Burkina Faso. Off the tarred roads – on small and smallest tracks – we get in close contact to the local population.

Our route and highlights

Benin

Day 1

• Arrival in Cotonou / Benin. Most flights from Europe arrive early in the evening. We camp by the sea in a beautiful hotel complex, some kilometres outside town.

Day 2

• In the morning: A motor launch trip to Ganvie, a stilt village with 30,000 inhabitants in Lake Nokoué. A fascinating sight-seeing tour to this “Venice of Africa”.
• Back in the afternoon, we have time for a walk along the beach, for a bath in the Atlantic or in the swimming pool of our hotel.

Day 3

• Travel on to Bohicon – just 120 kilometers north of Cotonou. Camp under trees in the garden of a lovely hotel. Here in the garden of our accommodation you can see how artists make wonderful wooden sculptures.
• Dinner at the restaurant of the hotel.

Day 4

• At Dassa we will visit the nearby grotto church. A small "Lourdes" in Africa. Once a year this place becomes a meeting point for Christian pilgrims from all over West Africa.
• After we have past the mountains of Savalou we arrive into the dry-savannah, the cultivation area of cotton. Close to the border to Togo we reach Djougou, the biggest market place in the North-West.
• Outside of town we camp in the garden of hotel.

Day 5

• Natitingou is a pleasant most important city in the North of Benin. Here we will visit our first big African market.
• And here is the starting point into the country of the Somba. There in the villages we meet fortress-similar round buildings, the “Tata Somba“. They gave protection from slave hunters and wild animals. Till our days they are inhabited. We will visit one of these habitations.
• We travel on to our camp close to the waterfalls of Tanougou. Here we have an excellent swimming opportunity in an enormous nature pool below the falls.

Day 6 - 7

• Pendjari National Park. After the restructuring of the park, the most species-rich National Park in West Africa. Lions, elephants, antelopes, buffalos, hippos… Very few tourists come to this beautiful park. 6.000 a year - 20 a day. For two days we will stay in the Park.
• We camp at a safe place in the middle of the park near a lake for one night. The second night we spend outside the park.

Burkina Faso

During the next days we travel mostly on smaller tracks along the border of Togo and Ghana.

Day 8

• Near Porga we cross the border to Burkina Faso. On smaller tracks we will pass the little towns of Pama and Sanga on our way to Bitou. We pass at many small villages. Friendly people live here, far away from the big tarred roads of the country.  Only  few tourists take this way. Sahel pure.
• Bush camp

Days 9

• Tiébélé. We visit the royal court of the Kassena with its elaborate residential castles. A guide will explain to us the culture and history of the Kassena.
• Bush camp

Day 10

• Ranch of Nazinga. A 100 000 hectare protected area. Several hundreds of elephants, buffalo, monkeys, countless antelopes, crocodiles and many other animal species live here. Game drive inside the park.
• Bush camp outside of the park.

Day 11

• Our next destination, the town of Leo, is the capital of the province of Sissili. We have lunch in a typical small restaurant in the market.
• Close to Diebougou we are leaving the main track and travel on small track direction North-West.
• Bush camp

Day 12

• Near Bobo Dioulasso we will visit Kourou, a scenic mountain village with a many hundred yers old history. We make a guided sight seeing tour.
• In the afternoon we reach our campsite in Bobo Dioulasso.
• Today (Thursday), near our accommodation, you can spend some wonderful hours with African live music.

Day 13

• Spent a gorgeous day in “Bobo”! Visit interesting points like the “Museum Provincial Houet” with art and culture of Burkina Faso. Or the old mosque of Dioulassoba (1894), the old district Kibidoue, the pottery district, the market… Or just enjoy some relaxing hours in the “ L’Auberge”, a hotel in colonial style with swimming pool and good French cuisine for a reasonable price.

Day 14

• We drive through the spectacular scenery of the “Falaise de Banfora” to the waterfalls of Karfiguela. A Tarzan film was shot here.
• We camp in the fantastic countryside near the falls. Relaxing place to swim or to go for a walk!

Day 15

• This day is our buffer day. On journeys in Africa, it is always possible that delays may occur. This can be due to the weather, poor roads, delays at border crossings, technical breakdowns or the need of medical aid etc. We have included this day so that we will be able to carry out our full travel programme without pressure of time. If the journey runs to plan we will spent one more night at the waterfalls of Karfiguela.

Mali

Day 16

• Crossing of the border to Mali.
• We reach the rapids of Farakou. Bush camp right next to the river. Swimming like in a whirlpool, especially by temperatures of 35°C (95° F)!
• Bush camp

Day 17

• Arrival in Bamako, the capital of Mali. Bamako is the largest metropolis in the Sahel.
• We camp in a hotel complex with swimming pool, situated in a wonderful location on the banks of the Niger.
• Dinner in the resaurant of our Hotel.

Day 18

• In the morning: Sightseeing tour. With a guide we have a sight seeing tour to the town. Highlight: the Craftsman centre, the biggest of its kind in West Africa.
• In the afternoon we offer a pirogue trip. The life on the banks of an African metropolis is an exciting view from a completely different perspective!
• And then - home! Most oft the flights to Europe are leaving late in the evening.

Travel information:

After booking, you will receive from us detailed travel information. Preparation, equipment, visa, health care and detailed information of the meeting point.

We are already at the starting point/destination two days before as well as two days after the trip. Thus, you can choose your arrival and departure dates individually.

On our arrival and departure days we don’t serve food from our kitchen. You can provide yourself with food and drinks from nearby restaurants.

Please inform us at an early stage of your time and date of arrival. We can pick up you from the airport – you just have to pay the taxi (10 €)

The price includes:

• All camping fees
• Excursion to Ganvie by motor pirogue
• Entry fee to the waterfall of Tanougou
• Entry fee for the visit of a somba village
• Entry fee for the visit of the royal court in Tiébélé
• Entry fee to the Game Reserve of the “Ranch of Nazinga”
• Entry fee for the visit and guided tour in Kourou
• Entry fee to the Reserve at the waterfall of Karfiguiela
• Sightseeing tour Bamako and Pirogue trip on the Niger river
• Dinner in the restaurant of our accommodation in Bamako
• 12 x 3 meals per day
• 4 x 2 meals a day

Not included:

• Flights
• Taxi fares
• Photography fees
• Optional excursions
• Drinks (soft drinks / alcoholic drinks)
• Visa fees
• Tipps ( for guides)

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