Ethno-tourism is one of Mali's principal attractions. The country is host to 25 different ethnic groups who are distributed throughout the various geographical regions: the Sahel, the desert and the Niger River valley.

These characteristics, added to the accessibility of almost all areas of the country, which can be reached either by land, air or river, make Mali one of the very few places in Africa which offers visitors such a multitude of opportunities for seeing, visiting and even living with so many different tribes.

The ethnic richness that makes Mali a melting pot of peoples and traditions, enables professional tour companies to offer ethno-tourism as one of the major appeals of a journey around this remarkable country. During any one a number of our excursions, visitors can meet and come into contact with members of the Bambara, Bozo, Peul (Fulani), Songhai, Tuareg and Bella tribes, to name but a few.



Only five hours away from Europe by plane and with an extraordinary cultural heritage, Mali is the ideal destination for incentive trips, offering myriad possibilities for group activities such as excursions along the cliffs of the enigmatic Dogon people, trips in local canoes down the slowmoving waters of the Niger River, camel treks or 4x4 excursions to Timbuktu (the fabled gateway to the Sahara ) or group activities such as mountain biking through the Sahara) or group activities such as mountain biking through the savannah; all set against the backdrop of the traditions and ritual dances of the different ethnic groups: Tuareg, Dogon, Peul, Bambara.



For those travellers interested in doing a bit of walking, the Bandiagara Escarpment is the ideal destination. All the way along its 200 km, this geographical wonder which provides the backdrop to Dogon Country has a number of access routes giving trekkers the opportunity to visit different areas and villages. Hikers can either go on day trips, returning to the same campsite every night, or can opt longer routes and stay in different villages along the way.

Either option present an ideal opportunity for discovering the stunning natural beauty of the escarpment, as well as its geological and, above all, ethnic wealth, since there is no better way of getting to know the Dogon people than living with them, albeit for a short while.

Requiring no special equipment or level of physical fitness, walking trips around the villages of Dogon Country are one of the most fondlyremembered by past visitors.