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Do you know where it is? Did you even know it existed? Well yes, it really does exist! Timbuktu has one of the most famous names in travel – and yet it remains almost completely unknown and seldom visited.
In fact, Timbuktu is in Mali and is located in the southern part of the Sahara Desert on the River Niger in West Africa. It is certainly remote and is surrounded only by the ever encroaching desert sands.
The journey to Timbuktu can be made from Bamako (the capital city of Mali) by boat (if the water levels on the River Niger permit), by plane (the swiftest method but perhaps not for the faint-hearted) or by bus (430 miles and please don’t expect a motorway). There are a number of international flights to Bamako (usually via Paris or Brussels).
Hard to believe, but this was once a thriving commercial ...
stuartmelvin 11.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Timbuktu (Mali)
Advantages: you must go there to know Disadvantages: you must go there to know
A local proverby says: "The boats come from south and the camels from north but wisdom and knowledge live in Timbuktu".
Timbuktu, also called Tombouctou, is a town of Mali and is located at the lower edge of the Sahara desert and few kilometres away from the Niger river.
This town has been founded during the 12th century as a seasonal camp for a nomadic group of Tuaregs; and later on became the spiritual and intellectual capital of the Islamic expansion in north Africa.
During the 14th century Timbuktu was and important trade centre. The Tuaregs caravans took in salt and in exchange they got gold as the area was rich with gold mines.
Timbuktu was famous also for the slaves trade.
The Tuaregs caravan still arrive in Timbuktu with salt but there is not anymore gold to barter with as Morocco and France have exploited all ...
traveller55 05.07.2005
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Advantages: Quiet, out of the way, difficult to get to Disadvantages: Quiet, out of the way, difficult to get to
Mali than a plane leaving the day it is scheduled to. As someone who visited the place when there were no flights there I would always recommend travelling overland.
The main routes to Timbuktu go through the Malian town of Mopti. Here you can pay someone to drive you (which costs about £150 and takes about 24 hours), or travel along the Niger. Passenger steamers go up and down the river, apparently once a week, although this does vary. Try to avoid making this trip from November to Feb as the water levels can get too low for the steamers to pass through. The trip takes about 4 to 5 days, but be warned, the steamers are overcrowded, hot and dirty.
A preferable way to travel (IMHO) is to go down to the port at Mopti and ask which Pinasses (medium sized wooden boats which carry cargo up and down the river) are due to leave in ...
templeria 28.06.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Timbuktu (Mali)
