Must See

Bamako

This dusty, modern town is the capital and the educational and cultural centre of Mali. The main places of interest are the Botanical Gardens, the markets, the craft centre at the Maison des Artisans, the zoo and the Musée National.

Djenne

Known as the 'Jewel of the Niger', Djenné was founded in 1250 and is home to some astounding mud-brick buildings. One of them stands head-and-shoulders above the rest - the Grand Mosque (Grande Mosquée), the largest mud building in the world. For generations, skilled craftsmen, the Baris, have maintained the architecture of the mosque, as well as the rest of the mud-built town, which tends to melt in the wet season.

Founded in 250 BC, Old Djenné is located about 5km (3 miles) from Djenné. The town was an important link in the Trans-Saharan gold trade, and in the 15th and 16th centuries, it became one of the spiritual centres for the Islam. Nearly 2,000 of its traditional houses, built on toguere (hillocks) and adapted to the seasonal floods, have survived to this day.

Gao

This ancient city had its heyday in the 15th century and is home to the tombs of the Askia Dynasty, the mosque of Kankan Moussa and two excellent markets.

Mopti

Located at the confluence of the Bani and the Niger, Mopti is the centre of Mali's tourist industry. The town is built on three islands joined by dykes and is home to a fine mosque and a market in the town centre - Marché des Souvenirs. The area surrounding the port is also worth visiting.

Dogon Country

This wild region, peopled by the Dogons, is located south-east of Mopti. The local people maintain the distinct and ancient Dogon traditions, largely untouched by Islam, and visitors should treat villagers with respect. Their striking masks are a symbol of their culture and are prized collectables.

The Dogon people are believed to have been the original inhabitants of the Niger river valley, where they inhabited villages cut into the cliffs of the 200 km long Bandiagara escarpment. Although most of the Dogons have now relocated to the plains, the ancient villages on the cliffs are still standing.

The Bandiagara escarpment is an excellent area for trekking; guides are available and recommended (travellers should check that guides have an official identification card).

River Niger

The majority of Mali's population live on or near the banks of this extensive river, one of West Africa's great waterways. Visitors can take a boat trip along some of the 1,300-kilometre section navigable in Mali, and in doing so will be following in the wake of heroic explorers of the past, such as Mungo Park, Gordon Laing, Rene Caillie and Heinrich Barth - men who longed to find the river's source and the point at which it met the ocean.

Timbuktu

This area, which has become a by-word for remoteness and inaccessibility is actually neither of those things. Timbuktu (or Tombouctou) is the largest northern-most region of Mali and was a busy trade hub and prestigious centre of Islamic culture and learning. In the 15th century, Timbuktu was the centre of a lucrative trade in gold and salt, straddling the Trans-Saharan caravan routes, and camel caravans (some of them comprising over 3, 000 animals) still make their way here today from salt mines in the Sahara. Although much of this ancient city is in decay, some beautiful mosques (for example, Djingerebur, Sankore and Sidi Yahaya) and tombs survive.