Located in the south of the Sahara, Mali is crossed by the mighty Niger, which is the third longest river in Africa. Its function as a transportation channel for basic goods guarantees the survival of the Bambara, Peul, Bozo and Songhai peoples; and the names of Mopti, Timbuktu and Djenne evoke empires of opulence, when trans-Saharan caravans turned them into cultural and financial centers. On the other hand, the Dogon, installed in Bandiagara as if it were a fortress, are a genuine example of how to survive thanks to the faith in the magic of their own life.

What has remained in my memory of this magnificent trip? The 80 km walk along the Bandiagara fault to live with the Dogon ethnic group where I slept on the roofs of their houses because of the heat; the color of the markets in which you saw the elegance of the Malian women, always well combined with the clothes, to highlight the Djenne market; the Sudanese architecture of the unique mud mosques in Africa; the tour in “pinasse” along the Niger River to see all the villages on the riverbank.

One of the most attractive destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa.