From Wikitravel

Bamako is the capital of Mali, located on the Niger river. With a population of around 1.7 million, it's the largest city in the country and one of the largest in Africa.

[edit] Understand

Bamako has been continously inhabited by humans since prehistoric times. In 1883 it was conquered by French troops, and in 1908 became the capital of French Sudan.

The city has only a few paved main roads (goudrons), the rest of the city's roads are unpaved, and get dusty during the dry season (November to May) and muddy during the rainy season, offering breeding grounds to malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The roads are filled with donkeys, goats, sheep and chickens.

Unemployment rates are high.

[edit] Get in

Bamako-Sénou Airport is roughly 15km from the city center, with flights from Paris on Point Afrique (cheap) and Air France (less cheap).

Railways run to Dakar and Koulikoro.

[edit] Get around

[edit][add listing] See

• Tour BCEAO.  edit

• Bamako Grand Mosque.  edit

• Pont du Roi Fahd.  edit

• Muso Kunda Museum.  edit

• Bamako Regional Museum.  edit

• Bamako Zoo.  edit

• Bamako Botanical Gardens.  edit

• Point G Hill. Houses caves with rock paintings, and offers good views across the city. edit

• Mali National Museum. Decent collection of Malinese art, artifacts and textiles. There is not a massive range but they are well displayed and worth a visit. edit

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Nightclubs

The Evasion jazz club can be pretty cool on Fridays and Saturdays. The Hippo d'Or (close to Hippodrome) is also a nice place for enjoying non-stop live music on Fridays and, even more, on Saturdays. Another nice and decent club is "Leptiz" which is in the basement "Sofitel Hotel" - just adjacent to "Libya Hotel" and the main casino. The environment was fantastic and the bar girls (mostly Russian) fabulous. Ibiza and Blabla are the hip places in 2006-7

[edit][add listing] Buy

Prices are not fixed, and for many goods bargaining is expected. Beware, sometimes for common items (like food) the first price mentioned is just right. On the market it might be a good idea to first ask a couple of times at different stands before actually buying something.

Near the area of Bamako-Coura is the lively artisan market where traders from all over Bamako come to sell silver jewelry, leather, musical instruments and wood carvings. Prices are reasonable but the vendors expect their customers to bargain and enjoy it when they do. Once inside the market the atmosphere is relaxed and pleasant but be careful in the busy streets directly surrounding - it's easy to lose a bag to a thief.

Euros are widely accepted.

ATM's are difficult to find in Bamako. BDM banks have ATM's for VISA cards in several branches, and Banque Atlantique has ATM's for Maestro/Mastercard. (Nov 2007)

[edit][add listing] Eat

Love them or hate them, the French have left one decent legacy in West Africa: bread. Fresh delicious baguettes are ubiquitous, and travelers should not be worried about becoming sick because of the bread.

Vegetarians will have a hard time in Bamako. Asking for a meal without meat will usually be met with the kind of look reserved for children and elderly relatives one does not wish to upset. In a country where poverty is common and food is often scarce, turning down meat is an oddity.

Meat eaters will be pleased to learn beef and fish are exceptionally good. Beef kebabs and grilled Capitaine, a freshwater fish from the Niger river, are always a good choice. Chicken are usually left to fend for themselves, and tend to be on the scrawny side, especially compared to North-American chicken. Although the situation is improving, you might want to avoid disappointment and just give chicken a miss while in Bamako.

[edit] Grocery shopping

You can eat like the locals for a few hundred CFA a day, or shop in one of the western-style supermarkets.

There is one main market, in the centre of town, and several smaller markets in Bamako.

Supermarket-style stores are generally run by Lebanese businessmen.

• La Fourmi
• Azar
• Miniprix

These stores will carry Western or Middle-Eastern goods, including cold cuts, fruit and vegetable, and dairy products including fresh milk and yogurt. Prices are generally higher than in Europe or the US, and choice more limited in a way reminiscent of a North-American convenience store.

[edit] Budget

There are many restaurants where you can get nice omelette sandwiches for about 250 CFA.

Many street vendors sell bread, rice, fries, salad, grilled meat; however, use precautions while eating on the street.

• Le Bafing, Quartier du Fleuve opposite the Service d'Hygiène, ☎ 672 0781. Bistrot/Restaurant/Bar in a small street. Eating in a courtyard. Very good and friendly service. Daily special includes local dishes, à la carte steak, fish or spaghetti. Well stocked bar. Recommended. around $5 for main dishes.  edit

[edit] Mid-range

• African Grill, Place de l'OVMS. Restaurant serving good authentic African cuisine, on a square just off a main road. Not luxurious but good. Because of the proximity to a mosque, beer and wine are available, but don't be surprised on Fridays if they ask you to keep the bottles out of sight on the floor. The have a second location at the Musée National. around 3000CFA for main dishes.  edit

• Appaloosa, Quartier du Fleuve. Restaurant and Bar. One of the strangest sights on earth. Malians in velour cowboy hats and vests serve Tex-Mex dishes in the restaurant while blond Russian professional women work the bar. Must be seen to be believed. The food isn't bad either. edit

Bamako has many Lebanese and Chinese restaurants.

[edit] Splurge

[edit] Hippodrome

Le Relax is a popular Lebanese hangout in Hippodrome.

Broadway is a Western style restaurant where Malians enjoy music that has long passed the expiration date. The food is reasonable but pricy.

San Toro is a restaurant serving traditional Malian food and drink - no alcohol, but many ginger, tamrind and seasonal fruit based drinks. There is always live acoustic music there and the ambiance is very relaxed.

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Hotel relais Tinbuctu. rooms 25 euro; basic and clean. Swimming pool 5 km outside Bamako on Niger river. Taxi 20 min. to center and 30 min. to airport

• Hotel de l'Amitié, Av de la Marne in city center, ☎ 22 43 21.  edit

• Le Grand Hotel, ☎ 222 24 92. Swimming pool, tennis court, internet access edit

• Hotel Salaam, ☎ 222 12 00, [1]. Most luxurious of the three Azalai hotels in Bamako, and one of the best in town. Very nice pool. Expensive but nice restaurant. Central air, big beds, colour tv, immaculate bathrooms. 75,000 CFA +.  edit

• Hotel Le Rabalais, ☎ 221 52 98. Has a pool, French restaurant and bar. Food good but not cheap. Make and sell their own ice cream! You can pay to use the pool if you're not staying there. The rooms are smallish but clean, air conditioned, with wireless internet. 38,000 CFA +.  edit

• Hotel Lac Débo, ☎ 222 96 35.  edit

• Hotel Yamey, ☎ 223 86 88.  edit

• Hotel Jamana, ☎ 221 34 56.  edit

• Auberge Toguna, ☎ 221 16 93.  edit

• Mission Libonaise, ☎ 223 50 94. Budget, located in one of the many markets 2500CFA night.  edit

• Hotel Dafina, Niaréla, rue 461, ☎ 2210304 (dafina@afribone.net.ml). around $45 Hotel on a quite street within walking distance of several restaurants (Vienamese, Chinese, French and a well stocked supermarket. Small swimming pool. Rooms are spread over several buildings around a courtyard. Ask to be shown some rooms before you make the decision. Some rooms are much nicer than others. A/C, slow internet access in business centre. Breakfast is OK but do not count on dinner or lunch. OK bar for a cold beer. edit

• Le Relais, Route de Koulikouro, ☎ 2210229 (campa2@afribone.net.ml). Rooms are small and make sure that you get a room at the garden side otherwise don't bother unless you like to get up early with the traffic noise. Italian restaurant on ground floor is good but pricey for Bamako. Advantage is the Azar supermarket next door and the café/restaurant le Relax. $90.  edit

[edit] Stay safe

In Bamako you have a high chance of encountering the police. You should always at least carry a copy of your passport and visa. It is often not sufficient to just show your driving license and this might lead to a ride to the police office - if you're not prepared to bribe your way out. Notice that the police often stops taxis.

If the price of the 'ticket' seems high (more than, say, 5,000 cfa for a minor offense), ask to go to the police station. There you can get an official receipt which shows the true price of the offense. Many locals consider it a moral issue to pay proper fines rather than grease the pockets of corrupt police.

[edit] Stay healthy

If you go gradually (doni doni) you'll be able to drink Bamako's quite chemically tasting tap water. You shouldn't drink the little plastic bags with water or syrupped water as long as you don't drink tap water.

Or you can avoid any hassles and drink bottled water. If you're sticking around town for a while, try buying bottled water by the case. The price will drop from about 1500-1800 CFA to 600-700 CFA per 1,5 litre bottle.

Clinique Pasteur is an expensive tubab clinique. Normally they want to have you taking all possible tests. You first might want to consult a much cheaper normal clinique.

[edit] Get out

[edit] By Bus

At the Sogoniko bus station you can find busses to other cities such as Segou, Mopti (taking about 10 hours).

[edit] By Air

Senou, Bamako's international airport, is located about 30 to 40 minutes south of the city. Taxi rides should cost about 4000 CFA from the city.

Passengers flying Air France should consider pré-enregistrement, or early check-in. This can be done at the Air France office on the day of the flight, between 10AM and 5PM. The office is located at Square Lumumba. Luggage is dropped off and boarding passes issued as would happen at the airport, minus the crowds and the hassle.

The airport is typical of many in this part of Africa. This is a small airport with a limited number of shops and space. Electricity outages, plunging the airport and the runway, into pitch darkness are common.

Disabled passengers will need help. The waiting area is up a spiral staircase, and the boarding area down another staircase. There are some questionable elevators, which shouldn't be relied upon if at all possible.

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