With a touch of French and Dutch colonial history and a vast lot of Africa old and new, the West African experience contains expansive seashores, gleeful harmonies, and villages filled with ancient customs. To travel from the coastal regions of Western Africa through countries like the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Gambia to the incredible Adobe structures and interior jungles of Mali, is to see the land like the ancient discoverers did. So much is untouched. Paddle down remote river routes while watching for rare birds. Camp overnight to the lulling sounds of owls and wandering animals. As certain West African nations become more politically stable and visitor friendly, great opportunities for adventure tourists are opening up a land rich in eco-tourism, animal watching, and nomadic cultures.
Exodus Travels (https://www.exodustravels.com) is a travel provider that hooks up travelers with tour operators traveling around the world, including West Africa. They offer several types of trips to the West African area ranging in length from short term, like 10 days, to long term, such as eight weeks. A 15-day land-only trip (most West African travel groups require that you get to the African nation where they will meet you at the airport) that moves from Gambia to Senegal and through the Senegalese plains. You will make stops in the lush coastal and interior parts of Gambia and then slowly knife through Senegal taking in the village life and wildlife parks (the friendly natives smile all the time, even when their soccer team doesn't win). You'll take a traditional riverboat through Gambia's rivers. Accommodations are at hotels, some traditional guesthouses, bed and breakfasts and two nights on the deck of the riverboat. All meals are not included giving you time to sample the local cuisine at your own discretion. This trip is listed as a "great introduction" to West Africa. The roads are listed as "good"; the group size between 12 and 16. In the Senegalese capital of Dakar, this tour visits the "Maison des Esclaves," an alleged departure point for slaves that is more emotional shrine than museum.
Dragoman Overland (www.dragoman.co.uk) also uses Adventure Center for its U.S. booking. A seasoned-global tour operator for over 24 years, Dragoman offers some lengthy trips to West Africa that cover the coastal areas of Ghana and the interior wonders of Mali. If you like music and have time to spare, Dragoman has a six week "Rhythm and Sounds of West Africa" tour starting and ending in Bamako, the music capital of West Africa, and stopping at Mali's capital Timbuktu, the fishing villages of Benin, and traveling via motorized canoe to the village of Africa's musical legend Ali Farka Toure. Look forward to loads of normal African daily activity, as you'll travel via truck, canoe, and treks to clean wide open beaches, drum-making shops in thriving villages, and Dogon musical festivals. This trip is listed as "tough but rewarding." Accommodations, all transportation once you arrive in Bamako, and sightseeing are included. Some trips visit the Niger River Musical Festival, a celebration of Mali's culture and the sounds of movements of West African song and dance. You'll also visit a fetish and voodoo market in Togo, rounding out the spiritual element of your traveling and musical West African tour. Be advised, the ratio of camping to hotels on this trip is about 90 percent to 10 percent.
An easier travel experience to the same area covering less ground in less time but offering other sites and jewels of the Mali experience comes through Adventure Travel from Guerba Travel (www.guerba.co.uk), another U.K. travel operator specializing in global adventures. A 14-day trip, also starting in Bamako with five departures in 2005, starts at $1,680. Tour groups for this trip that make a special stop in Djenne, the site of the world's largest Adobe structure, a giant Mosque made of mud surrounded by a bustling outdoor market. Accommodations for this trip are eight nights in hotels and six nights camping. This trip travels by minibus, private boat, and Land Rovers.
All the tour leaders on this trip are professionally trained in provide you with the safest and most comprehensively knowledgeable travel experience possible. Travel delays are probable, however, so be flexible and at ease with potential changes in itinerary and schedules.
