Rivers and Wildlife of West Africa

We depart the U.S. aboard an Air France flight to Paris. (Meals Aloft)

Day 2 - Saturday
Bamako, Mali
We connect with our onward flight to Bamako, Mali’s capital, arriving in the evening and transferring to the Hotel Salam*. (Meals Aloft)

Day 3 - Sunday
Bamako / Mopti
In the morning we fly to Mopti, a vital port and trading center at the confluence of the Niger and Bani Rivers. We take “pirogues” (dugout canoes) along the rivers, seeing some of the villages on the rivers’ banks. We have time to explore Mopti, which has a fine mud-brick mosque, and its busy port and markets, where there are excellent opportunities to see and purchase handicrafts including jewelry, blankets and sculptures. We spend the next three nights at the Hotel Kanaga. (B,L,D)

Day 4 - Monday
Djenné / Mopti
In the morning we drive to the great and beautiful town of Djenné, dominated by its amazing Grand Mosque, a huge and elaborate structure that is the largest mud-brick building in the world. Many of Djenné’s houses are also fine examples of Sahelian architecture. We walk through the town, and also visit a workshop where some of the area’s famous, exquisite bogolan mud cloth is created. Monday is market day in Djenné, and people come from all over the region to buy and sell their wares — a remarkable and colorful sight. In the late afternoon we return to Mopti. (B,L,D)

Day 5 - Tuesday
Dogon Region / Mopti
We spend the day in the renowned Dogon Region. The Dogon people live in an extremely remote area, with houses perched in implausible fashion along the steep slopes of the Bandiagara Escarpment and on the adjacent plateau and plains. The traditional belief systems of the Dogon people are rich and elaborate, and are reflected in the design and layout of their villages and in their famous carved masks and doors. We plan to visit several traditional villages, where our stops include the granaries, fetish houses and the togu-na (elders’ house). We conclude with a spirited mask dance performance and a chance to buy local artwork and carvings, before we return to Mopti for the night. (B,L,D)

Day 6 - Wednesday
Timbuktu / Bamako
This morning we fly to Timbuktu. Founded in the 11th century, Timbuktu became a powerful city, capital of the vast Songhai Empire in the 1500s, and a center of learning and scholarship. European explorers were captivated by stories of Timbuktu’s enormous wealth, but by the time they arrived in the 1800s, they found a much less imposing place. Today Timbuktu is a pleasant town with many echoes of the past. We tour the city on foot, visiting the Djinguereber and Sankore mosques, dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. On our walk through the city’s winding streets, we will see its distinctive architecture, some of the houses that the explorers occupied and the market. We’ll stop at the Port of Timbuktu on the Niger River, where the energetic can climb a sand dune for a view of the inland river delta and the desert beyond. In the afternoon, we fly to Bamako and stay once again at the Hotel Salam*, on the banks of the Niger River. (B,L,D)

Day 7 - Thursday
Bamako
This morning, we tour Bamako, set on the banks of the great Niger River. We visit the National Museum, which houses an outstanding collection of West African art and fine displays on weaving and other crafts. We also visit the artisans’ market. (B,L,D)

Day 8 - Friday
Bamako / Dakar, Senegal / Embark the Callisto
After a morning at leisure, we transfer to the airport for the short flight to Dakar, the capital of Senegal. We transfer to the dock, embark the Callisto, and sail in the evening. Our next seven nights are aboard this beautiful yacht. (B,L,D)

Day 9 - Saturday
Saloum River / Djiffere / Fadiout, Senegal
In the morning, Callisto will enter Senegal’s Saloum River and sail through scenic waterways and small islands to the village of Djiffere. We drive to the fishing village of Fadiout, one of Senegal's most fascinating sites: the island is composed entirely of shells that have accumulated over the centuries. Everything here is made of shells - they are on the walls of the houses and cover the narrow pathways. In the evening, Callisto will enter the Gambia River and sail to Tendaba,  (B,L,D)

Day 10 - Sunday
Tendaba / Kiang West National Park / Baobolong Wetland Reserve, The Gambia
The village of Tendaba is our base for exploring two of The Gambia’s wildlife reserves, Kiang West and Baobolong. We visit a section of Kiang West National Park, looking for birds, monkeys, baboons and warthogs. Kiang West has more than 250 species of birds, including 21 species of raptors, 10 species of kingfishers, hornbills, and the rare brown-necked parrot and Abyssinian roller.  We then have the opportunity to interact with residents of a local village and learn abotu life in this region. In the afternoon, we board local boats to navigate the waterways and maze of islands comprising Baobolong Wetland Reserve, a notable bird sanctuary with mangroves over 60 feet tall. (B,L,D)

Day 11 - Monday
Kuntaur / Wassu Stone Circles, Gambia River 
Early in the morning, Callisto sails deeper into the River Gambia. Beyond Tendaba the river narrows, and its banks are covered by tropical forest. Passing by remote villages with grass-thatched huts, we arrive in the village of Kuntaur. As the ship navigates the twisting river, we look for hippos. From Kuntaur, which is set on a beautiful bend of the river, we explore the nearby Wassu Stone Circles, the remnants of an ancient Senegambian culture dating to about 750 A.D. We are greeted in the village by a traditional ceremony. (B, L, D)

Day 12 - Tuesday 
River Gambia National Park / Janjanbureh
We board local motorized pirogues in the morning to see the five mid-river Baboon Islands that constitute the River Gambia National Park. The islands also house the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project, set up in 1969. We look for monkeys and other wildlife as our boat cruises by the lushly forested islands. We end at the town of Janjanbureh, also known by its colonial name of Georgetown, once an important trading post for the British. Most of the buildings in the old town date from the 19th century. There is an opportunity to shop for local crafts. Janjanbureh’s woodlands and leafy riverfront house a large number of bird species, and you will have the opportunity to take a nature and bird watching walk. (B, L, D)

Day 13 - Wednesday
Gambia River
We sail from Janjanbureh in the morning on our downriver journey, en route to Banjul, enjoying river views and life along the way. We arrive in Banjul late in the evening. (B, L, D)

Day 14 - Thursday
Banjul / Abuko Nature Reserve / Makasutu Culture Forest
Founded by the British early in the 19th century near the entrance to the Gambia River to safeguard their commercial interests, Banjul is the capital and commercial center of The Gambia. In the morning we drive to the Abuko Nature Reserve, one of the last surviving examples of tropical riverine forest in the country. Within its confines are about 300 species of birds, plus the chance of seeing red colobus monkeys, Nile crocodiles, bushbuck, and small mammals and reptiles. We continue to the Makasutu Culture Forest, a private nature habitat with beautiful woodland and waterways. We return to Banjul to visit the National Museum, whose exhibits illustrate the history and culture of the country. (B,L,D)

Day 15 - Friday
Dakar / Disembark / Gorée Island / En Route 
We disembark in Dakar this morning and visit Gorée Island, where for 300 years slaves were held before being sent overseas. It is impossible to be here without imagining the appalling conditions and the heartbreak that people must have felt at being separated from their loved ones and homeland. After Gorée, we visit the Marché Soumbedioune, an artisans’ market. Time permitting, we visit the IFAN Museum, which has a fine collection of traditional art and exhibits on village life. We have dayrooms and dinner at the Sofitel before we transfer to the airport for our evening flight to Paris. (B,L,D)

Day 16 - Saturday
U.S.
We arrive in Paris and connect with onward flights home. (Meals Aloft)

* Guests on the 2009 departure will stay at the Hotel Sofitel while in Bamako.

A note about this journey: During the time you are in Mali, you will be staying in hotels of varying quality. In all cases, they are clean, comfortable and the best available in their locations, but please don’t expect five-star luxury in this part of the world. For your seven nights aboard the Callisto, on the other hand, you’ll find elegant and gracious accommodations. We will be traveling in a part of the world where things don’t always go like clockwork, so please be tolerant if things aren’t always precisely the way they’ve been planned. You’ll enjoy yourself greatly if you approach the journey with a spirit of adventure!