Bamako

Understand

Bamako has been continuously 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 for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The city can be hard to navigate through due to the lack of road signs, the complicated layout of the streets and the one way system in the city. The roads are very crowded both with motor vehicles and motorcycles who appear to fill every available space possible. Traffic police are particularly vigilant and will sometimes appear to enforce very arbitrary traffic rules. They are usually on motorcycles as well so it is unwise to try to outrun them in your vehicle as they will easily catch up. Often the best way to navigate around the city is to hire a taxi-motorcycle to lead you to your destination. These are relatively cheap and depending on the distance can be as low as CFA 100. There is no meter and price is negotiated upfront. Unemployment rates are high.

Getting there

By plane 1 Bamako-Sénou Airport (BKO IATA) (roughly 15 km (30–40 minutes) from the city centre). With flights from Paris on Point Afrique (cheap) and Air France (less cheap). Flights to Europe are also offered by Royal Air Maroc, via Casablanca—the main drawback to this option is that the flight from BKO to Casablanca leaves at 03:35. Taxi rides should cost about CFA 7000 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 10:00 and 17:00. The office is located at Square Lumumba. Luggage is dropped off and boarding passes issued right then and there, as would happen at the airport, minus the crowds and the hassle!

By train Bamako is at the end of the railway line from Dakar in Senegal which used to transport passengers across western Africa. However, as of 2023, the only passenger service is a domestic train from the western city of Kayes. Rehabilitation of the full line from Dakar has been promised several times but is unlikely to happen in the coming years.

2 Bamako railway station, Rue Baba Diarra. Colonial-era station built in 1924. (updated Jan 2023)

By bus Bus travel to Bamako is possible but often gruellingly slow. Some buses offers air conditioning, most don't. Segou and Mopti are common destinations, a journey time of about ten hours. International services are available from most regional capitals; with journey times of up to 40 hours it can be a very memorable, if quite unpleasant, experience. Bamako has two major bus stations, with Sogoniko handling the most traffic.

3 Sogoniko Bus Station (Gare Routière De Sogoninko), Avenue de L'unite Africaine OUA (south of the river, along RN7). 4 Djikoroni Bus Station (Gare Routière De Djikoroni).

See

Mali National Park (take highway RN1 north out of downtown). This park sits slightly above the city under the outcrops of the Koulouba plateau and incorporates both the botanical garden and zoo along with a trail network. Located adjacent to the National Museum and Presidential Palace Complex, it is a patch of green in the overall arid area. (updated Jul 2020) 1 Bamako Botanical Gardens. Relaxing green setting. 2 Bamako Zoo (towards the presidential palace), ☏ +223 73 09 44 44. Reopened in mid-2013 after complete renovation. Fewer than 200 animals from more than 100 species. Nice lion exhibit. 3 Point G Hill (somewhere above the botanical garden and zoo, on the Koulouda plateau (inquire locally)). Houses caves with rock paintings, and offers good views across the city.

Museums 4 National Museum of Mali (Musée national du Mali), Place de la Liberté, ☏ +223 20223486. 09:00-17:00. Dating back to 1953, when it was known as the Sudanese Museum, this attraction on pleasant grounds displays ethnographic exhibits on the peoples of Mali with displays on masks, textiles, statues, and contemporary art from including Iba N’Diaye (Senegal), Outtara Bakari (Côte d’Ivoire), Koraïchi Rachid (Algeria), Malangatana (Mozambique) and Boghossian Skunder (Ethiopia). Might help to know some French to read placards, although English guides may be available. Entrance fee 3000 CFA for foreigners. (updated May 2021) 5 Muso Kunda Museum of Women (Musée de la Femme Muso Kunda), ☏ +223 20241668. Tu-Su 09:00-18:00. Portraits and items related to women and Malian life. Adults: CFA1500, children under 13: CFA500. (updated Jun 2026)

Religious heritage 6 Grand Mosque of Bamako. (updated May 2021) 7 Sacred Heart Cathedral. Dates to 1907 (although current cathedral built in 1925) after a Catholic mission nearby was relocated here. (updated Jul 2020)

Landmarks 8 Monument of Independence. open all hours. This is a rather remarkable looking monument to the independence of Mali, complete with a minaret on top. But watch out for heavy traffic in the area. (updated Jul 2020) 9 BCEAO Tower. The tallest building in Mali (20 floors high), with Neo-Sudanic architecture and features reminiscent of the Sudan-Sahelian architecture of mosques in Djenne and Timbuktu. A readily visible landmark on the Bamako skyline. 10 Monument de la Paix. Very fitting with a dove perched atop a world cupped in an equilateral triangle. 11 Tower Of Africa. If you try really hard, it kind of looks like the tower in Astana. 12 King Fahd Bridge (Pont du Roi Fahd). birthplace of Modibo Keïta, the first preside

Do

At the end of each January, Bamako hosts the finish line to the gruelling trans-Sahara rally, the Budapest-Bamako. Hundreds of rally cars and motorcycles arrive in the city on the last Sunday of January.

1 Casino de l'Amitie a Bamako (Friendship Casino of Bamako), Avenue de la Marne, Bamako Mali. Sa 11:00-04:00, Su-Th 11:00-03:00, F 14:00-04:00. In case you want to see what a Malian casino is like (apparently this is acceptable in Malian culture?) Gambling machines, roulette, even a restaurant with fine dining. (updated Jul 2020) 2 Cultural Palace Hamadou Hampaté Ba (Palais de la Culture Amadou Hampaté Ba). The national performing arts centre in Mali, the centre hosts various performances. (updated May 2021)

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 jewellery, 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. All the Ecobank ATMs in Bamako take Mastercard and Visa card for cash withdrawal.

Eat

1 Pizzeria de Guido, Rue 250, off Blvd Nelson Mandela. Decent Italian restaurant - just don't expect taxi drivers to know where it is. Love them or hate them, the French have left one decent legacy in West Africa: bread. Fresh delicious baguettes are ubiquitous, and travellers 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. That said, mornings beans, fries, and fried plaintains can be found streetside throughout the city. Morning, noon, and night you can find small streetside "cafes" where you can get a fried egg sandwich and some nescafe. Several varieties of fried dough are also easy to stumble upon. Lunch- rice and groundnut stew is most easy to find, in local restaurants a plate with meat shouldn't cost more than CFA 500, but can range up to CFA 1,500. Evenings you can find attcheke (cassava dish), spaghetti, beans, boiled eggs, and fries relatively easily. 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. Chickens are usually left to fend for themselves, and tend to be on the scrawny side, especially compared to North American chickens. Although the situation is improving, you might want to avoid disappointment and just give chicken a miss while in Bamako. To avoid food-borne illness, stay away as much as possible from fresh vegetables, and make sure your food is piping hot before eating it.

2 Hotel Badala, Badalabougou (second road right after German Emabassy), ☏ +223 2023 2314. Very well run, little known restaurant/brasserie. Excellent food (the Pave du boeuf is yummy). Excellent service. Small pool, outside tables. Near the river. Prices are relatively high for Mali but in Bamako you need a treat sometimes! Le Relax (Relax), Hippodrome, Route de Koulikoro, BP 2944 (Located on the Rue de Koulikoro just a few doors down from the Azar and Fourmi supermarkets.), ☏ +223 20 21 79 18. Reasonably priced restaurant (around 2000 to 5000 XOF). Vegetarian options are available. Cake, ice cream and other sweets are available in a wide various of flavours. (updated Jan 2024)

Grocery shopping You can eat like the locals for a few hundred francs (CFA) a day, or shop in one of the western-style supermarkets. There is one main market, i

Drink & nightlife

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. There is a big casino near the Hotel L'Amitie. Ibiza, Blyblos and Terrace are still the hippest places to dance and drink. For some less seedy drinking establishments, try No Stress & Jet Set (formerly Privledge), which both have pool tables as well. Bla Bla and its twin in Badalabougou are known to get pumping on weekends. Crazy Horse has some good food and is well priced.

1 Ibiza, Rud Princess. Weekends from midnight. Around midnight the Malians come alive; this is a nice nightclub with a variety of dance music from international to local dance tracks.

Sleep

Budget 1 Bed & Breakfast Ambassagou, Rue 592, Porte 171 (in Bacojicoroni quarter), ☏ +223 7646 5628, [email protected]. Nice, very clean rooms. 15 min to centre, airport and bus station. Restaurants, bars, markets are in walking distance. Nice evening or morning stroll to the river Niger. Transfer to and from airport is possible. Owner Adama can help you with your excursions. single CFA 9,000; double CFA 13,500. 2 Sleeping Camel, Rue 25, Port 80, Badalabougou (next to German embassy, near the old bridge on the south side of the river.), ☏ +223 7817 5365. Camping & hotel with dorm beds popular with trans-Africa truck groups, adventure motor bikers, and local expatriates. Wi-Fi, air-conditioned rooms, restaurant and bar available. River cruises can be arranged from the hotel. CFA 3,000 to pitch your tent, CFA 4,000 for the dorm, and up to CFA 22,500 for rooms.. (updated Jun 2018)

Mid-range 3 Auberge Toguna, ☏ +223 2211 6930. 4 Hotel Dafina, Niaréla, rue 461, ☏ +223 2210 304, [email protected]. On a quiet street within walking distance of several restaurants (Vietnamese, 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. c. US$45. 5 Hotel Lac Débo, ☏ +223 222 96 35. 6 Hotel Le Rabelais, ☏ +223 2021 5298. 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 and air conditioned, with wireless internet. From CFA 38,000. 7 Hotel Yamey, ☏ +223 223 86 88. 8 Le Relais, Route de Koulikouro, ☏ +223 2021 0229, [email protected]. 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. US$90.

Splurge 9 Azalai Grand Hotel, ☏ +223 2022 2492, [email protected]. Swimming pool, tennis court, internet access. The hotel is by far one of the oldest in town. Nice-sized, very clean rooms with large windows that open. Good service. Restaurant reasonable but the breakfast buffet is a little overpriced. Both the jewellery lady and Tuareg crafts vendor in the lobby will try to mas

Go next

Siby is a town a one-hour drive from Bamako on asphalt road. Once you are there in Siby, you may want a 4-wheel drive vehicle to explore the sandy roads to several touristic sites within a 30-minute drive. It has very nice scenery, rocks to climb, and the Saturday market. There is a historic grotto, a 45-minute hike to a mountain side, a natural arch where rock climbers can get a panoramic view of the city and countryside, a cascading waterfall and surprisingly cool pool which makes for a wonderfully fresh plunge, about a 30-minute drive from the city's main road.