Mali / République du Mali – Let’s explore here
Mali is a landlocked, mainly flat, desert country in North Western Africa, about five times the size of the UK. Historically it was the richest country in Africa and one of the richest in the world. Mansa Musa, reportedly the richest man who ever lived was from Mali. It has a long, rich and very troubled history, involving much political instability, resulting in it now being one of the least developed and poorest countries on the planet. It shares land borders with Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania and Niger.
What currency do they use in Mali?
In Mali they use the West African CFA franc. Cash is widely used. The use of credit / debit cards is not widely accepted. Traveller’s cheques are not readily accepted. There are very few ATMs outside of the capital, Bamako.
The West African CFA franc is used in Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
You should make yourself aware of the amount that your bank charges you for using credit and debit cards abroad. Often credit cards are cheaper for purchasing items directly, and for withdrawing cash from ATMs.
What language do they speak in Mali?
They mainly speak Bambara in Mali, although there are 13 Malian languages officially recognised. French is also an official language, although not so widely spoken. English is not widely spoken.
What time zone is Mali in?
Remember, when you’re planning your next trip to take a look at what time zone it’s in.
Do I need a visa to visit Mali?
We’ve created a dedicated, more comprehensive page on visas, which you should find helpful. Check it out!
What’s it like to drive in Mali?
We’ve also created a dedicated page to driving abroad, which you might find helpful 🙂
Current travels
Our current planned route takes us close to Mali, and we may make a detour to visit the country, probably from either Senegal or Guinea. Although due to the current turbulence in the region, we may visit at another time. Whenever we do visit, hopefully our journey will improve our knowledge of this intriguing and beautiful country, and enable us to meet some interesting people. We’ll be updating this page at that time – don’t forget to check back 🙂
Is wild camping legal in Mali?
Yes, wild camping is fine in Mali.
If you’ve got some awesome pictures, or some useful info that you’d like to share, let us know!
And don’t forget to check out all the other pictures!