1

Not only is Mali a good place to avoid at present but your travel insurance my not be valid.

Dave

2

Viandante - how are you feeling? Are you happy? Are you enjoying your life? Are you glad to be alive? If you are, then make the most of the one life that you have been given, and for goodness sake avoid travelling to countries where you could easily get kidnapped and murdered.

3

Nothing to be afraid in Mali, at least at the moment. Bamako is tranquil and there's no toubles. But on other hand it is not a highlight as it was. You can not enter Bandiagara, Dogon Country or Mopti (however you can go to Djenne). Only the south of the country. And of course Azawad is completly impossible to go. But going from Senegal or Mauritania to Mali and then to Burkina or Guinea is not dangerous at all.

4

Travel to Mali will negate most travel insurance policies.

Dave

Edited by: Andreas_at_LP

5

'not dangerous at all'?

Try telling that to the foreigners that have been kidnapped in Mali and Mauritania over the past couple of years.

And if you cannot even enter Bandiagara, Mopti or Timbuktu there would be very few highlights left, anyway.

6

In Mauritania there was 1 kidnapping 5 years ago made by Mokhtar Belmokhtar who was killed by MNLA in Gao in June this year. Don't you think 5 years does make a change???? Of course it can happen like it can hapen that a tourist will be killed by a bandit in NYC, London or Paris. And I was talking about safety not if it worth to go or not. Timbouctou is not Mali it is Azawad.

7

I don't think the (junta) government will agree with you on that witek35...and that might be the main reason why it isn't really save in that region at the moment.
Saying Mali isn't dangerous at the moment is just plain ignorant. I'm not saying no-one should go there, just make sure you're aware of the current situation and the risk involved.

8

I have been in mali in June, have you been also? If not, so please think a little bit before you write that someone is ignorant. And yet I think you didn't read carefully what I wrote. So I will repeat: I don't consider Azawad part of Mali, so I am speaking only about Mali, not Azawad. Now, look at the main question of this topic. The guy wants to go from Mauritania or Senegal to Burkina via Mali. So now take a map and look at it - the road does not go via Mopti, so I am talking about southern and western Mali and I am clear that Mopti, Sevare and Dogon Country is closed by military for any whites (but Djenne is already open). You see, I spend in Mali about 10 days this June travelling from Mauritania to Burkina via Bamako and Sikasso and moreover - if you think there are no white people in mali now you are completly wrong. I had occasion to talk a lot with both locals and whites that live there or work there. For example with one French who is married to Dogon woman and they live in Dogon Country now. Is he also ignorant ???? All the military forces are concentrated in Mopti-Sevare area and in other areas the rotten militaries only task is to take money from African foreigners, sometimes, but yet rarely also from whites. The situation in Bamako is tranquil now however indeed it is necessary to follow it carefuly because the economic situation is dramatic, and lake of tourists is one of factors that stimulates the great unemployment. The hotels get closed and so on. But the junta and the "berets rouge" are busy with themselves not with white people. So don't tell to a guy who has just came back from a trip to Mali and have a contact with people who live there (I am talking about myself) that he is ignorant if you have not been there and you know the situation only from media, Ok? I am neither suggesting nor discouraging anyone to go to Mali now (especially I don't say if it is worth to go there or not) but if someone who does not know the situation is instructing someone who has just came back from there so it is ridiculous. And for those who want to go to Mali - I can answer any question if you want.

Edited by: witek35

9

Mali is as safe as before if you go Kayes-Bamako-Sikasso

That means most of the country is off limits

Visa can be had at the border

Bamako is ok but many hotels and restaurants are closed, not as joyful as a few years back.

I hope MBM is dead but would like proof. And let's hope they do right by north Mali this time - secured and governed democratically by locals.