'''Bamako''' is the capital of Mali, located on the Niger river. With a population of around 1.7 million, it's the largest city in the country and one of the largest in West Africa.
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 to 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 and out run 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 100 cfa
Unemployment rates are high.
Get in
By plane
'''Bamako-Senou Airport''' is roughly 15km (30–40 minutes) from the city center, 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 3:35am. Taxi rides should cost about 4000 CFA from the city.
Passengers flying Air France should consider ''pre-enregistrement'', or early check-in. This can be done at the Air France office '''on the day of the flight''', between 10AM and 5PM. The office is located at Square Lumumba. Luggage is dropped off and boarding passes issued as would happen at the airport, minus the crowds and the hassle.
The airport is typical of many in this part of Africa. This is a small airport with a limited number of shops and space. Electricity outages, plunging the airport and the runway, into pitch darkness are common.
Disabled passengers will need help. The waiting area is up a spiral staircase, and the boarding area down another staircase. There are some questionable elevators, which shouldn't be relied upon if at all possible.
By train
Trains run from Dakar and Koulikoro.
By bus
At the Sogoniko bus station you can find busses to other cities such as Segou, Mopti (taking about 10 hours).
Get around
See
Tour BCEAO.
Bamako Grand Mosque.
Pont du Roi Fahd. ussia. 9209174251.
Muso Kunda Museum.
Bamako Regional Museum.
Bamako Zoo. owards the presidential palace.. Animals in poor condition. 100CFA to enter, 100CFA for biscuits to feed the animals.
Bamako Botanical Gardens. Near the zoo and national museum.
Point G Hill. Houses caves with rock paintings, and offers good views across the city.
Mali National Museum. 500CFA. Decent collection of Malian art, artifacts and textiles in pleasant grounds north of the centre. There isn't a massive range of exhibits, but they are well displayed and worth a visit. Be aware that there are no English labels on exhibits, though English guides are available.
Do
-At the end of each January Bamako hosts the finish line to the gruelling trans-Sahara rally, the Budapest-Bamako [http://www.budapestbamako.org]. Hundreds of rally cars and motorcycles arrive in the city on the last Sunday of January. The finish ceremony is scheduled for January 31st in 2009.
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 jewelry, 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.
ATM's are difficult to find in Bamako. BDM banks have ATM's for VISA cards in several branches, and Banque Atlantique has ATM's for Maestro/Mastercard. (Nov 2007)
Eat
Pizzeria de Guido. ue 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 travelers 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.
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. Chicken are usually left to fend for themselves, and tend to be on the scrawny side, especially compared to North-American chicken. Although the situation is improving, you might want to avoid disappointment and just give chicken a miss while in Bamako.
Grocery shopping
You can eat like the locals for a few hundred CFA a day, or shop in one of the western-style supermarkets.
There is one main market, in the centre of town, and several smaller markets in Bamako.
Supermarket-style stores are generally run by Lebanese businessmen.
'''La Fourmi''' Open 9:30am to 6:00pm.
'''Azar''' Open 9:30am to 6:00pm.
'''Supermarket Le Miniprix''' It is actually the best one with the best service and with the lowest prices. They have a very clean store and are open from 7:30am to 10:30pm. They also accept US/Canadian Dollars and Euro.
These stores will carry Western or Middle-Eastern goods, including cold cuts, fruit and vegetable, and dairy products including fresh milk and yogurt. Prices are generally higher than in Europe or the US, and choice more limited in a way reminiscent of a North-American convenience store.
Budget
There are many restaurants where you can get nice omelette sandwiches for about 250 CFA.
Many street vendors sell bread, rice, fries, salad, grilled meat; however, use precautions while eating on the street.
Le Bafing. uartier du Fleuve opposite the Service d'Hygiene. 72 0781. round $5 for main dishes. Bistrot/Restaurant/Bar in a small street. Eating in a courtyard. Very good and friendly service. Daily special includes local dishes, a la carte steak, fish or spaghetti. Well stocked bar. Recommended.
Mid-range
African Grill. lace de l'OVMS. round 3000CFA for main dishes. Restaurant serving good authentic African cuisine, on a square just off a main road. Not luxurious but good. Beer and wine are available but, because of the proximity to a mosque, don't be surprised if on Fridays they ask you to keep the bottles out of sight on the floor. They have a second location at the Musee National.
Appaloosa. uartier du Fleuve. Restaurant and Bar. One of the strangest sights on earth. Malians in velour cowboy hats and vests serve Tex-Mex dishes in the restaurant while blond Russian ''professional'' women work the bar. Must be seen to be believed. The food isn't bad either.
Bamako has many Lebanese and Chinese restaurants.
Splurge
Hippodrome
'''Le Relax''' is a popular Lebanese hangout in Hippodrome.
'''Broadway''' is a Western style restaurant where Malians enjoy music that has long passed the expiration date. The food is reasonable but pricy.
'''San Toro '''is a restaurant serving traditional Malian food and drink - no alcohol, but many ginger, tamrind and seasonal fruit based drinks. There is always live acoustic music there and the ambiance is very relaxed.
Drink
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. Another nice and decent club is "Leptiz" which is in the basement "Sofitel Hotel" - just adjacent to "Libya Hotel" and the main casino. The environment was fantastic and the bar girls (mostly Russian) fabulous. Ibiza and Blabla are the hip places in 2006-7
Crazy horse has some good food and well priced.
Ibiza. ud Princess. Around the hour 00:00 on weekends the malians come alive, this is a nice nightclub that opens up at 00:00 it plays variety of dance music and the are some very beuatiful women.
Sleep
L'Auberge Lafia. ear Place de la Nation. Decent double rooms with fan for 10000CFA. Handy location - close to attractions in the city centre. Will arrange taxis to the airport.
Hotel de l'Amitie. v de la Marne in city center. 2 43 21.
Le Grand Hotel. 22 24 92. Swimming pool, tennis court, internet access
Hotel Salaam. 22 12 00. ttp://www.azalaihotels.com. 5,000 CFA +. Most luxurious of the three Azalai hotels in Bamako, and one of the best in town. Very nice pool. Expensive but nice restaurant. Central air, big beds, colour tv, immaculate bathrooms.
Hotel Le Rabalais. 21 52 98. 8,000 CFA +. 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, air conditioned, with wireless internet.
Hotel Lac Debo. 22 96 35.
Hotel Yamey. 23 86 88.
Hotel Jamana. 21 34 56.
Auberge Toguna. 21 16 93.
Mission Libonaise. 23 50 94. 500CFA night . Budget, located in one of the many markets
Hotel Dafina. iarela, rue 461. 210304. afina@afribone.net.ml. around $45 Hotel on a quite street within walking distance of several restaurants (Vienamese, 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.
Le Relais. oute de Koulikouro. 210229. ampa2@afribone.net.ml. 90. 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 cafe/restaurant le Relax.
Ibiza. ud Princess. This is a nightclub with very nice mixture of music from international to local dance tracks. it opens up its doors at 12:00am. the are very beautiful girls
Stay safe
In Bamako you have a high chance of encountering the police. You should always at least carry a copy of your passport and visa. It is often not sufficient to just show your driving license and this might lead to a ride to the police office - if you're not prepared to bribe your way out. Notice that the police often stops taxis.
If the price of the 'ticket' seems high (more than, say, 5,000 cfa for a minor offense), ask to go to the police station. There you can get an official receipt which shows the true price of the offense. Many locals consider it a moral issue to pay proper fines rather than grease the pockets of corrupt police.
Stay healthy
If you go gradually (''doni doni'') you'll be able to drink Bamako's quite chemically tasting tap water. You shouldn't drink the unmarked sachets with water or syrupped water as long as you don't drink tap water -- though the branded sachets of mineral water are fine (50CFA).
Or you can avoid any hassles and drink bottled water. If you're sticking around town for a while, try buying bottled water by the case.
The price will drop from about 1500-1800 CFA to 600-700 CFA per 1,5 litre bottle.
Clinique Pasteur is an expensive tubab clinique. <!-- don't consult Dr. Nazha... --> Normally they want to have you taking all possible tests. You first might want to consult a much cheaper normal clinique.
Get out
Sibi is a town at a one hour drive (with a 4 wheel drive vehicle) from Bamako. It has very nice scenery, rocks to climb, and the Saturday market.