Why Go to Timbuktu? Travel to Timbuktu by Global Adventuress

Timbuktu Travel

It’s true, but the journey to get there is worth it.  Every boat, donkey cart and camel ride brought us one step closer to this Sahara oasis where you will hear world music until the break of dawn under the clear desert skies.

Camel Races

You can fill your days watching the camel races or Touareg tribes passing by in their traditional costume, or taking a nap in your tent.

Music Festivals

Known as one of the world’s greatest music festivals, Festival Au Desert takes place every January in Northern Mali, located in Essakane, approximately two hours from Timbuktu.  Robert Plant’s experience says it all, “It’s one of the few honest things I have been part of in a long, long time. It’s amazing to play out in the sand. There are no doors, no gates and no money. It reminded me of why I sang in the first place. It’s not commercialized.” (Rolling Stone/March 6, 2003)

 photo taken by Larry Stapleton

More about Timbuktu Travel

Visit this site to learn more. As this site mentions, “This festival seeks its origin in the big traditional Touareg festivities, as Takoubelt in Kidal and Temakannit in Timbuktu, which represented for a long time a place for decision making and exchange of information among the different communities. At the beginning, there were songs and touareg dances, poetries, camel rides and games. Today, the Festival is opened to the external world and welcomes artists from other Malian regions, other African countries, but also from Europe and the rest of the world. During three days, around 30 artistic groups are invited from all around the world to present their art.” 

 photo taken by Larry Stapleton

 

 For more photos, the NY Times captured some amazing imagery from the festival at this link:

Another helpful site to reference about Timbuktu’s history and other resources here.