Camel
Treks
For those who wish to experience the
desert at its true pace. We offer the possibility of camel
treks. From the gentle outing to watch the sunset to the
hardy trans-saharan caravan. Such outings may be
incorporated into a more general trip or may be done alone
as the sole goal of your visit. We can also arrange for you
to make the trek only one way and meet you with a vehicle
to return you to town.
Short
outings:
One or two hours outing on the dunes to the north of Timbuktu. Stop to watch the sunset and take tea. Return to Timbuktu
One night in a Tuareg camp: Leave Timbuktu around 16h00 for Tuareg camp. Spend the night in the camp dinner and sharing around the campfire. Return in the morning to Timbuktu.
One night on the Dunes: Leave Timbuktu around 16h00 for the desert until sunset set up camp. Your Tuareg guide will prepare dinner. Have tea around a campfire, enjoy the stars, discussion
Desert Trek
Day 1: Arrive in Timbuktu, visit of the town, night in the Sahara Passion at the edge of the desert.
Day 2: Depart on camels for the Well of Lembatt (15 km from Timbuktu), Night on the dunes
Day 3: Continue on to a Tuareg Camp (~ 30 km from Timbuktu), night with a family or on the dunes nearby.
Day 4: Go to Agouni (40 km from Timbuktu). Visit of the village.
Day 5: Go to Assidi (16 km from Timbuktu). Visit of the village.
Day 6: Return to Timbuktu, installation in Sahara Passion
Trek to Arouane
Seven days one way to reach this historic site on the edge of the true Sahara. It is here that the caravans heading to Taoudeni stop to gather fodder for the rest of the arduous trek to the salt mines. On the way you will pass the wells of
Hassi Lembatt
Agounni
Inestel
InAyma
Douaya
El Harseini
InKariba
Tagami (An-marssa)
Araouane
Trek to Taoudeni
The ultimate adventure. Follow the traces
of 500 years of Berabish to the Salt mines in the far north
of Mali. Fairly new in the scale of things Taoudeni was
only discovered in the 17th Century. Prior to that salt was
mined 250 km farther north at Tagahza! The Taoudeni mine,
750 km north of Timbuktu, requires minimum one month
return. The trip is arduous and not to be attempted by the
faint of heart. It also requires a high degree of physical
fitness.
We offer the option of joining a
real salt
caravan doing the
Azalaï. This option will allow you to experience the
reality of the this commerce and the life of the people who
make their living by salt. However the caravan waits for no
man. Once the day's march has started it will not stop
until the end. Once past Araouane the wells are few and far
between and the caravan averages 50 km a day to reach the
next well before the current supply is finished. Typically
several caravan leaders gather at a staging site outside
Timbuktu they join their camels into a single caravan for
the duration of the trip splitting up again upon successful
return. The caravan will pass the same points listed for
Araouane. Leaving Araouane it will pass:
Oued el Hajar
Foum el 'Alba
Ber Ounane
'Oglat el Khnachich
Taoudeni
We also offer the option of a private caravan that will advance at your own pace. This will allow you the leisure to rest if you need to, stop for a midday break or detour to visit the sites you will pass.