Tombouctou

Tombouctou Region stretches across the central Sahara of Mali, named after the legendary city of Timbuktu. This fabled city was a world-renowned centre of Islamic scholarship and trans-Saharan trade. Today the region is dominated by the Sahara Desert, with the Niger River forming its southern border. Due to security concerns, travel is extremely dangerous.

November–February are the only feasible months. Summer temperatures exceed 45°C.

Timbuktu Airport (TOM IATA) connects by air to Bamako, though service is unreliable and should be confirmed directly before travel. The Niger River is navigable from Mopti during high water. Overland travel is extremely dangerous.

• Timbuktu — Legendary Saharan city with historic mosques
• Goundam — Sahelian town on the Niger floodplain
• Diré — Niger River port
• Niafunké — Niger River trading town
• Tonka — Niger Delta village
• Léré — Village on the Niger River
• Gourma-Rharous — Niger River town

Saharan cuisine: camel milk, mechoui (roasted lamb), couscous, and fish from the Niger.

The Festival of the Desert and Maouloud celebrations are cultural highlights. Tuareg festivals feature music and camel races.

• Visiting the three great mosques of Timbuktu
• The Ahmed Baba Institute manuscripts
• Timbuktu Ethnographic Museum
• Views of the Sahara dunes