The Niger River Route, Mali

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The Niger River is the life blood of Mali, entering at the southern end of the country and running into the interior as far as Gao, before doing a sharp right hand turn and flowing back toward the ocean. Boats run up and down the river between August and November and it's one of the best ways to see the interior of the country. Most travellers find the journey fascinating, and it gives them a chance to experience the hurly-burly of port life along the river. Conditions on board tend to vary: at best it's still not quite shuffleboard and margaritas aboard the Love Boat; at worst it's a floating hellhole with no extra charged for the sweltering cabins, dirty toilets, food shortages, sandbankings, and cargo spread everywhere.

Mopti, lying on the inland delta, is one of the biggest cities along the Niger with one of the most vibrant ports and a large bustling market. It's also the centre of the local tourist industry and suffers from hard-sell overload. Travellers have reported being mercilessly harangued by local youths offering themselves as guides, or trying to off-load postcards and souvenirs and refusing to take no for an answer. Some of these entrepreneurs are not averse to a little bit of free enterprise so watch out for the scams that end up with you being parted from your money. Before Mopti is the junction town of San, which is quieter than the other places but has a traditional ambience that other towns seem to have lost. Gao is the last stop before the Niger turns and heads back to the ocean. It's well and truly in the Sahel and is extremely hot but has a picturesque market place, stunning sunsets and the Tomb of the Askia (a 16th century ruler), now used as a mosque.

Boats run from Koulikoro, 60km (37mi) east of Bamako, to the interior city of Gao, 925km (573mi) northeast of Bamako. Journeys may be anything from one day to a week long. In theory a boat leaves Koulikoro every Tuesday and arrives in Gao the following Monday stopping en route at a number of towns. The return journey begins in Gao every Thursday and arrives at Koulikoro a week later.

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