We have taken two trips to West Africa, both with Mountain Travel Sobek. The first trip was called "Timbuktu & Beyond" into one of the most fascinating countries in the entire world, Mali.
Who hasn't heard of Timbuktu one of the most isolated places in the world, synonymous with being "out in nowhere" but this ancient, famous city was just a small part of this extremely unique trip. The group would start in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (pronounced "wah gah doo goo" - isn't that a great name?), heading into Mali (Dogon land), Djenne, Mopti, travel up the Niger River, Timbuktu, ending up in Bamako, Mali.
The "History Channel" just aired a two-hour special, "Sahara" the other evening. Try and watch it.