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Destination Spotlight: Mali
Member fallschirmhosen's Timbuktu camel trek didn't go exactly as planned—lucky he thrives on the unexpected. As his journals attest, not even the high-rolling thrills of Sandusky or the demands of the famed Inca trail can throw this intrepid traveler for a loop.
From Roughing It in Mali to Reach Fabled Timbuktu
Many people dream of going to Africa, but for most, that means a safari in Tanzania. I wanted something different. When I discovered that Timbuktu was a real place—not an urban legend—I knew where I wanted to go.
There are several ways to reach Timbuktu: fly, hire a car, take a boat, take a bush taxi (or bachee), or join an organized tour. I wanted to take a camel to Timbuktu—something very few people do. Arriving in Bambara Maounde, however, my guide found that the man who was supposed to meet us with the camels was gone. You don't want to get stuck somewhere in Mali without having a way to get out, so with time running out, we decided to just drive to Timbuktu the following day by hitching a ride with locals.
A legendary city that people have died trying to reach, I found Timbuktu to be something I would never forget. But it wasn't a spectacular skyline, amazing food, rich culture, or friendly people that I would remember. It was the lack of all of that. Aside from the few tourist attractions (namely, the mosques), I found the town to be nothing more than a dirty, dustbowl town filled with hustlers and scam artists trying to make a living in the fabled city.
To escape, I decided to take a 3-day/2-night camel trip into the Sahara. I had originally hoped to ride a camel to Timbuktu, so I was not quite sure what awaited me in the Sahara. As expected, the sun was extremely hot. It is dangerous to ride in such direct, intense heat for a long time, so on our second day, we stopped for 5 or 6 hours in the afternoon to rest in the shade before departing again around sunset. We rode for 3 more hours, saw the sun set, and then rode under stars. It is amazing to know that I rode on a camel in the Sahara under the stars.
If you think spending a weekend at home on the couch, watching TV, is relaxing, you have obviously never been to the desert. Napping in the middle of the desert, with absolutely no noise, no worries, and no rush to do anything, is by far the most tranquil state I've ever experienced. I found those days in the Sahara to be some of the most relaxing days of my life.
