Bamako - Post Report Question and Answers
What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
I've enjoyed the concerts I've attended and trips outside of Bamako proper (limited as we are in where we can go). I drove to Burkina Faso and others have driven to Guinea and Senegal. There is hiking to be done, though not with trails, generally. Sibi is a popular hiking destination and after the rainy season has some waterfalls. There are some camping opportunities as well.
It can feel hard and dangerous to get out and do these things, but they ARE doable and RSO will support if you plan appropriately and they deem it safe. The music scene is lively but generally starts well after-hours: 11pm or midnight, generally. I enjoy going to the markets once in a great while, but it's exhausting: the heat, dust, and crush of bodies can take a toll. Lots of interesting handicrafts, though! - Apr 2017
Developing my French! Making local friends. Being exposed to a completely different culture/way of life. Sun year round! Fantastic expat/embassy community. Very, very high morale. - Aug 2014
Inexpensive household help coupled with few options for structured activities means there is alot of unstructured time. This has been great for my young family. There are tons of young anglophone children at post at present and so we have had a very high quality family experience here. If you do not have young children, the social scene can be a bit isolating. The school becomes pretty inadequate by late middle school, and with the language barrier Anglophone kids (and their parents) seem pretty unhappy. - Jul 2011
Trip by car from Bamako to Gao for working reasons. Beautiful scenary. Hospitality of the Malian people. - Jul 2011
The Malians are great to work with, although they are slightly insane when they get behind the wheel of a car. The people are very friendly, there are some decent restaurants/bars/clubs, and Bamako is very safe (not northern Mali, though). - Oct 2010
I enjoyed the Hash run, the expat community is great, and the chance to see the historical sites of this country such as Dogon Country, Mopti and Djenne - May 2010
