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Bamako bridge crossing the Niger River Bamako is the capital of Mali and straddles the Niger river. With a population of around 1.7 million, it's the largest city in Mali and one of the largest in West Africa.

Bamako has been continuously inhabited by humans since prehistoric times. In 1883 it was conquered by French troops, and in 1908 became the capital of French Sudan.

The city has only a few paved main roads (goudrons), the rest of the city's roads are unpaved, and get dusty during the dry season (November to May) and muddy during the rainy season, offering breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

The city can be hard to navigate through due to the lack of road signs, the complicated layout of the streets and the one way system in the city. The roads are very crowded both with motor vehicles and motorcycles who appear to fill every available space possible. Traffic police are particularly vigilant and will sometimes appear to enforce very arbitrary traffic rules. They are usually on motorcycles as well so it is unwise to try and outrun them in your vehicle as they will easily catch up.

Often the best way to navigate around the city is to hire a taxi-motorcycle to lead you to your destination. These are relatively cheap and depending on the distance can be as low as CFA 100. There is no meter and price is negotiated upfront.

Unemployment rates are high.

The Grand Mosque

Bamako Botanical Gardens. Near the zoo and national museum.
Bamako Grand Mosque.
Bamako Museum, Place de la Liberté, +223 2000 0000. Details the urban history of Bamako. Featuring local art, travel posters and exhibitions of artists living and working in Bamako. Entrance fee is CFA 500 for residents of Mali, CFA 1500 for tourists..
Bamako Zoo. Reopened in mid 2013 after complete renovation. Fewer than 200 animals from more than 100 species.
Muso Kunda Museum.
National Museum of Mali, +223 2022 3486. Decent collection of Malian art, artefacts and textiles in pleasant grounds north of the centre. There isn't a massive range of exhibits, but they are well displayed and worth a visit. There are no English labels on exhibits, though English guides are available. XOF2500.
Point G Hill. Houses caves with rock paintings, and offers good views across the city.
King Fahd Bridge.
Tour BCEAO.

Bamako Botanical Gardens. Near the zoo and national museum.

Bamako Grand Mosque.

Bamako Museum, Place de la Liberté, +223 2000 0000. Details the urban history of Bamako. Featuring local art, travel posters and exhibitions of artists living and working in Bamako. Entrance fee is CFA 500 for residents of Mali, CFA 1500 for tourists..

Bamako Zoo. Reopened in mid 2013 after complete renovation. Fewer than 200 animals from more than 100 species.

Muso Kunda Museum.

National Museum of Mali, +223 2022 3486. Decent collection of Malian art, artefacts and textiles in pleasant grounds north of the centre. There isn't a massive range of exhibits, but they are well displayed and worth a visit. There are no English labels on exhibits, though English guides are available. XOF2500.

Point G Hill. Houses caves with rock paintings, and offers good views across the city.

King Fahd Bridge.

Tour BCEAO.

At the end of each January, Bamako hosts the finish line to the gruelling trans-Sahara rally, the Budapest-Bamako. Hundreds of rally cars and motorcycles arrive in the city on the last Sunday of January.

Prices are not fixed, and for many goods bargaining is expected. Beware, sometimes for common items (like food) the first price mentioned is just right. On the market it might be a good idea to first ask a couple of times at different stands before actually buying something.

Near the area of Bamako-Coura is the lively artisan market where traders from all over Bamako come to sell silver jewellery, leather, musical instruments and wood carvings. Prices are reasonable but the vendors expect their customers to bargain and enjoy it when they do. Once inside the market the atmosphere is relaxed and pleasant but be careful in the busy streets directly surrounding - it's easy to lose a bag to a thief.

Euros are widely accepted.

All the Ecobank ATMs in Bamako take Mastercard and Visa card for cash withdrawal.

Pizzeria de Guido, Rue 250, off Blvd Nelson Mandela. Decent Italian restaurant - just don't expect taxi drivers to know where it is. Love them or hate them, the French have left one decent legacy in West Africa: bread. Fresh delicious baguettes are ubiquitous, and travellers should not be worried about becoming sick because of the bread.
Relax: Cafe with some indoor seating and a covered outdoor patio. Pastries, pizzas, sandwiches, steaks and good breakfasts. Reliable food and very casual. Located on the Rue de Koulikoro just a few doors down from the Azar and Fourmi supermarkets.

Vegetarians will have a hard time in Bamako. Asking for a meal without meat will usually be met with the kind of look reserved for children and elderly relatives one does not wish to upset. In a country where poverty is common and food is often scarce, turning down meat is an oddity.

That said, mornings beans, fries, and fried plaintains can be found streetside throughout the city. Morning, noon, and night you can find small streetside "cafes" where you can get a fried egg sandwich and some nescafe. Several varieties of fried dough are also easy to stumble upon. Lunch- rice and groundnut stew is most easy to find, in local restaurants a plate with meat shouldn't cost more than CFA 500, but can range up to CFA 1,500. Evenings you can find attcheke (cassava dish), spaghetti, beans, boiled eggs, and fries relatively easily.

Meat eaters will be pleased to learn beef and fish are exceptionally good. Beef kebabs and grilled Capitaine, a freshwater fish from the Niger river, are always a good choice. Chicken are usually left to fend for themselves, and tend to be on the scrawny side, especially compared to North American chicken. Although the situation is improving, you might want to avoid disappointment and just give chicken a miss while in Bamako. To avoid food borne illness, stay away as much as possible from fresh vegetables, and make sure your food is piping hot before eating it.

Hotel Badala, Badalabougou (Second road right after German Emabassy, +223 2023 2314. Very well run, little known restaurant/brasserie. Excellent food (the Pave du boeuf is yummy). Excellent service. Small pool, outside tables. Near the river. Prices are relatively high for Mali but in Bamako you need a treat sometimes!

You can eat like the locals for a few hundred francs CFA a day, or shop in one of the western-style supermarkets.

There is one main market, in the centre of town, and several smaller markets in Bamako.

Supermarket-style stores are generally run by Lebanese businessmen.

La Fourmi Open 09:30-18:00
Azar Open 09:30-18:00
Supermarket Le Miniprix is actually the best one with the best service and with the lowest prices. They have a very clean store and are open 07:30-22:30. They also accept US/Canadian dollars and euro. These stores will carry Western or Middle-Eastern goods, including cold cuts, fruit and vegetable, and dairy products including fresh milk and yogurt. Prices are generally higher than in Europe or the US, and choice more limited in a way reminiscent of a North-American convenience store.

La Fourmi Open 09:30-18:00

Azar Open 09:30-18:00

Supermarket Le Miniprix is actually the best one with the best service and with the lowest prices. They have a very clean store and are open 07:30-22:30. They also accept US/Canadian dollars and euro.

There are many restaurants where you can get nice omelette sandwiches for about CFA 250.

Many street vendors sell bread, rice, fries, salad, grilled meat; however, use precautions while eating on the street.

Le Bafing, Quartier du Fleuve opposite the Service d'Hygiène, +223 6672 0781. Bistrot/Restaurant/Bar in a small street. Eating in a courtyard. Very good and friendly service. Daily special includes local dishes, à la carte steak, fish or spaghetti. Well stocked bar. Recommended. around USD5 for main dishes.
Assalam - ACI 2000 between the obelisk round point and Place Can. Lebanese- good schwarmas, hummus, brochettes- varied menu. Pleasant staff.

Le Bafing, Quartier du Fleuve opposite the Service d'Hygiène, +223 6672 0781. Bistrot/Restaurant/Bar in a small street. Eating in a courtyard. Very good and friendly service. Daily special includes local dishes, à la carte steak, fish or spaghetti. Well stocked bar. Recommended. around USD5 for main dishes.

Assalam - ACI 2000 between the obelisk round point and Place Can. Lebanese- good schwarmas, hummus, brochettes- varied menu. Pleasant staff.

African Grill. Restaurant serving good authentic African cuisine, on a square just off a main road. Not luxurious but good. Beer and wine are available but, because of the proximity to a mosque, don't be surprised if on Fridays they ask you to keep the bottles out of sight on the floor. They have a second location at the Musée National. c. CFA 3000 for main dishes.
Appaloosa, Rue 311 (In Quartier du Fleuve, +223 7666 9999. Restaurant and Bar. One of the strangest sights on earth. Malians in velour cowboy hats and vests serve Tex-Mex dishes in the restaurant while blond Russian professional women work the bar. Must be seen to be believed. The food isn't bad either.
Poularco. Another Lebanese joint with slightly higher class food than the rest. Nice shawarmas, pizzas, and good mixed salads are on the menu here

Bamako has many Lebanese and Chinese restaurants.

African Grill. Restaurant serving good authentic African cuisine, on a square just off a main road. Not luxurious but good. Beer and wine are available but, because of the proximity to a mosque, don't be surprised if on Fridays they ask you to keep the bottles out of sight on the floor. They have a second location at the Musée National. c. CFA 3000 for main dishes.

Appaloosa, Rue 311 (In Quartier du Fleuve, +223 7666 9999. Restaurant and Bar. One of the strangest sights on earth. Malians in velour cowboy hats and vests serve Tex-Mex dishes in the restaurant while blond Russian professional women work the bar. Must be seen to be believed. The food isn't bad either.

Poularco. Another Lebanese joint with slightly higher class food than the rest. Nice shawarmas, pizzas, and good mixed salads are on the menu here

Bla Bla is where Bamako's upper crust go to relax and have a (expensive) cocktail or bottle of champagne. With a small but delicious African menu, a wide range of cocktails, and cold draft beer - it is one of the most popular restaurants to see and be seen. An entrée here is around US$15. Also this place frequently has art exhibitions for local artists.
Le Terrace next door to the Bla Bla is a very large bar/lounge on top of a night club. Very good atmosphere and salsa music, dancing. Good pizzas and other fare.
Le Relax is a popular Lebanese hangout in Hippodrome with quick food and free Wi-Fi access. Pizzas, shawarmas, and hummus are the stars in this menu.
Broadway Café, +223 2023 2521. A Western style restaurant which is pretty much the only place you can find a "real" hamburger with "real" cheese. Also on the menu are breakfast burritos, chicken wings, and shakes. Great if you are missing the comforts of home. Burgers only run US$4 without fries but expect to pay up to $12 for a full entrée.
San Toro is a restaurant serving traditional Malian food and drink - no alcohol, but many ginger, tamrind and seasonal fruit based drinks. There is always live acoustic music there and the ambiance is very relaxed.
Da Guido just after the Bla Bla Road becomes dirt, is a real Italian restaurant run by real Italians. Their oven fired pizzas are the best in Bamako and they also serve up hefty portions of delicious pasta. Expensive wine flows freely here. Walking into this place you will think you just walked into an Italian restaurant in Brookly with the Roman wall murals and brick floors. A good pizza will run you about USD15.

Bla Bla is where Bamako's upper crust go to relax and have a (expensive) cocktail or bottle of champagne. With a small but delicious African menu, a wide range of cocktails, and cold draft beer - it is one of the most popular restaurants to see and be seen. An entrée here is around US$15. Also this place frequently has art exhibitions for local artists.

Le Terrace next door to the Bla Bla is a very large bar/lounge on top of a night club. Very good atmosphere and salsa music, dancing. Good pizzas and other fare.

Le Relax is a popular Lebanese hangout in Hippodrome with quick food and free Wi-Fi access. Pizzas, shawarmas, and hummus are the stars in this menu.

Broadway Café, +223 2023 2521. A Western style restaurant which is pretty much the only place you can find a "real" hamburger with "real" cheese. Also on the menu are breakfast burritos, chicken wings, and shakes. Great if you are missing the comforts of home. Burgers only run US$4 without fries but expect to pay up to $12 for a full entrée.

San Toro is a restaurant serving traditional Malian food and drink - no alcohol, but many ginger, tamrind and seasonal fruit based drinks. There is always live acoustic music there and the ambiance is very relaxed.

Da Guido just after the Bla Bla Road becomes dirt, is a real Italian restaurant run by real Italians. Their oven fired pizzas are the best in Bamako and they also serve up hefty portions of delicious pasta. Expensive wine flows freely here. Walking into this place you will think you just walked into an Italian restaurant in Brookly with the Roman wall murals and brick floors. A good pizza will run you about USD15.

Pizzeria de Guido, Rue 250, off Blvd Nelson Mandela. Decent Italian restaurant - just don't expect taxi drivers to know where it is.

Hotel Badala, Badalabougou (Second road right after German Emabassy, +223 2023 2314. Very well run, little known restaurant/brasserie. Excellent food (the Pave du boeuf is yummy). Excellent service. Small pool, outside tables. Near the river. Prices are relatively high for Mali but in Bamako you need a treat sometimes!

The Evasion Jazz Club can be pretty cool on Fridays and Saturdays. The Hippo d'Or (close to Hippodrome) is also a nice place for enjoying non-stop live music on Fridays and, even more, on Saturdays. There is a big casino near the Hotel L'Amitie. Ibiza, Blyblos and Terrace are still the hippest places to dance and drink. For some less seedy drinking establishments, try No Stress & Jet Set (formerly Privledge), which both have pool tables as well. Bla Bla and its twin in Badalabougou are known to get pumping on weekends.

Crazy Horse has some good food and is well priced.

Ibiza, Rud Princess. Weekends from midnight. Around midnight the Malians come alive; this is a nice nightclub with a variety of dance music from international to local dance tracks.

Ibiza, Rud Princess. Weekends from midnight. Around midnight the Malians come alive; this is a nice nightclub with a variety of dance music from international to local dance tracks.

In Bamako you have a high chance of encountering the police. You should always at least carry a copy of your passport and visa. It is often not sufficient to just show your driving license and this might lead to a ride to the police office - if you're not prepared to bribe your way out. Notice that the police often stops taxis.

If the price of the 'ticket' seems high (more than, say, CFA 5,000 for a minor offence), ask to go to the police station. There you can get an official receipt which shows the true price of the offence. Many locals consider it a moral issue to pay proper fines rather than grease the pockets of corrupt police.

If you go gradually (doni doni) you'll be able to drink Bamako's quite chemically tasting tap water. You shouldn't drink the unmarked sachets with water or syrupy water as long as you don't drink tap water—though the branded sachets of mineral water are fine (CFA 50).

Or you can avoid any hassles and drink bottled water. If you're sticking around town for a while, try buying bottled water by the case. The price will drop from about CFA 1500-1800 to CFA 600-700 per 1.5 litre bottle.

Clinique Pasteur is a more expensive toubab clinique, is fairly clean, and is within close proximity to the US Embassy in ACI 2000 area of Bamako. Dr Toure there speaks English, was medically trained in Canada and he can be reached via mobile at: +223 6674 0572. Bamako Grand Mosque. and don't trust Dr. Dolo with your pregnancy. Normally they want to have you taking all possible tests, and are notorious for recommending drastic unnecessary and expensive treatments. You first might want to consult a cheaper normal heath centre like Clinique Farako in Hamdallaye, or the Centre Diagnostique (Dr. Catherine Cisse) near the old Pont de Martys. Even then, double check all recommendations online and with a doctor abroad before embarking on any treatment plan or surgery.

Canada Canada, Immeuble Séméga, Route de Koulikoro, Commune II, +223 44 98 04 50. M-Th 07:30-16:00, F 07:30–13:00.
Greece Greece, Porte 429 Rue 321 Moussa Travele, Quartier du Fleuve, B.P.: 1, Bamako, +223 2022 2024.
United States United States, ACI 2000, Rue 243, Porte 297, +223 2070 2300.

Canada Canada, Immeuble Séméga, Route de Koulikoro, Commune II, +223 44 98 04 50. M-Th 07:30-16:00, F 07:30–13:00.

Greece Greece, Porte 429 Rue 321 Moussa Travele, Quartier du Fleuve, B.P.: 1, Bamako, +223 2022 2024.

United States United States, ACI 2000, Rue 243, Porte 297, +223 2070 2300.

Siby is a town at a one hour's drive from Bamako on asphalt road. Once you are there in Siby, you may want a 4 wheel drive vehicle to explore the sandy roads to several touristic sites within a 30 minute drive. It has very nice scenery, rocks to climb, and the Saturday market. There is a historic grotto, a 45 minute hike to a mountain side, an natural arch where rock climbers can get a panoramic view of the city and countryside, a cascading waterfall and surprisingly cool pool which makes for a wonderfully fresh plunge, about a 30 minute drive from the city's main road.