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The popular statement, " From here to Timbuktu." conjures up images of remote, isolated and distant parts of this earth. The actual Timbuktu is in Mali, but Wikitravel doesn't offer much in terms of getting there.

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Obviously it's remote, in some ways it's 'the ultimate destination' for people looking to get lost in isolated places. I've only met one person who has been there, and his trip involved several vehicles and camels(!).

So let's take a starting point reasonably far away - Vancouver, Canada. Where I happen to be right now. I'm considering a NW Africa trip next year, and if I do, I'd dearly love to get to Timbuktu. What would be the most efficient / sensible way of getting there, while on a minimal budget?

hippietrail
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Mark Mayo
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1 Answers1

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First, your picture shows the Great Mosque of Djenne, which is not in Timbuktu but in the city of Djenne, also in Mali but a good 500 km away.

At any rate, pretty much the only sensible route for access to Timbuktu is to fly from Vancouver to Paris (seasonal direct flights on Air Transat, otherwise you'll need to transit in Toronto/Montreal), from there to Bamako, and then to Timbuktu. Given its location smack dab in the middle of the Sahara, getting there overland will cost you way more. You could conceivably do the last leg from Bamako to Timbuktu on local transport, but it's a long, long way on really, really bad roads. And of course this all assumes the rebellion is sorted out.

lambshaanxy
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