Desert jammin' at Mali's Festival Au Desert

Each January, in the desert dunes beyond the legendary city of Timbuktu, Tuareg nomads, musicians from across Africa and Europe, intrepid travellers and the odd Hollywood celebrity gather for the ‘world’s most remote music festival’ - Mali’s Festival au Desert (8-10 January 09).

It’s a long haul by camel so why not soak up the sights and the sounds by joining Peregrine Adventures on its 17-day Music of Mali tour that includes the three-day Festival, a four-day trek in World Heritage Dogon country and a boat ride down the Niger? Tour departs Bamako 2nd January 2009.

The Festival is held in the desert oasis of Essakane, a meeting spot for Tuareg tribespeople for decades, and probably the most difficult of venues to get to – camels and 4x4’s are a necessity here! Largely a Tuareg event, many of the festival-goers arrive by camel caravan from all over the Sahara, some travelling for weeks. Tents of all shapes and sizes, with camels everywhere, are strewn amongst the white desert sands.

The festival is the greatest annual showcase for West African music and attracts not only the cream of Malian musicians - the legends of World Music, the Tuareg band Tinariwen, is an annual show-stopper – but a stellar line-up of musicians from around the globe! Last year, an electric guitarist from Bamako, Baba Salah (aka ‘the Jimi Hendrix of Africa’) blew the house down! For 2009, the schedule features Vieux Farke Touré, son of the late Grammy Award-winner Malian, Ali Farke Touré. Daytime events include tindés (traditional women's songs), dancing, swordplay and camel races, with the main live music starting just before sunset.

Peregrine’s Music of Mali tour also includes a four-day trek in World Heritage Dogon country, home to one of Mali’s most unusual tribal cultures and listed by Lonely Planet in its ‘Top 10 Places to See Before You Die’. Also included is an overnight trip by traditionally constructed pinasse (boat) along the Niger, as well as time in Mopti, the port town at the confluence of the Bani and Niger Rivers. Peregrine also visits the town of Djenne - site of the world’s largest mud structure, the spectacular Mosque - and of course Timbuktu, the epitome of remoteness, where the obligatory ‘I’ve been to Timbuktu and back’ t-shirt will doubtless find its way into one’s luggage! The tour concludes in Bamako with an opportunity to explore the historic Grand Marché.

The tour costs £2,925 p/p including transport, accommodation, most meals, specialist guides, tickets to the Festival au Desert and local flight. International flights are not included but are available through Peregrine Adventures.

For more information and bookings, log on to Peregrineadventures.co.uk.