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What to Do in Gao
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What Will My Vacation Look Like? Visit the On-line Gao Photo Gallery.

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Other Great Places to Visit in Mali
Timbuktu
Dogon Country
Mopti
Djenné Mud Mosque
Bamako & Ségou

Learn About Mali
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Bamako - Mali's Musical Capital City
With over one million inhabitants, Bamako is Mali's most populous city.  There is always something going on in Bamako, a city that is especially well-known for a hot live music scene.

Just think - Salif Keita, Habib Koïté, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Baba Salah, and Oumou Sangaré all call Mali home.  It's not unheard of to catch one of these fantastic performers at the music clubs that dot Bamako.

Bamako also has a wonderful National Museum, a bustling artisanal marketplace, and many European-style and African restaurants.  Add onto this, world-class accommodations at hotels, like the Sofitel, Kempinski, and Salam, and you can easily see why a visit to Bamako is nice for any vacation.

Ségou - The Heart of Bambara Country
Ségou, the site of the ancient Mandé Empire, is a quiet and charming Niger River town.  Located only three hours from Bamako, Ségou is a bustling regional capital.

Ségou has a wonderful mud-cloth (called "bogolan" locally) workshop that tourists can visit and is also well-known for producing creative clay pots and vessels.  Visitors can combine a Niger River cruise with a visit to a pottery village. 

Additionally, the Festival Sur Le Niger has burst prominently onto the Malian music scene in the last two years.  With concerts on a barge in the Niger, the festival is wonderfully produced by a Malian-Dutch couple that own a hotel in town.  In 2006, the festival attracted the biggest West African music stars, like Habib Koïté, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Baba Salah and Sekouba Bambino.  The festival is held the first weekend in February. Check out their website www.festivalsurleniger.com for more details and the musical line-up for next year.

Best Tourist Sites in Mali Other Than Gao

Timbuktu

Dogon Country

Mopti

Djenné Mud Mosque

Bamako & Ségou