Introduction
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Visit the On-line Gao Photo Gallery.
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Visit in Mali
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Meet the Staff
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Think about it - our experience suggests that most visitors spend more time with their guide than any other Malian. So choosing a good guide can really make for a great trip to Mali.
Conveniently, guides can be used in any way that meets your needs. Do you want a guide simply for a one-day walking tour of the city? Do you want a guide to arrange a boat ride to the Pink Dune? Do you want a guide to arrange a 4x4 ride to the Monday market at Djebok and then arrange a camel ride once you've arrived there? Do you want a guide to accompany you on a two-week trip to Gao, Timbuktu, and Dogon Country with everything arranged including transport, lodging, and food?
Our guides can do all of the above with no problem! Tell your guide what you want, and they will happily customize your Malian experience to fit your needs. Remember - it's important to select a guide that has experience in the regions that you want to visit - many of our guides have years of experience guiding not only in the region of Gao but also Timbuktu, Dogon Country, and Mopti.
And, note, except in certain culturally sensitive areas of Dogon Country, guides are not required by law, so if you prefer independent travel, that's fine as well.
Please Note - Use Official Tour Guides Only!
In July 2005, the Malian government ministry responsible for tourism
(Office Malien du Tourisme et de l'Hotellerie or OMATHO) administered the
first guide qualifying exam throughout all of Mali. Guides that met
standards across several dimensions, including professionalism, historical
knowledge, language skills, etc., were approved as official Malian tour guides. After
the exam process was finished, successful candidates were issued official
guide credentials.
When arranging a trip with a guide, first and foremost make sure that he or she has the appropriate, official guide credentials. This helps the Malian government support those guides who have proven their ability to appropriately represent Mali and will make it easier for you to seek help should any problems arise.
If you have questions or are not sure about a guide, visit the closest OMATHO office (click here for list of OMATHO offices and contact numbers), which are located in every regional capital and Bamako. Each office maintains a list of the official guides in their region and can make recommendations based on your specific needs.
Click here to see the official Malian guide credentials.
For all of the mentioned reasons, only official tour guides, who passed the qualifying test in Gao, are listed on this site.
Tips to Remember When Using a Guide in Mali
- Ask to see his or her official guide credentials
- Agree to all details of a trip, including price (normally negotiable) and what is included and not included, before paying anything and before your departure
- Confirm when during your trip your guide expects payment for what - for instance, if you are renting a 4x4, your guide may need money to pay the driver or to buy gasoline for your trip. As a matter of normal tourism practice in Mali, guides often ask for a downpayment followed by the balance paid at the successful completion of the trip.
- Unless the details or length of your trip change, do not agree to any increases in price
- Report any problems to the closest OMATHO bureau, located in every regional capital and Bamako
- Tip good guides as a reward for good performance and recommend them to your friends.
- At the end of your trip, tell your guide what they did well and how they could improve.
How to Arrange a Trip with a Guide
There are several different ways for arranging a trip with a guide,
depending on your circumstances and preferences.
- Contact a Guide Before You Arrive - Get guide contact information from this web site and then either call or email the guide of your choice. You can arrange all the details of your trip before leaving home.
- Find a Guide on Your Own Once You Get Here - Guides can be arranged once you arrive, although your first choice may not be available during the high tourist season (December - March).
- Find a Guide with OMATHO Assistance - Use the local expertise of the regional tourism bureau to help you find the right guide. The bureau staff know all the guides and can recommend one to you, based on your specific needs.
Official
Gao Tour Guides
Mossa
Ag Attaher
Aguissa Ag Badara
Idrissa Assipto
Mahamadou Oumarou Ciss�
Moussa Issa Ciss�
Abdoulaye Ke�ta
Alassane Harouna Ma�ga
Harouna Souley Ma�ga
Mohamadou Abdoulaye Ma�ga
Mohamadou Moussa Ma�ga
Abdrahamane Ma�ga
Ab�dine
Ma�ga
Alassane "Alex" Ma�ga
Abdrahamane Ali Tour�
Bagna
Tour�
Mohamed
Tour�
Idrissa Agaly Yattara
See Mali's Official Guide Credentials