Mar
29
Filed Under (Things to do in Bamako) by Rob on 29-03-2010

Have a picnic on a rock!


(Okay, when I say ‘In Bamako’ I mean not to far out of Bamako this time!!)

There’s a lovely area just a few clicks outside of Bamako, where we like to go for a picnic/frisby throw/kite fly! It’s nice all year round, but prettier in rainy season (for obvious reasons). Plenty of fun rocks to scramble on and very peaceful too.

To get there, head out of town, over the Old Bridge to the Tour d’Afrique, then take a left towards Segou. Drive past the stadium (RHS), a new housing estate and a check point, then a few miles further on you’ll start to see the rocks as you ascend a slight hill. In total, it’s maybe 20 miles from the city. You can then drive off the road to the right or left and park up somewhere. We find the left side to be better and take a track just after the hill (past the small ‘Auberge’ on the right), but anywhere is nice!

A word of warning – there are snakes about! One of our party spotted one, but it disappeared quickly. Then later we found further evidence:

However, as long as you make enough noise and don’t put your hand/foot into any dark nooks & crannies, the risks shouldn’t be too high! And, anyway, with scenery like this, we still think it’s well worth visiting:

Thanks to Andy for some of these photos (and for joining us on one of our fun excursions there!)



Comments:
1 Comment posted on "Things to do in Bamako no.5"
Claudia on April 1st, 2010 at 12:48 pm #

Gotta say that looks like a fantastic place for a picnic – beats Ampthill Park for spectacular rock formations anyday!
Hoping you have a good Easter time – will think of you when we are up the park at 6.15am Sunday morning, probably in the rain! Blessings on all. Claudia