According to timedictionary, Mali is a country in Africa bordering Mauritania, Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Senegal. Mali has been independent from France since 1960. The capital of Mali is Bamako. A number of large cities in Mali are: Timbuktu, Segou, Sikasso and Mopti.
Mali is known as a desert country. It consists of 70% desert plains. The country’s economy is largely based on gold and cotton exports. The local population lives mainly from agriculture and fishing. The population mostly lives according to old traditions and mostly live in mud houses. Mali is known for its impressive loam construction. In the middle of the country you will find the Niger. This is one of the three largest rivers in Africa and runs right through the country. Hippos and crocodiles can be found in this river. There is also little wild life in Mali because the population hunts all living animals for food. There are many bird species, including birds of prey.
Where is Mali located?
Travel information of Mali
Official name: Republic of Mali
Continent: Africa
Area: 1,240,192 km²
Capital: Bamako
Country code: ML, MLI
Population: 19,553,397 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 1,155 m (Hombori Tondo)
Distance (Amsterdam – Bamako): 4,553 km
Flight time: approximately 5 hours and 45 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: All travel to a large part of Mali is discouraged.
Current color code: Red and Orange. Due to this status, a partially negative travel advice
is in effect for Mali.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Mali that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs in Mali, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
At the moment there are no travel organizations that offer travel to Mali. For separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) please visit our travel offer page.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Mali?
Weather and climate
Mali has both a desert and a steppe climate. Temperatures are around 30 to 40 degrees all year round. In the Sahara, temperatures of 50 degrees are not exceptional.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Mali can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Mali can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February, November and December are the best months to travel to Mali. This avoids the long hot summer period of which March, April, May and June are the hottest months.
Language
French is the official language in Mali. The majority of the population uses Bambara as the main language. In addition, there are a number of local languages, of which Songhai is by far the best known.
Would you like to translate from or into French for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon arrival in Mali.
A visa is required. You can apply for this in person at the embassy of Mali in Brussels.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Mali: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Mali in Belgium (also for the Netherlands): rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting Mali, it is mandatory to get vaccinated against yellow fever.
In addition, there are one or more vaccinations that are recommended.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria
Malaria occurs in Mali. Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In Mali, payment is made with the CFA franc (XOF).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Mali can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Mali are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -40% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (48% cheaper), food (50% cheaper), clothing (75% cheaper), cigarettes (82% cheaper) and public transport (52% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tip
In Mali it is customary to give a tip of approximately 10%.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 2 hours earlier in Mali.
During our winter time it is 1 hour earlier in Mali.
Mali has no difference in winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for Mali can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Mali you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Mali.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Mali.
Electricity
In Mali you can use a Dutch flat plug.
A round plug must have a recess for the grounding pin present in the socket. You need a travel plug if your plug does not have such a recess.
More information about electricity in Mali can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 17
– Fire: 18
– Ambulance: 15
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Mali can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Mali can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Mali end in.ml.
Mali’s official website: primature.gov.ml.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Mali is 00223 or +223.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Mali? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Company details can be found in Mali’s Yellow Pages.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Mali.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Mali.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Mali can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Mali, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Mali?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Mali. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Mali can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Mali can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Mali? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in Mali, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Mali, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Mali.
– Alcohol: Banned in Sharia areas.
– Alcohol and traffic: No maximum permitted alcohol content.
– Tobacco: Banned in Sharia areas.
– Smoking ban: No
– Homosexuality: Allowed, but hardly accepted anywhere. In Sharia areas the death penalty applies.
Did you know that…
…80% of the population is employed in agriculture and fishing?
…Mali is the largest country in West Africa?
…70% of the population earns less than 1 dollar a day?
…Only 10% of the population earn more than 2 dollars a day?
…The Mosque of Djenne is the largest mud building in the world?
…The city of Timbuktu, often used in books and comics, is located in Mali?
