Festival in Timbuktu

Q: I would like to find out about the Festival in the Desert which takes place near Timbuktu in January every year. I would love to attend this event. Can you please provide me with further information and details of how I could arrange to get there. - Felicity Derekson

A: The Festival in the Desert is a celebration of Tuareg culture, featuring traditional music in the day and world music at night. It will be held January 6-8 next year at Bamako in Mali, which is close to Timbuktu in the Sahara Desert. Among the attractions at this event are music, singing, dancing, poetry, ritual swordplay, camel races and artistic exhibits. At night world music concerts are held on stages with lights and sound systems powered by generators. This is not a luxurious experience - there are no hotels in the area and not even running water. Visitors sleep in tents on ground sheets and bottled water, food and bucket showers are available. The temperature can be hot during the day (around 35 degrees celsius) and cold at night (as low as 5 degrees), so conditions are challenging. Your best bet is to join one of the tours organised for the festival, which will provide you with the flights and 4x4 transportation needed to get there. Vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory for all visitors to Mali. For further information check out the www.festival-au-desert.org website. You can also check the www.sagatours.com site for details of packages to the event. (31/10/10)