Mali, one of Africa's least known butmost exciting countries takes itsname from an ancient empire andstretches from Ghana in the south toAlgeria in the north. It is home to a widevariety of ethnic peoples including theTuareg, the Fulani, the Bambara and theDogon. Although materially poor, Mali hasa rich and diverse culture and its peopleproduce some of the finest artefacts to befound anywhere in Africa. It is also a country of great geographicalcontrasts. The south is comprised ofGuinean forest and savannah, and visitorsare often surprised at how well wooded thisregion is. In the north lies a huge area ofthe Sahara Desert, whilst in between sitsthe arid scrub and grassland of the Sahel.The mighty River Niger carves a great arcthrough the southern half of the countryand adds a further dimension. At the river'snorthernmost point lies Timbuktu, once agreat trading centre with an importantuniversity and still a fascinating andenigmatic place to visit. Our voyage on theNiger recalls the journeys of the earlyexplorers and we will see few Westernvisitors during our time on the river.Additionally, Mali offers us the chance tosee a wide cross-section of West Africanbirds and other wildlife, from colourfulSenegal Parrots, Violet Turacos andAbyssinian Rollers to Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, Yellow-crownedGonoleks and the emblematic EgyptianPlover. The inland delta of the Niger is oneof the most important wetland sites inAfrica and supports a density and diversityof birds sufficient to whet any birder'sappetite, alongside healthy populations ofHippopotamus and Nile Crocodile.From the capital Bamako we travel north toSégou, the old French colonial capital,through a well-wooded landscape dottedwith small villages and quaint mudmosques. Roadside birds are likely toinclude Grasshopper Buzzard, BrownSnake Eagle, Fox Kestrel, both Grey andRed-billed Hornbills and the bizarre littlePiapiac, which often rides on the backs ofcattle. At Djenné, with its winding medievalstreets, we will visit the spectacular GrandMosque, reputedly the largest mudbuilding in the world and at Mopti, a busytrading town at the confluence of the Baniand Niger Rivers, we will have theopportunity to explore the extraordinarilycolourful and bustling market and harbour area.From Mopti we head east to 'Pays Dogon'and the dramatic Bandiagara escarpment.As we approach Dogon country we will seefewer and fewer mosques as theseremarkable people have retained theirtraditional animist/fetishist religion, ritualsand culture despite hundreds of years ofMuslim and colonialist intrusion. We willvisit several Dogon villages in the talusslopes at the foot of the cliffs and learnabout their customs and traditions. A widerange of exciting birds associated with theescarpment and the surrounding savannahinclude Stone Partridge, Bearded Barbet,Green Wood-hoopoe, Fine-spottedWoodpecker, Cliff Chat, Neumann'sStarling and the restricted KulikouroFirefinch, a virtual Malian endemic. Leaving Dogon country we continue ourjourney northwards through increasinglyarid landscapes towards Douentza andTimbuktu. These wide open acacia-studdedgrasslands are home to the Fulani, a tribeof nomadic herdsmen, and provide us withan opportunity to see Chestnut-belliedSandgrouse, Northern Anteater-chat,various wheatears and larks and perhaps,most excitingly, the small population ofElephants that migrate through this regioneach year. Finally we reach Timbuktu, thefabled city, where we will visit the famousJinguereber Mosque and the houses usedby the early European explorers Laing,Caille and Barth. In the market we may seethe slabs of salt brought down fromnorthern Mali by some of the last workingcamel trains in the world.From Timbuktu we embark on a 3-dayvoyage up the Niger, chugging sedatelythrough an endless wide-open tapestry ofwater, sky, marshland and desertpunctuated by neat mud-brick villages andmosques. The human activity along theriver is constantly fascinating and thebirdlife is both rich and varied. PiedKingfishers are numerous, African FishEagles soar overhead and SenegalCoucals bubble atmospherically from thereedbeds. Senegal Thick-knees andEgyptian Plovers are a regular sight alongthe riverbank and colourful Yellow-crownedBishops buzz over the marshes against abackdrop of huge wheeling flocks of Red-billed Queleas. Add to this vast flocks ofwintering waders and wildfowl, a host ofherons and egrets, and that ever-presentpossibility of a Hippopotamus or acrocodile and you have a rich feastindeed!Finally we arrive back in Mopti with ourextraordinary Malian odyssey drawing to a close. As we make our way back toBamako we can reflect on what will surely be one of the most memorable trips of our lives.MaliA 17-day tour featuring visits to the fabled city of Timbuktu, a boat trip on the River Niger,and time with one of the purest animist-fetishist cultures in Africa. A diverse and exciting array of birds and other wildlife is also observed. Wednesday 7th November - Friday 23rd November Cost: £3,495Outline itineraryDay 1Fly Bamako.Day 2Bamako.Day 3Ségou.Day 4Djenné.Day 5Mopti.Day 6/7Dogon country.Day 8Douentza.Day 9/10Timbuktu.Day 11/13Boat journey on theRiver Niger.Day 14Mopti.Day 15Ségou.Day 16Depart Bamako.Day 17Arrive London.AccommodationSimple but comfortable hotels inBamako, Timbuktu, Mopti andSégou, most with private facilities;basic hotels in Djenné andDouentza. Fully serviced campingfor the six nights on the Niger andin Dogon country.FoodAll included in the price.GradingGenerally an easy-paced, ifadventurous, tour; some walking inDogon country. Grade B.FocusLocal cultures, artefacts and birds.LeaderAndy Smith.Single room/tentsupplement£340.Web quick search: MLI01166Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryNIGERALGERIAMAURITANIAGUINEASENEGALIVORY COASTBURKINAFASOTIMBUKTUMOPTIBAMAKOSÉGOUDJENNÉDOUENTZANIGERNIGERMALIVillage, River NigerPirogueEgyptian Plover

Southern Africa is blessed with someof the continent's finest nationalparks and landscapes. From theharsh Namib Desert to the lush greenwetlands of the Okavango Delta and thenatural wonder of the Victoria Falls, thisspectacular region is home to a fabulousdiversity of wildlife, and some of the mostbreathtaking scenery in the world. Bycombining Namibia, Botswana andZambia in this holiday, we offer not onlythe opportunity to visit three countriesduring one tour, but also the chance toenjoy a diversity of birds and other wildlifeover a range of over 1,000 kilometres;species as special and diverse as the BlueCrane of Namibia, the Pel's Fishing Owl ofBotswana and the beautiful Schalow'sLourie of Zambia. Further, by running thisholiday during the green season, we willbenefit both from the influx of winteringbirds that move south for the southernAfrican summer, as well as from the manynesting species resplendent in theirbreeding dress at this season. Flying into Windhoek, Namibia's capital,and meeting our leader, our first port ofcall is the Waterberg Plateau Park. Risingover 200 metres from the surroundingbush, this plateau is home to over 200 birdspecies, amongst them such Namibianendemics as Hartlaub's Francolin,Rüppell's Parrot, Violet Wood-hoopoe andRockrunner. Continuing our journey north,we will spend the next four days exploringthe Etosha National Park, the finest wildlifereserve in Namibia and one of the best inall of Africa. Covering over 22,000 squarekilometres, the park encircles the greatEtosha Salt Pan, the dried up bed of ahuge ancient lake over 100 kilometresacross. Dry and dusty at the end of thedry season, Etosha is by now transformedby the rains into a lush oasis of greengrassy plains - on which herds ofBurchell's Zebra, Springbok andGemsbok feast - and acacia woodlandamongst which lie rain-fed pools andlarger permanent waterholes. Elephants,Greater Kudu and Giraffe are alsocommon here and we may also encountera Black Rhino, Leopard, Cheetah or Lion iffortunate, although some of thesemammals do become a little more elusiveduring the green season. Etosha's birdlifeis also incredibly diverse and includes theaforementioned Blue Cranes, plus suchother special species as Bateleur, Lappet-faced Vulture, Martial Eagle, AfricanScops Owl, Bare-cheeked Babbler, Carp's Tit and Rufous-eared Warbler toname but a few. Next, we will drive north-east to spend fivedays exploring the wetlands of the CapriviStrip and Okavango Panhandle. The lush,papyrus-fringed wetlands and open plainsthat border the Okavango and KwandoRivers are some of the richest areas forwildlife in southern Africa, though less wellknown than the Okavango Delta thatopens out to the south. We willconcentrate our time here exploring theCaprivi National Park and Mahango GamePark, but spend one night on the edge ofthe Okavango Panhandle in Botswana insearch of the elusive Pel's Fishing Owl.Other wildlife to look out for includesmammals such as Elephant, Hippo, RedLechwe, Reedbuck, Bushbuck and Giraffeand birds such as Dwarf Bittern, GoliathHeron, Slaty Egret (Botswana's onlyendemic), Marsh Owl, Kurrichane Thrush,Lesser Jacana, African Fish Eagle and avariety of colourful weavers, widows andwhydahs. If luck is really on our side wemay be fortunate enough to find a pack ofAfrican Wild Dogs, a rare but more regulartreat in this area.Botswana's Chobe National Park is nexton our agenda, another of Africa's greatwildlife reserves and home to a hugerange of birds and mammals. We willconcentrate our efforts on the Chobe Riverfor the next couple of days, enjoying theherds of Puku, Impala, Waterbuck andElephant that dot the adjacent floodplains.This is a great place for Lions, as well assuch attentive scavengers as SpottedHyena and vultures, while Leopards areoccasionally seen. The birdlife here isagain incredibly diverse, especially thebirds of prey which often fill the sky on hotsunny days and include such species asTawny, Steppe, Lesser Spotted andWahlberg's Eagles, African Hawk-eagle,Black-breasted Snake Eagle, LizardBuzzard and many more. We conclude our holiday in Zambia,spending two nights at the Victoria Falls,one of the seven natural wonders of theworld. Here the mighty Zambezi Riverplunges over 100 metres into aspectacular narrow gorge, a drop twice ashigh as Niagara. When the Zambezi is infull flood the Falls are often obscured byspray and mist, but in March its water levelis still quite low and the whole vista of theFalls and canyon can be appreciated andenjoyed . as well as such birds as thebeautiful Schalow's Lourie, RockPratincole, African Finfoot and TrumpeterHornbill. After a relaxing couple of daysenjoying this great natural spectacle wemust sadly say our farewells to the exoticwildlife of southern Africa and return to themore familiar fauna and flora of home.Namibia, Botswana &Zambia - Etosha to the Victoria Falls!A 17-day birdwatching and mammal-viewing safari through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia, visiting the Etosha National Park, Caprivi Strip, Okavango Panhandle, Chobe National Park and the Victoria Falls. Friday 24th February - Sunday 11th March Cost: £4,995Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationMOZAMBIQUEZIMBABWESOUTH AFRICAANGOLAMALAWITANZANIAZAMBIAVICTORIAFALLSLIVINGSTONEETOSHANATIONAL PARKWATERBERGPLATEAUWINDHOEKNAMIBIACAPRIVI STRIPOKAVANGOCHOBENATIONAL PARKBOTSWANAOutline itineraryDay 1Depart London.Day 2Arrive Windhoek,Namibia; transferWaterberg Plateau.Day 3/6Etosha National Park,Namibia.Day 7/9Caprivi Strip, Namibia. Day 10Okavango Panhandle,Botswana. Day 11Caprivi Strip, Namibia.Day 12/13Chobe National Park,Botswana.Day 14/15Victoria Falls, Zambia.Day 16Depart Livingstone,Zambia.Day 17Arrive London. AccommodationComfortable permanent tentedcamps and lodges; all rooms/tentswith private facilities.FoodAll included in the price except forlunches and dinners at Victoria Falls.Allow £50.GradingGrade A. A traditional safari-styleholiday with wildlife-viewing byvehicle, boat and on foot. FocusBirds and mammals.LeaderNeil Macleod.Single room supplement£595.ExtensionsA variety of exciting Zambian optionsare available on request.Web quick search: NAM01167Blue CranePel's Fishing OwlAfrican Elephant