Bandiagara

Bandiagara is a city in the Dogon Country of Mali.

Understand

Tellem village (Teli) mud cliff dwellings in the Bandiagara Escarpment

Bandiagara forms the primary entry point to Dogon Country treks. As such, one can stock up on supplies, sleep, and find guides/drivers in this town. Unfortunately due to the proximity, a lot of these items are a great deal more expensive, but it works well for those looking to find some last minute item.

Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons) is a cultural landscape represented by sandstone plateau, escarpment and plains. The Bandiagara Escarpment was listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1989.

Get in

By bus

There are bus connections to Bandiagara, but primarily to the closer towns of Mopti and Sévaré. To go to further destinations such as Bamako requires more careful planning and the best time to catch one of these buses is on market day.

By car

Most people arrive in their own car whether hired or their own. It is a straightforward town to drive through given the small size of it. A car will allow much easier connections to villages in Dogon Country as there are no buses to these. For those looking to find a car, you are better off searching neighboring towns as prices are considerably higher in Bandiagara.

Get around

For those wishing to see what there is of Bandiagara, it is very easily walked.

See

Bandiagara is not huge on sites. The main administration building in the center roundabout is an interesting structure though.

Sleep

• la Falaise, Main Road, ☏ +223 21 44 21 28, contact@hotel-la-falaise.net. A nice option for the town. If the temperature allows, opt for no AC and just the fan in the room as it is quite affordable. 

Go next

• Dogon Country - It's what everyone comes to this area for as this is the gateway town to the area.
• Mopti - One of the nearest large towns with a historical Old Town.
• Sévaré - A bit closer than Mopti with a large number of hotel options, although lacking on a lot of sites to see.