Discover Bamako
The Malian capital city of Bamako is a district made up of six boroughs.
Back in 2010, the city had about 2 million inhabitants which is nearly 40% of the country's urban population.
POPULATIONS AND KNOW-HOW :
Originally, the region was predominantly inhabited by Bambara. Its capital status has made it now a multi-ethnic city.
TIME LAG
The time in Mali is that of the Greenwich meridian (GMT or TU). When it is noon in Bamako, it is 13h (GMT + 1 in winter) or 14h (GMT + 2 in summer) in Paris.
POST, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INTERNET
There are Post offices in all the big cities of the country. In Bamako, the Post Office offers the possibility of opening a mailbox, the only way to receive mail.
There are Internet Cafe with high speed connexion. The prices are between USD 0,5 and USD 5.
Two mobile phone companies operating in Mali are Malitel/Sotelma and Orange Mali.
Local Transport :
The are various transportation means in Bamako including car rental companies and taxi.
WORKING HOURS
In Bamako and throughout the country, the legal working week is beyonds 40 hours.
From Monday to Thursday:
Mornings - 7.30am to 12.30pm,
Afternoons - from 1pm to 4pm.
Fridays:
Mornings - From 7 :30 am to 12 :30 pm
Afternoons: From 2 :30 pm to 5 :30 pm.
During the muslim fasting months, these schedules are modified as follows:
From Monday to Thursday
Mornings - From 7 :30 am to 12 :30 pm
Afternoons - From 1 pm to 4 :30 pm.
Fridays - From 7 :30 to 12 :30.
BANK OPENING HOURS:
From Monday to Thursday
Mornings - From 8am to 12pm
Afternoons - From 2pm to 4pm.
Friday to Saturday
From 8am to 12pm.
LEISURE & CULTURE
The city of Bamako, offers a large number of museums in Bamako including the National Museum which is located in the heart of the recently refurbished National Park and the Muso Kunda museum dedicated to women.
FESTIVALS IN BAMAKO:
- The Festival on river Niger in Ségou, which takes place in February,
- The Biennial of Photography in Bamako, in November of the odd years,
- Festival in the desert at Essakane, in early January
- Etonnants Voyageurs, literary festival in November of even years.
Several sports clubs (tennis, golf, horse riding, swimming, dance....) are also opened all year in Bamako, as well as the movie theater ‘‘Le Babemba’’.
HOTELS IN BAMAKO
There are a wide range of hotels in Bamako including:
Hotel Millenium Kamissa**** in ACI 2000
Laïco Hotel de l'Amitié *****, located in Bozola
Laïco El Farouk *****, located in Quartier du Fleuve
Azalai Hotel Salam *****, located in Quartier du Fleuve
Radisson Blu *****, located at in ACI 2000
Azalaï Grand Hotel ****, located in Dar Salam
Azalaï Nord-Sud *** located in ACI 2000
Massaley ***, located in ACI 2000
Résidence Kome ***, located in ACI 2000
Mandé ***, located in Cité du Niger
Mirabeau ***, located in Quartier du Fleuve
Plazza *** located in Niarela
Les Colonnes ***, located in ACI 2000
Le Rabelais ***, located in Quinzambougou
Villa Soudan ***, located in Badalabougou
Wassulu ***, located in Kalaban Coura
Olympe ***, located in Kalaban Coura
Columbus, located in ACI 2000
RESTAURANTS IN BAMAKO:
The Montecristo - located at the Hippodrome
Soukhotaï - located in Quartier du Fleuve
The Diplomat - located in Korofina
La Rose des Sables - located in Hippodrome
The Loft - located in Quizambougou
African Grill - located in Musee National
Appalooza - located in Quartier du Fleuve
Bla Bla Bar - located in Hippodrome and Badalabougou
The Jade Bowl - located in Quartier du Fleuve
Le Café du Fleuve - located in Quartier du Fleuve
The San Toro - located in Hippodrome
The Savanna - located in Korofina
The Olympian - located in Quartier du Fleuve
The Villa Sudan - located in Badalabougou
The Pirate Club - located in Quinzambougou
VENUE
Official Name: Palais des Sports Salamatou Maiga (Built on more than 30 000m2)
Location: Hamdallaye - ACI 2000 - Bamako
Find on Google map
Capacity of the Gym: 5001 seats
A Presidential Tribune
A Presidential lounge
VIP lounge
Central Scoreboard
Two Warm-up rooms
Shops
Parking
VISA INFORMATION
An entry visa is requested for people traveling to Mali. The visa must be affixed to a valid passport. Are exempt from visa requirements ECOWAS, Maghreb, Cameroon and South Africa citizens.
Beyond a stay of three months in the country, a long-term visa delivered by the National Security Directorate is required.
The required document for the application are:
- 1 visa application form
- 2 passport photographs
- 1 passport valid at least six months after the entry into Malian territory.
VERY IMPORTANT: For media, professional ID card, accreditation, or any other professional documents are useful.
HEALTH
The vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory and the International vaccination certificates is required on arrival.
Other recommended vaccines include hepatitis A and B, typhoid and meningitis. Antimalarial treatment is also necessary in all seasons even if Mali is classified in Zone 2 (low risk).