07 March, 2017
27 August

Bamako, The host city

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.

  • 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 :
    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

  • 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

     

  • 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).