Mali

Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. French will be very useful, but Bambara is the most spoken language. It's very common to mix the two though, but starting with some words in Bambara is highly appreciated.

Inside the capital Bamako hitchhiking is fairly accepted – if you look like you have enough money (i.e. white skin) – and it's a reasonable alternative if you can't find a taxi at night.

Apparently it's also possible to get rides with NGO 4WDs at the police check stations.

Mali's borders to Cote d'Ivoire in the south and Algeria in the north are probably a bad idea.

Hitching in Mali is well accepted. Some drivers might ask for money to share the petrol costs, but you can also find someone who will take you for free. Usually white people will not take you, they are mainly the typical tourists and will never take any hitchhikers. You might ask them in their hotel, when they realize that you are not a monster they might consider giving you a lift. It is also difficult to get a lift with charity organizations. Be aware that there is not much traffic and you will have to wait for quite a while.

Make sure to have enough water with you and something to cover you head. The advantage of hitchhiking is that you will usually have more space in the car as the buses are always heavily overloaded. But public transport is also cheap. Best places to hitch are outside the cities at the police post. Local people are friendly and might offer you a seat in the shadow and tea while you wait for a lift. Make sure to have something to share with them like candy.

Cities

 * Bamako
 * Kayes
 * Sikasso
 * Timbuktu

isin: Africa

Mali 马里