Must See Mali - Bamako

You'd expect the capital city of one of the poorest countries in the world to be sullen and down-at-heel, but Bamako is a brash cacophony of music, motorbikes, and people buying, selling and trading under the hot midday sun. Despite its problems it's got chutzpah.

You can find everything in the new version of the Grande Marché, from indigo cloth to gold to tapes of African music. There's also a traditional medicine vendor should you find yourself running short of travel essentials such as porcupine quills, dried birds and monkey heads.

The Musée National is one of the best ethnographic museums in West Africa with architecture inspired by the mud brick structures in Djenné and a wide range of tapestries, masks, funeral objects and weapons. The museum is desperately trying to hold onto its cultural treasures but is fighting an uphill battle against the illegal sales of ancient terracotta figurines in Djenné. Save your francs for the legal stuff.