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Basically trying to find out if they are trusted and legit. I've done some brief enquiries through them and responses have been good.

Thank you in advance

7 replies to this topic

I have seen tons of companies popping up claiming to be travel experts for Africa over the past year or two. I'm not saying the one you're considering isn't established or legit but it's an expensive trip to risk on an agency where you can't find any quality feedback or reviews.

I have used Travel Butlers in the past, which is located in the UK, and they were very good. I have also used Icon Expeditions/ Rhino Africa, located in SA, several times in the past. There are also several agents that post on here regularly that have good reputations. Maybe get a few quotes from several different agencies and go with your gut in the end.

I used Timbuktu for my holiday in Kenya, Zanzibar, Rwanda and Uganda in 2019. They were amazing and put together a fantastic itinerary at a great price. I am planning on SA and Mozambique next year and will be using them again.

An easy forum search revealed

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293740-i9186-k14155312-Reputable_company-South_Africa.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293740-i9186-k14108958-Timbuktu_Travel_Agency-South_Africa.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g312618-i9872-k13564247-Safari_Planning_Help-Kruger_National_Park.html

Hi, you reached out to me via DM but yes, I used Timbuktu about 4-5 years ago. They also didn't have very many reviews back then so obviously they need to work on that aspect of their business!

I just replied to your DM

I had a fantastic experience with Timbuktu. I'm going to sound like a shill, but they were patient, responsive, found us great value on what could have been a much more expensive trip.

Hi, I'm working with them now on putting a safari trip together in SA, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. They seem like they know what they're doing and are patient w/ my questions. Who did you work with at Timbuktu? thanks!

I worked with Joanna. She was fantastic.

• Family Friendly Boutique Hotel with Amenities and Location 8:10 pm
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Solo Travel in South Africa

Travelling solo might seem daunting at first but in reality, it may just be the most laidback trip you’ve ever been on.

If you’re anything like us, it often feels like you need a holiday to recover from the holiday, especially when you’ve been travelling en famille or with a group of very different opinions, paces and tastes. When it’s just you, your days can be as jam-packed or easygoing as you’d like – and if you come across a fantastic new activity or destination, slipping it into the itinerary takes no discussion at all. It’s your chance to step out of your comfort zone and find out what you really love to do when no one else’s thoughts are in the mix.

Although, if you’re feeling social, a solo trip is also fantastic for meeting new people from across the globe, whether it’s over wine tasting or sharing epic moments on a game drive. You may even find other solo travellers along the way. You’ll also get to know your guides and hosts, which often becomes a really special part of the trip, and you may just learn some of the local languages.

South Africa is a wonderful start for breaking into travelling solo, from Cape Town’s lively atmosphere and road tripping down the Garden Route to the luxury and intimate camps in Kruger’s concessions. Read on for two of our favourite trips for solo travel in South Africa.

Wine, wildlife & exploring the Cape

Your trip begins in South Africa’s Mother City, Cape Town , where the cosy comforts of Welgelegen House await. Thanks to its central location just off Kloof Street, discovering the endless charms of Cape Town comes very, very easily. If it’s adventure you seek, there are guided hiking trails to the top of Table Mountain and across its beautiful National Park. On the other hand, you might prefer to find the softest stretch of sand and soak up the sun from one of Cape Town’s world-class beaches , or wind your way down Chapman’s Peak and head for Boulder’s Beach where penguins swim and waddle just metres away. Then there’s the endless list of scrumptious cafes, restaurants and markets to keep you replenished…

Your next stop is La Fontaine , a debonair guest house in the centre of Franschhoek , from which you can explore the town’s artisanal spots or hop on the Wine Tram for a jaunt from vineyard to vineyard. La Fontaine will happily organise a private tour of the valley’s finest wine estates, pairing their famous reds and whites with local treats, or lunch at one of the many fabulous restaurants. Should you fancy getting out and about, enjoy the mountain scenery on a hike or horseback ride , then return for a dip in the secluded pool.

Your South African journey ends at nThambo Tree Camp in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve in the Greater Kruger area . With just five stilted chalets, the experience at nThambo is personal and immersive, and the activities are completely flexible. The guides and trackers are some of the best in the country and they will join you on all game drives and walking safaris , seeking out members of the Big Five, African painted dogs and sensational birdlife. Should you fancy a night drive, hyena, porcupine and aardwolf may appear too… After sunset, you’ll find the Boma area abuzz with other guests, where you’ll swap stories from the day in the firelight.

Southern Africa’s highlights all-in-one

On this epic trip , you’ll combine Cape Town and an unforgettable safari with one the Seven Natural Wonders of the World: Victoria Falls . Find your feet in Cape Town, strolling from funky vintage shop to tasty bistro and the Skittle-coloured houses of the Bo-Kaap to the historic and poignant District Six Museum; hiking mountain trails ; paragliding from the top of Lion’s Head; driving the scenic route to Cape Point ; and wine tasting in the picturesque Constantia Valley . Afterwards, the characterful Welgelegen House (one of our Cape Town favourites) will be waiting to welcome you back.

You’ll see an entirely different side to South Africa when you arrive in the Klaserie Nature Reserve, the largest private reserve on the borders of the iconic Kruger National Park . Completely in tune with the wild surroundings, the rooms at nThambo Tree Camp fulfill the treehouse dreams of your childhood with roll-up walls revealing a 180° view. Your safari begins before leaving the camp as wildebeest, zebra and impala arrive at the nearby waterhole – and elephant may even join you at the pool for a drink. The majestic Drakensberg Mountains watch over you whilst exploring by 4×4 or foot, led by your all-knowing guide, ready to spot giraffe, hippo, lion (and the rest of the Big Five) and the highly-coveted African painted dog.

Your final stop is the enthralling Victoria Falls, which you can admire from various viewpoints , each more gasp-worthy than the next. Otherwise, enjoy a cruise along the Zambezi River or take to a helicopter and hover high overhead for a different view. The mighty ‘Smoke that Thunders’ plunges into the gorge with such force that its rising mist can be seen from almost 50 kilometres away and rainbows often appear within it. You can make a similar plunge with a thrilling bungee jump or take on the rapids on a white water rafting excursion . Following a day like this, there’s nothing better than a hot, bubbly soak in the tub and hearty dinner beside the fire at Bayete Guest Lodge .

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Basically trying to find out if they are trusted and legit. I've done some brief enquiries through them and responses have been good.

Thank you in advance

7 replies to this topic

I have seen tons of companies popping up claiming to be travel experts for Africa over the past year or two. I'm not saying the one you're considering isn't established or legit but it's an expensive trip to risk on an agency where you can't find any quality feedback or reviews.

I have used Travel Butlers in the past, which is located in the UK, and they were very good. I have also used Icon Expeditions/ Rhino Africa, located in SA, several times in the past. There are also several agents that post on here regularly that have good reputations. Maybe get a few quotes from several different agencies and go with your gut in the end.

I used Timbuktu for my holiday in Kenya, Zanzibar, Rwanda and Uganda in 2019. They were amazing and put together a fantastic itinerary at a great price. I am planning on SA and Mozambique next year and will be using them again.

An easy forum search revealed

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293740-i9186-k14155312-Reputable_company-South_Africa.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293740-i9186-k14108958-Timbuktu_Travel_Agency-South_Africa.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g312618-i9872-k13564247-Safari_Planning_Help-Kruger_National_Park.html

Hi, you reached out to me via DM but yes, I used Timbuktu about 4-5 years ago. They also didn't have very many reviews back then so obviously they need to work on that aspect of their business!

I just replied to your DM

I had a fantastic experience with Timbuktu. I'm going to sound like a shill, but they were patient, responsive, found us great value on what could have been a much more expensive trip.

Hi, I'm working with them now on putting a safari trip together in SA, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. They seem like they know what they're doing and are patient w/ my questions. Who did you work with at Timbuktu? thanks!

I worked with Joanna. She was fantastic.

• Family Friendly Boutique Hotel with Amenities and Location 01:10
• Itinerary help- The Blue Train or Garden Route or both? 01:02
• Walking Pass Scam? 20:11
• Rental car suggestions/Avis opinion? 18:30
• E-Visa Experience, South Africa 16:33
• Tipping at Kapama River Lodge today
• Green Point Park Run today
• Cape Town International Convention Centre today
• Driving time Durban to Johannesburg today
• AMI Travel and Tours today
• Weather in September today
• Uber availability today
• hotel suggestion at OR Tambo today
• Mozambique OR Madagascar OR Mauritius OR Seychelles? yesterday
• Sort of a warning about Rentalcars.com vs CarHire3000 68 replies
• plug adaptor 28 replies
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• Volunteer- African Impact 4 replies
• Weather in South Africa Mid-November through December 4 5 replies

South Africa Hotels and Places to Stay

• What to do/see in South Africa
• A guide to booking and staying in Kruger National Park
• Animal Interactions and Ethical tourism.
• How to approach corrupt traffic officials
• Under what circumstances do I need to take Malaria Prophylaxis in Kruger area
• The reality of lion cub petting
• -Responsible_Tourism

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2. Mosque of Sankore

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Tuareg nomads lead a caravan of camels in Mali.

A Historic Explorer Leads the Way on an Epic African Journey

Following the path of Leo Africanus to Timbuktu, a traveler encounters modern nomads.

In 1550, Leo Africanus , a Muslim-born diplomat and traveler who served Pope Leo X, produced the first geographical description of Africa to be published in Europe. More than 400 years later, Nicholas Jubber , a travel writer who has been enamored with the desert since he saw the movies Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars as a boy, set out to retrace the great traveler’s steps. In The Timbuktu School for Nomads: Across the Sahara in the Shadow of Jihad , Jubber tells the story of his epic journey by camel, bus, and motorbike from Morocco to Mali.

Speaking from his home in London, Jubber explains how Leo Africanus got a few things wrong, why you need to learn how to ride a camel if you are thinking of traveling in the region, and why books are among the region’s most precious objects .

Your journey across the Sahara was especially inspired by Leo Africanus. Explain why you call him “the greatest travel writer of his age.”

He grew up in Fez, Morocco, the nephew of an important ambassador, and accompanied his uncle on a diplomatic mission to Timbuktu and the Songhai kings. During that journey he saw an enormous amount of Africa. Later he was kidnapped by pirates off the Mediterranean coast and ended up as a protégé of Pope Leo X , whose name he took when he was christened. In his day, he was regarded as one of the most well-traveled people in the world. If you compare him with some of the great travelers of medieval times, like Marco Polo or Ibn Battuta, he matches up pretty well.

What’s particularly unique about Leo Africanus is that for hundreds of years his book became the most influential source of knowledge and information about Africa. Even the mistakes in his book were absorbed by later explorers. One of the misunderstandings was about the direction of the Niger River, which Leo Africanus mistook. That was why Mungo Park, traveling at the end of the 18th century, had such a hard time reaching Timbuktu.

Timbuktu is a byword for the end of the world. But it was once a great, cultural crossroads, wasn’t it?

Absolutely. It was in this perfect position at the edge of the desert, so a lot of the caravans coming through from the south up to the Mediterranean stopped there, bringing all sorts of things: gold, ostrich feathers, slaves. When the gold mines of West Africa were at their peak, Timbuktu was also at the heart of that trade.

One of the exciting things about being there is the continuity of history. Even though it’s fallen on hard times recently, you’re still very aware of the past. You can still see many of the great monuments, like the Sankore and Djinguereber Mosques, which Leo Africanus saw.

The Tuareg, or “blue men,” are perhaps the most famous of those nomads. There’s even a German SUV named after them. Have they been romanticized?

Absolutely, and they’ve been very much misunderstood. They are called the “blue men” because of their veils, which were traditionally dyed with blue indigo, staining their skin blue. These days they tend to wear inexpensive, Chinese-made veils, which don’t do that.

Their origins are clouded in mystery. There are all sorts of theories that they are descended from one of the lost tribes of Israel, or from a troop of crusaders who got lost in the desert after coming out of the Middle East. Because their culture has traditionally been oral and only goes back a number of centuries, it’s been difficult for academics to tease out what the truth might be. But over the last millennium, there has been continuity in their presence in the Sahara.

Tuareg nomads celebrate the end of the Ramadan fast with prayer and dancing.

I met a lot of them around Timbuktu and northern Mali. The Tuareg were credited with having founded Timbuktu as a place where they left their baggage and booty when they set off across the Sahara. As Timbuktu grew and flourished, they would sometimes be part of that growth, and sometimes they would be seen as a problem by the settled people there. They have always had this difficult, complex relationship with the sedentary communities of northern Mali. This has continued to this day and is at the heart of some of the current political problems in Mali.

Say "nomads" and we think camels and sand. But there are waterborne nomads, aren’t there? Tell us about your trip down the Niger River—and the wonderfully named Bozo people .

I find them fascinating. It’s such a different kind of nomadism from the camel-, goat-, or cattle-herding cultures, with its own musical and spiritual traditions. You hear a lot about genies and djinns on the river. Among the Bozo, there’s a tradition of offering rice in the hope that the spirit of the river will bless your fishing trip.

They are proper river rats, who float down the river in long, wooden canoes called pirogues . They have a very intimate knowledge of the river system, like where the best places to find fish at any particular time of year are. But it’s a lifestyle that’s being complicated by environmental and political problems, like the reduction in fish numbers due to damming on part of the Niger and overfishing by people not traditionally from a fishing background. One of the things Ibrahim, a fisherman I traveled with, pointed out is that if you catch a baby fish, you should always put it back into the river and wait until it’s fully grown, which he said was something the newer fishing people weren’t doing.

Timbuktu was home to a priceless collection of manuscripts, which was threatened by jihadists until librarians smuggled the books out.

In recent years, Timbuktu has been in the crosshairs of history in a different way. Tell us about Mokhtar Belmokhtar , aka Mr. Marlboro, and the atmosphere in Timbuktu when you arrived in the city shortly after the jihadists were driven out.

I heard the name Mokhtar Belmokhtar, “the One-Eyed,” all over the region. He’s probably the most high-profile of the many bandit chiefs. He started out peddling bootlegged cigarettes, then discovered Western hostages were a much more lucrative form of contraband. He then spread his net a little wider and became one of the most powerful, and volatile, jihadists in the region. He seems to have been constantly falling out with his colleagues and various other jihadist groups, but he spreads a large shadow over the region. While I was traveling there, the jihadists took over Timbuktu. When I came back, after they had been pushed out by the French, there were all sorts of stories of people who’d been flogged or had their property incinerated for minor crimes, like smoking cigarettes.

Most of the world’s population lives in cities today or settled communities. Tell us about the lifestyle and culture of the Sahara nomads you spent time with—and whether they have a future.

It’s certainly a very different lifestyle from the Western urban lifestyles that you or I are used to. It’s very much connected to, and living with, the landscape. There’s a lot of doom-mongering at the moment about the nomadic way of life being on its last legs and the numbers falling away. At the same time, I met a lot of people who talked about the continuity of their lifestyles and how they felt that nomadism will never disappear.

In some ways, it can’t because it’s such a practical way of living in that particular landscape. And with desertification expanding in many parts of North Africa, being able to live in and around the desert is actually growing in its relevance. It’s important for security, too, because the more of a thriving community of nomads you have, the more they will be able to provide a kind of shield against banditry and jihadism .

The love of books seems at odds with the nomadic lifestyle. But there’s been a long tradition of bibliophilia in the Sahara, hasn’t there?

Books have always been some of the most precious objects in the region. Leo Africanus describes how, at the time he was traveling, books were considered to be worth more than a slave. So if you wanted to build up a bit of a fortune for yourself, having a big stock of books could be quite lucrative.

One of the places that encapsulates this is Chinguetti, in Mauritania, where there are magnificent family libraries, with heirlooms handed down for generations. Some families have hundreds of manuscripts—some in very tattered condition but still full of fascinating knowledge. When the jihadists took over Timbuktu, one of the first things they did was try to locate the private libraries. Luckily there was a very effective project to secretly remove many of the books before the jihadists could destroy them and to safeguard them in Mali’s capital, Bamako.

Tuareg nomads carry salt slabs to Timbuktu. Writer Nick Jubber recommends learning how to ride a camel before venturing into the desert.

Your journey took you to many remote and dangerous places. What were the low—and high—points of the trip?

There were a lot of moments when I was really anxious. Jihadism was in the headlines, and there was this constant fear of bumping into the wrong people. On one journey, riding with 20 other people in a van across the Sahara, we got stuck in the sand, so we all had to get out and push.

A few moments later we were suddenly encircled by motorbike lights. There had been a kidnapping in Timbuktu previously, and I thought, this is the moment the jihadists are going to come and take me away.

It was actually just some local farmers coming to guide us back onto the right track. But the next day, on the same route, another van was attacked by bandits.

There were lots of other threats, too, from getting sunstroke to being kicked by a camel. Traveling around the Sahara you are constantly aware of all the things that can go wrong.

The high point was staying in the camps with nomadic families. One that was particularly fun was a well keeper called Ishmael, who lived about 10 miles outside Timbuktu. He welcomed me into his tent and sat reciting verses from the Koran, telling me old tales about his tribe, the Berbers. When I left he sang a song of blessing to wish us well on the rest of our journey. He was in his 70s, but his voice was still wonderfully rich and resonant.

Sheep and goats follow their owner to his home on the outskirts of Timbuktu.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of following in your footsteps across the Sahara?

One of the things I did was to travel a bit into the Sahara in Morocco. It’s not as rough as Mali, so it’s a good place to learn about camel riding and getting used to desert life. I also advise anybody thinking of traveling in the Sahara to research the history of the different communities, who lives where and who’s herding what kinds of animals. Try and learn the language, too. One of the things that helped me a lot was learning Arabic before going to Mauritania and Mali.

Equipment isn’t that necessary because once you’re traveling with nomads in the Sahara, you get used to doing things their way. One of the things I loved when traveling with the nomads was sitting around a campfire, waiting for an extremely long time for things to happen. You relax into that companionship—sitting around, drinking tea, letting the hours pass by. You lose that urban impatience and get used to just enjoying being with each other in the desert.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Simon Worrall curates Book Talk . Follow him on Twitter or at simonworrallauthor.com .

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How to visit Timbuktu, the legendary city of Mali

Timbuktu / Photo by jalvarezg

Do you consider yourself an adventurous tourist? Then a visit to Timbuktu’s remote, half-mythical African city proves that the real savor of a trip comes from the journey itself, not necessarily from the leading destination. Let’s see how to visit Timbuktu !

In the heart of Mali, a landlocked African nation in the west of the continent, there is a delta. An expanse of water impossible to imagine could exist here, adorned with ribbon-like islands, unfolds before your eyes: it is the Niger River.

On its northern bank is a city, beyond which the first dunes of the vast Sahara desert recede in sandy waves towards the horizon. The full moon dominates the landscape to the west – a yellow ball sinking into a heat of scrub and sand. In the east, the sun dapples the sky with its reddish shadow. As the mud and brick buildings begin to glow in the dawn light, Timbuktu comes to life. Read more about visiting the Great Mosque of Djenne , in Mali.

Legendary Timbuktu remains in the Western imagination as a settlement somewhere outside the atlas, clinging to the Sahara desert, although the reality is somewhat different. Visiting it no longer requires the iron will of explorers and companions who are part of the native Tuareg tribes, able to traverse the desert just by ‘reading’ the texture of the sand. It’s not an easy journey, but that’s the beauty of it.

Mali and its capital, Bamako

For most tourists, the journey to Timbuktu begins on the tarmac of Mali’s only international airport, located a few kilometers south of the country’s capital,  Bamako . To describe Bamako as an example of a vast settlement in a developing nation, you must consider both its positive and negative elements.

The capital has no tall buildings and is a polluted city. The air is a cocktail of West African red dust, exhaust fumes, and burning waste. Spend just one morning around the main boulevard, and you’ll feel like you’ve inhaled a box of crayons. But in a city that covers 252 square kilometers and is cut in two by the Niger River, motor vehicles are necessary.

In any case, what the city offers in quantities as significant as the pollution is the buzz, color, and an incredible variety of bars and clubs where you can listen to some of the best live music on the continent. Also worth mentioning here is Songoniko bus station, the terminus for buses. From here, they depart every day to the port city, the first leg of the journey having Timbuktu as its final destination.

It is worth mentioning that nothing happens according to the bus schedule. The buses depart only if they are full of clients, which means their height doubles due to the roof loaded with pieces of luggage, motorbikes, and bags of food, and the corridor inside fills up with animals and local passengers. The 460 kilometers journey – this is the distance to Mopti – theoretically takes 8 hours. But from the very beginning, you should know that you will spend about two days on the road!

It’s all about keeping your optimism and preparing for what’s ahead.  Mopti , a tough town on the south bank of the Niger River, is about halfway to Timbuktu, and from here, you have two options to continue your journey.

The most convenient choice is to book a place in one of the many 4×4 vehicles. With such a car, you can easily reach Douentza, a small, poor settlement, where the asphalt ends and a day-long journey begin on a dusty road that will shake your bones to the max. It all culminates in an unforgettable trip across Niger, where herders regularly drive their cattle on the metal ramps of a small ferry, the animals squeezing as best they can through the passenger-filled land cruisers.

Those will take you to the north bank of the river, to Korioume, the settlement near Timbuktu, linked to it by a 10-kilometer-long macadam road, covered at the end of an extremely long day (that is, of course, if you don’t miss the last ferry leaving at sunset).

For more romantic travelers, Mopti offers the chance to travel the rest of the way by boat, spending the next 2 or 3 days passing through the uniquely beautiful Niger Delta and spending the nights on deck or camping by the water around the fire.

When the water level is high enough, around July to December, you can cross by one of the large steam ferries that regularly cross the river. During the dry season, you’ll have to cross the river by  pinasa  or pirogue, small private boats that carry goods and passengers together.

Once onboard, it’s easy to get into the rhythm of the smooth river journey. 

Watch fishermen on the coastal, casting their nets into the silvery waters, try your luck at spotting a hippo or two in Lake Debo and float past Naifunke, the hometown of legendary blues guitarist Ali Farka Toure. What better way than this to reach your destination?

Timbuktu, once the land of gold

Modern-day Timbuktu had changed somewhat from its prosperous 15th-century days when its reputation as one of Africa’s most prosperous trading posts gave rise to a legend that the town was formed in a land with plenty of gold. Today, the ramshackle markets and roadside stalls seem to sell all the same things, namely sour oranges and phone cards.

However, Timbuktu still has much to offer its visitors besides the honor of getting here. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ancient city boasts ancient mosques built of mud and brick, a collection of buildings that, at first glance, appear to be the work of long-extinct species of giant ants.

Of the three mosques, Djingareyber, built-in 1325, is the oldest and is open to the public, while the Sankori mosque once housed the city’s university, one of the world’s largest learning institutions dating back to the Middle Ages.

There are also a few modest but reasonable hotels, hostels, and restaurants here – the Boctou Hotel, with its restaurant and terrace being perhaps the most popular.

But what makes Timbuktu unique is not its brick and mud buildings or its inhabitants. The magic comes from the simple fact that this settlement really exists and the thrill you get from the thought that you might actually get there, and once you get there, you feel like every other place in the world is far, too far away.

You may also like: Top 5 African countries for admiring wildlife

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Hello. Thanks for a great article. I am trying to write a novel set in Timbuktu and this was helpful. Martha.

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