Highlights of West Africa Overland

The Malian capital of Bamako is a bustling city of over one million people situated on the banks of the Niger River. The National Museum provides an excellent introduction to Malian history and culture with impressive collections of masks, textiles and ancient artefacts. West Africa is renowned for its music and Bamako is an excellent spot for catching live bands, particularly on the Route de Bla Bla. Elsewhere Grande Marche is a huge market selling food, clothes and some more unusual produce in its fetish stalls.

Timbuktu is one of the most evocative and mysterious names for travellers. Located on the edge of the Sahara desert, it became rich as an important trading town and once had one of the largest universities of the world, Koranic Sankore University, as it became the intellectual and spiritual centre for the propagation of Islam throughout west Africa. Today, Timbuktu's attractions include the three great mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, as well as the old houses of European explorers.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Timbuktu

Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, is a vibrant and chaotic city and one of the cultural centres of West Africa. Once the capital of the Mossi empire, Ouaga is now home to all the country's major ethnic tribes. The city is famed for its nightlife and as a centre to experience the music for which the region is renowned.

Bobo-Dioulasso is Burkina Faso's second city and is one of the most vibrant and attractive in West Africa. The city is a mix of French and Sudanese style colonial architecture, with highlights including the train station and the Great Mosque, built to resemble the famous mosque of Djenne. The Grand Marché contains a great selection of tribal arts from all over West Africa and the unique masks of this region. Bobo-Dioulasso is known as the 'Music Capital of Burkina Faso' and the city comes alive at night-time and the weekend with the rhythms of West African music

The town of Ouidah is the spiritual home of voodoo and was an important centre for the slave trade, remembered today at the old Portuguese fort. The voodoo culture is evidenced at the Python Temple, an important site for Ouidah's ancient snake cult.

Lome, Togo's capital, is a remarkable mix of colonial architecture and native culture. French, German and British settlers have left some grandiose buildings to admire while the country's history and culture can be explored at the National Museum with exhibits such as potteries, costumes, wood carvings and traditional musical instruments and medicinal remedies. Lomo's real attractions are its markets however, in particular the fetish market (Marché des Feticheurs) at Akedessewa where supplies for traditional medicines used by witch doctors can be found, including skulls of monkeys, snake skins, warthog teeth, lion and leopard skin and dried birds.

Kumasi was the spiritual and historic capital of the Ashanti Kingdom. Today it is Ghana's second largest city with a population of over one million people. The Manhyia Palace was the former home of the Ashanti kings and today houses a museum. The Armed Forces Museum details the conflicts of the 20th century. Kumasi is also home to West Africa's largest open air market - Kejetia where you can haggle for food, spices and other goods, including Ashanti drums, a key component of Ghanaian music.