Mopti Flights:
Flights to Mopti
Mopti is spread out over three small islands in Mali where the Niger River meets the Bani, so water is in abundance and much business comes via the rivers. Parts of Mopti are fairly modern but the Old Town area has narrow winding streets and older buildings that are interesting to see.
The flights to Mopti Airport (airport code: MZI) are limited and you cannot get a direct flight from Johannesburg. So fly to Bamako-Senou International Airport (code: BKO) instead, and from there you can get a flight to Mopti with Air Mali. With Ethiopian Airlines, you will fly through Addis Ababa but Kenya Airways has 2 stops in Gaborone and Nairobi. Your last option is with South African Airways. Their route connects in Accra and Lome.
Book a Flight To Mopti:
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The Tourist Attractions of Mopti:
Grand Mosque
The Grand Mosque of Mopti is a large mud-constructed building with exposed support beams jutting out along the walls in typical Mali style. People who live near the mosque often let tourists into their homes in order to take better photos from their roof (for a fee of course!).
The Market
With so much traffic coming and going by the river, Mopti market is usually very busy and filled with goods from all over Mali. There are fruits and vegetables as well as dried fish and slabs of rock salt. Ceramic pots, baskets and other souvenir items can also be found. Carved wooden masks made by the Dogon people are quite renowned and you should get at least one as a keepsake from Mali. Haggling is expected in the market so do not take the prices as marked.
The Harbour
Mopti is a very busy river port town, and the harbour is always bustling with activity. You won’t find large commercial boats, but rather many small wooden fishing boats that are common in the area.
Dogon Country
Outside of Mopti you can see the traditional lives and culture of the Dogon people, usually referred to as “Dogon Country”. In particular, the stone buildings carved into the Bandiagara Cliffs are an amazing sight to see and a must-visit. There are some accommodations in the area but they are very rough and only recommended for those who don’t mind a lack of facilities.
Bay Reserve
There is a protected nature area south of Mopti, near the border with Burkina Faso, called Bay Reserve. It is mainly forests and wetlands through the area though it is not well-maintained as a tourist park. You will be pretty much on your own to see the area
When Should You Visit?:
The weather in Mopti is hot, and is also very dry for most of the year. You should avoid travel in April and May as the temperatures will reach over 40C (104F) in the daytime. March and June are not much cooler either. For more reasonable weather, you should see Mopti in December or January. It will be 31C (88F) at that time of the year and still very dry. It is also cooler in August but that is when it will be at its rainiest.